Letters: Why La. republicans should vote obama

If you were a Gary Johnson fan, who would you vote for? Probably not Gary Johnson; he’s got no shot. You might vote for Mitt Romney, so that your vote matters. That’s an example of strategic voting, and unfortunately it’s one of the keys to getting your voice heard. As of now, Louisiana voices are not heard. Delayed FEMA trailers/checks and the jobs lost due to the offshore drilling moratorium can both attest to that.

The problem involves a broken system called the Electoral College, in which all of a state’s votes go to that state’s winner. Louisiana gets less attention because it isn’t a swing state (We tend to lean Republican). An October 2011 poll by Clarus Research has Romney beating President Barack Obama by 16 points in Louisiana, and Republicans won by point spreads of 19 in 2008, 14 in 2004, and 18 in 2000. Same story for Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas.

So candidates, knowing we’ll vote Republican no matter what, have no reason to impress us, pander to us or even help us in times of need. So they only wind up caring about swing states like Florida and Ohio, which could go either way.

But wait! There’s a way to become one of those states that matter, and it involves strategic voting: Simply vote against the way Louisiana is predicted to vote. Here that means vote for President Obama. In Clinton-times, it would’ve meant vote Republican. And in blue states, it’d mean vote Romney.

The important thing isn’t who you want to be elected. Realize that because of the Electoral College, not only does your vote not matter because Louisiana is a red state, and because it’s only got eight (of 538) votes, but also because your vote doesn’t even get counted for directly determining the winner. Combine this with the sheer number of voters and the influence of corrupt campaign donors, and your vote for president is meaningless.

But your vote for Louisiana prosperity isn’t. Not only will strategic voting enhance Louisiana’s stance in U.S. politics, it’ll also stand as a protest against our flawed system of Electoral College groupings with plurality-vote tallies.

Don’t worry, an Obama vote won’t hurt Romney; he’s got Louisiana in the bag. The idea is just to bring Louisiana closer to that 50-50 swing-state mark.

So this November, don’t pull the lever for Republicans or Democrats. Pull it for Louisiana, by voting Obama.

Andrew Elias

student, LSU Class of 2013

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by InPVille - 25/10/2012

DMJ: How can I answer for anyone other than myself?

2) Comment by DMJ - 25/10/2012

Also, last time (2000) it wasn't just about popular vs. electoral. There was the small matter of the purging of tens of thousands of eligible voters from the rolls and Florida's governor (W's brother) and the Supreme Court stopping the recount. Just sayin...

3) Comment by DMJ - 25/10/2012

Pville, that's not exactly an answer

4) Comment by tradewinns - 25/10/2012

holtb; note worthiness or note worthiness or both correct, check the dictionary. however i am glad someone is reading my comments.

5) Comment by ScotB - 25/10/2012

I knew when I was just a few sentences into the letter, it was written by a high school student, college student, or some young person. This started my day with a good guffaw!!! Thank you, young man!

6) Comment by InPVille - 25/10/2012

@DMJ: "...would you Electoral College advocates be ok with Romney winning the popular vote but losing the Electoral College vote?? I doubt it..." I can't speak for others on this. You can try to win them all. But it isn't possible. I've always taken the view that he who would apply the rules should not be the one violating the rules. I did this in my work applying policy to cases I was responsible for when I worked for the state no matter what I thought of the people involved. The same policy was applied to an outside activity of my choosing where I was responsible for applying rules to situations. I am fairly certain I wouldn't act like many of those who came in on the minus column acted the last time this happened. No matter what happens, I still have to live with myself.

7) Comment by DMJ - 25/10/2012

"If we do away with the Electoral College, doesn't it follow that we also change the number of senators for each state to account for the population?" No, it doesn't. You know how I know? Because no one (other than you) has even mentioned doing that. Talk about a logical leap. Rural and/or less populated states will always have a check against more populated states. It's called the Senate. Wyoming gets two Senators....just like Calfornia. If anything, rural states are already drastically over-represented. All that being said, I ask again....would you Electoral College advocates be ok with Romney winning the popular vote but losing the Electoral College vote?? I doubt it...

