Editor, Ceres Courier,
Over the years California has shifted our primary date around in a vain effort to become relevant to the presidential election process. The issue is not a date but demographics that virtually guarantee all 55 Electoral College votes going to the Democratic candidate since 1992.That's 20 percent of the total required to win the national election. The real problem is the Constitutional one-person-one-vote principle does not apply in the presidential election because of California's winner-take-all policy. We need to change our Electoral College rules so they reflect our popular vote. If California's 2012 popular vote were cast as electoral votes, Obama would have received 34 to Romney's 21 votes. That would counter the impact of smaller states that receive more campaigning for fewer votes, both popular and electoral. Because money is the mother's milk of politics, the Democrats needn't spend money or time in California if their candidate is guaranteed to win, and the Republicans won't waste money to lose. Both parties keep California as an ATM machine to spend elsewhere.
An argument against a purely popular vote is a third party candidate will never have a chance. Too many feel disenfranchised by both parties, and given the prospect of a viable option, they should be encouraged to invest in a third party. For every 1/55th of California's popular vote a third party would receive they would get one Electoral College vote. It is insignificant in today's election, but an incentive for minority parties to grow into future elections in California. Obviously neither the Democrats nor the Republicans want to have new contenders in their closed game, but it can't hurt the folks in the stands.
The progressive mindset demands scrapping something we have in favor of unintended consequences. Rather than toss out the Electoral College process, modernize it to reflect the choice of today's voters and encourage the growth of third party enfranchisement. We cannot guess what might have been or become from national politics, but we can open the door for all voters in California to participate in their Constitutional right to one-person-one-vote.
Roger La Presle
LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the editor will be considered for publication but must be signed and include an address and phone number. Letters should be 250 words or less and be void of libel. Send to The Ceres Courier, 138 S. Center Street, Turlock CA 95380 or emailed to jeffb@cerescourier.com.
