What if the Electoral Vote was Proportional?

What if instead of the unit rule, states doled out electoral voter based on the proportion of votes each slate of electors received?

Bernie won’t go

Ego trumps all?

Commission On Presidential Debates Sets Schedule For General Election Debates

The Commission on Presidential Debates has released the schedule and criteria for the General Election debates. As usual, the criteria are heavily biased in favor of the major party candidates.

Trump Bows Down To King Corn On Ethanol Subsidies And Mandates

With an eye on the trade war and the 2020 election, President Trump is increasing subsidies and mandates for corn-based ethanol.

The End of Consensus

A conservative columnist argues the legitimacy of our system is in question.

The Main Remedy to Trump is an Election

But, our process to elect the president is highly flawed.

Voters Voting Voters Voting

Rank-Choice Voting for President in Maine

Staring in 2020 the winner in Maine will be the majority preference.

Appeals Court Rules States Cannot Punish ‘Faithless Electors’

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that states cannot punish electors who fail to follow the will of the majority of voters n their state or state laws purporting to direct how they should vote.

Joe Arpaio Running For Sheriff Again

Controversial former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was voted out of office in 2016 after serving six terms in office, is running to get his old job back.

Americans Find Trump’s Rhetoric Racist, But He Doesn’t Care

Even a Fox News poll finds that the American public finds the President’s recent rhetoric to be racist. There’s a different picture when you look at his supporters, though.

Impeachment In The Wake Of The Mueller Hearing

The Mueller hearing has weakened the political argument for impeachment. Democrats need to proceed with caution, and concentrate on winning in 2020 rather than removing the President from office prematurely.

Trump’s Electoral College Advantage Growing

He could lose the popular vote by an even larger margin in 2020—and still coast to re-election.

Mitch McConnell Gets A Challenger For 2020

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has a challenger. Much like 2014, though, it’s far too early to start writing his political obituary.

Kris Kobach To Run For Senate

Kris Kobach, former Kansas Secretary of State and former head of President Trump’s “Voter Fraud” Commission, is running for Senator in Kansas.

Buttigieg Raised $24.8 Million

Mayor Pete is raking in the dough.

Four Years After The Worst Escalator Ride In History

Four years ago, Donald Trump began his campaign for President. What has followed has been as bad as could have been predicted that day.

Trump Underperforming In Texas

A new poll of Texas voters shows President Trump doing worse than expected against potential Democratic challengers. Should Republicans be worried?

Today in Terrible Electoral College Columns

No, abolishing the EC would not turn farmers into serfs.

Trump’s Midwestern Meltdown

Recent poll numbers suggest that the President is vulnerable in the part of the country that assured his Electoral College victory in 2020, but Democrats are going to have to work hard to flip these states.

A Separate Election For Vice-President?

A seemingly out-of-the-blue political movement is arguing in favor of independent election of Vice-Presidents.

Small Majority Of Americans Favor Abolishing The Electoral College

A new poll finds that a small majority of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College, but that’s not nearly enough to make any change in how we elect Presidents possible.

Trump In Trouble In Texas?

A new poll shows President Trump struggling against four of his potential 2020 challengers. Should Republicans be worried and Democrats elated? It’s too early to tell.

Trump Campaign Worried About Pennsylvania

Trump campaign officials are worried about the President’s chances of holding onto a state that was crucial to his win in 2020. They should be.

Voters Voting Voters Voting

On Democratic Responsiveness

A lesson from Puerto Rico and further reasons why the EC is a problem.

No, the Electoral College Wasn’t About Slavery

Princeton historian Sean Wilentz lays to rest a pernicious idea propagated by . . . Princeton historian Sean Wilentz.

Voters Voting Voters Voting

Why Two Parties?

Some basics on the US party system.

Congressman: Abolish Filibuster and Electoral College

Massachusetts Democrat Seth Moulton makes an argument familiar to OTB readers.

Electoral Vote Map

A new tool for looking at possible Presidential election outcomes.

Beto O’Rourke Apparently Running for President

The Texas Congressman has decided to forgo another Senate bid and instead focus his energies elsewhere.

Trump’s Electoral College Problem

Based on his job approval numbers, President Trump could face an uphill battle in 2020.

Solving The District Of Columbia Problem

There’s only one solution to the D.C. statehood issue. It’s called retrocession.

Supreme Court Accepts Appeal Of Case Barring Citizenship Question From Census

The Supreme Court will hear a case dealing with a challenge to the Commerce Department’s decision to put a question about citizenship on the 2020 Census.

Former Astronaut Mark Kelly Enters 2020 Senate Race Against Martha McSally

Former Astronaut Mark Kelly, the husband of Gabby Giffords, is running for Senate in Arizona against Martha McSally.

If Howard Schultz wants to be President…

…there is only one plausible pathway to get there.

The Constitution Makes A Successful Third-Party Presidential Run Unlikely

The way we elect Presidents make it unlikely that a third-party candidate like Howard Schultz could ever actually win the the Presidency.

Trump’s Latest Political And Legal Setbacks Don’t Bode Well For 2020

Looking ahead, the political landscape does not look well for the President.

Federal Judge Blocks Citizenship Question From 2020 Census

A Federal Judge has blocked the Trump Administration from going forward with a plan to put a question about citizenship on the 2020 Census.

Third Party Fantasies

The latest entry in the unity third party presidential candidate genre is just as bad as they always are.

John Kerry 2020?

He’s tan. He’s rested. He’s ready.

Trump Still Thinks He Did A ‘Fantastic Job’ In Puerto Rico

Despite the evidence, the President thinks he did a great job handling a disaster in which nearly 3,000 American citizens died.

Lawsuits Challenge “Winner Take All” Allocation Of Electoral College Votes

A group of lawsuits filed across the country are seeking to challenge the predominant method for allocation of Electoral College votes. These lawsuits appear to have little merit.

Tim Pawlenty Fails In Comeback Effort, Confirming That The GOP Is Trump’s Party

Former Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty failed in his comeback effort last night, confirming yet again that the GOP is now the Trump Party.

Trump Reportedly Sees Joe Biden As His Biggest Threat In 2020

Notwithstanding his dismissive public rhetoric about the former Vice-President, Donald Trump apparently sees Joe Biden as his biggest potential threat in 2020.

A Return to the Treason Conversation

At a minimum, Trump is betraying his oath of office. That is one hell of a minimum.

Republicans Pick Charlotte For 2020 Convention

Republicans will hold their 2020 National Convention in the same city that hosted the Democrats back in 2012.

Trump and the Baby Boomers

The President continues to enjoy enthusiastic support from the over-65 set.

Connecticut Joins National Popular Vote Initiative

Eleven states plus DC, who have 172 of the 270 electoral votes needed to elect a President, are now part of the compact.

Mitt Romney Falls Short At Utah GOP Convention, Forced Into Primary

Mitt Romney stumbled in his bid to become Utah’s next Senator but he’s still likely to win the nomination anyway.

Census Bureau Announces Plan To “Cross-Check” Responses To Citizenship Question

Yet more troubling news about the proposed citizenship question on the 2020 Census.

Eighteen States Sue To Block Citizenship Question On Census

New York and nearly two dozen other jurisdictions have filed a lawsuit seeking to bar the Trump Administration from asking about citizenship in the 2020 Census.