8) Comment by InPVille - 25/10/2012

Those who advocate against the idea of The Electoral College often claim that the founding document could not allow for changes in society. While true this misses the point of the theory in play when the republic was founded based on what I learned in the college course I took on the subject back when. Human nature has not changed in the last few centuries. The limits placed on the federal government, the division of powers, differences in the composition of the two houses of congress, the amendment process, and the electoral college were all intended to balance things and in an attempt to ensure that change was fully considered and everyone given the opportunity to have their position represented without railroading something through because an over-motivated minority was too determined to force their own view of what the country should look like on the rest of the citizenry.

9) Comment by holtB - 25/10/2012

welp, this republican will be voting Obama... still hoping Romney wins though :)

10) Comment by holtB - 24/10/2012

tradewinns: "Noteworthiness" is one word. Should we question the worthiness of a degree from wherever you went to school?

11) Comment by Bighug - 24/10/2012

I agree with you, tradewinns. If we do away with the Electoral College, doesn't it follow that we also change the number of senators for each state to account for the population? The founding fathers were amazing in their ability to provide us with a great Constitution. Doing away with the Electoral College would in the long run be detrimental to rural states like Louisiana. Fortunately, Andrew has another year left to learn that at LSU. Unfortunately, he didn't learn it in high school.

12) Comment by The_Host - 24/10/2012

I prefer not being a battleground state. That way I am not subjected to 6 plus months of non stop campaign lies... I mean ads.. Of like there is a difference right? I agree we have the technology now in the information age. So much technology that I would go a step further and just do away with Congress all together in its current form. From now on we send Reps. but we all vote on ALL LAWS. We have the technology to do so and the money to maintain constant vote casting abilities. No reason to allow 536 idiots to continue to run us into the ground. I don't need Pelosi voting for me anymore than I need any of the Repub Reps voting for me. I can decide all on my own what I want. The whole process has been hijacked by career politicians and special interest lobbying groups. This idea would put an end to all that nonsense.

13) Comment by DMJ - 24/10/2012

Though I'm pretty sure the letter writer is just being a smart-aleck, he's right about the electoral college needing to go. If State A and State B had the same population and the same amount of electoral college votes. Candidate X wins state A by 40 points but Candidate Y wins State B by 1 point. The result? A net wash, despite Candidate X getting more votes. See? I could see the Electoral College serving a purpose back when we were still a largely agrarian society, but we're in the information age, a time when votes can be counted accurately in one day. The Electoral College (and Supreme Court) gave the presidency to George W Bush in 2000. I didn't remember hearing any complaints from Republicans back then....but what if Romney wins the popular vote but loses the Electoral College vote to....wait for it.... Barack Hussein Obama?1?1?1?! I predict the biggest collective hissy we've seen since the deepwater drilling moratorium. Speaking of....someone should tell Mr. Elias that the moratorium wasn't enacted for no reason and that it ended quite a long time ago.

14) Comment by agagent - 24/10/2012

"We do not come to this conclusion lightly. But it is clear, we believe, that the president has largely lost the consent of the governed. The midterm elections were effectively a referendum on the Obama presidency. And even if it was not an endorsement of a Republican vision for America, the drubbing the Democrats took was certainly a vote of no confidence in Obama and his party. The president has almost no credibility left with Republicans and little with independents.”--Douglas E. Schoen and Patrick H. Caddell

15) Comment by agagent - 24/10/2012

“This is a critical moment for the country. From the faltering economy to the burdensome deficit to our foreign policy struggles, America is suffering a widespread sense of crisis and anxiety about the future. Under these circumstances, Obama has the opportunity to seize the high ground and the imagination of the nation once again, and to galvanize the public for the hard decisions that must be made. The only way he can do so, though, is by putting national interests ahead of personal or political ones. To that end, we believe Obama should announce immediately that he will not be a candidate for reelection in 2012. If the president goes down the reelection road, we are guaranteed two years of political gridlock at a time when we can ill afford it. But by explicitly saying he will be a one-term president, Obama can deliver on his central campaign promise of 2008, draining the poison from our culture of polarization and ending the resentment and division that have eroded our national identity and common purpose.”--Douglas E. Schoen and Patrick H. Caddell

16) Comment by tradewinns - 24/10/2012

now i'm questioning the note worthiness of a degree from LSU.