The Democratic Governors Association has teamed up with the Pennsylvania Democratic Party to stop Governor Tom Corbett (R. PA) from signing legislation that would rig the Electoral College and steal Pennsylvania for the GOP in 2016:
Republicans have a secret plan to win back the Presidency: rig the Electoral College.
In states President Obama won fairly like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, Republicans are plotting to steal the election, using tactics like awarding electoral votes based on Congressional Districts, instead of the popular vote. Why? Because they spent the last two years gerrymandering these districts to unfairly favor Republicans.
If they’d done this before last year’s election, we’d have President Romney right now even though he lost by almost 5 million votes.
Pennsylvania Republicans are moving fast. They return to session on Monday looking to pass an election-rigging bill that – if active in 2012 – would have awarded eight of the state’s 20 electoral votes to Mitt Romney.
Join the DGA and Pennsylvania Democrats in demanding that Governor Corbett veto this outrageous election-rigging bill:
http://secure.democraticgovernors.org/...
The Presidency isn’t won by the candidate who gets the most votes – we learned that the hard way in 2000. It’s decided by who gets to a total of 270 electoral votes.
That’s why this bill in Pennsylvania should matter to you, even if you live in another state.
Republicans have launched a coordinated national effort to get bills like this passed in Democratic-leaning states, especially in states where Republicans have consolidated their control by gerrymandering Congressional Districts. It’s shameful and underhanded, but it’s also a potentially effective strategy for gaining power – if we don’t stop it now.
When asked if this plan was really just about making it easier for Republicans to win the Presidency, the Republican strategist behind the effort replied: “That could be a byproduct.”
We have to stop Pennsylvania Republicans now, and send a signal to Republicans in other states that election-rigging will not fly in Pennsylvania or in any state.
Add your name to our petition with Pennsylvania Democrats calling on Governor Corbett to veto this hyper-partisan vote-rigging scheme:
http://secure.democraticgovernors.org/...
Together we can protect the ballot box and stop the Republicans’ secret plan. But we need you to stand with us.
Thank you,
Lis Smith
Democratic Governors Association
Here's a little more background on what Corbett's lackey, State Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R. PA) is trying to push through:
Pileggi's new proposal is, at its core, similar to the one he and Gov. Corbett championed last fall, in that it would do away with Pennsylvania's winner-take-all system of awarding electoral votes.
This time, Pileggi wants to have electoral votes awarded "proportionately," based on the popular vote.
"The major goal remains the same - to more closely align our electoral vote with our popular vote," said Pileggi spokesman Erik Arneson, adding that the senator plans to formally introduce the bill early next year.
Pileggi's new plan would award two votes to the winner of the popular vote statewide and then divide the remaining 18 based on the percentage of the popular vote each presidential candidate received. - Philadelphia Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau, 12/4/12
Here's the petition again:
http://secure.democraticgovernors.org/...
I'm starting to think Corbett might be facing the fact that he may be a one term governor and is fulfilling his master plans, the Koch Brothers, before voters give him the boot in 2014. Because rigging the electoral college is not a winning strategy if you're trying get re-elected next year:
http://www.pennlive.com/...
“This issue is not a winner for Gov. Corbett as he heads into his re-election,” said Ed Uravic, a Harrisburg University Science and Tech professor who worked as a high-level GOP strategist for 20 years.
“This is the kind of issue geared toward the Republican base, but if it's around next year during the general election, it could hurt the governor as he tries to get the votes of young people, independents and conservative Democrats,” Uravic added. “Right now it looks like he's going to have a challenging race and will need every vote he can get.”
Corbett has been a lightning rod for Democrats. They argue that he has made damaging cuts to vital state functions in order to pass balanced budgets without raising taxes.
And his in-state GOP critics contend that he has failed to advance enough of a conservative agenda despite having an ideologically inclined Republican-controlled General Assembly. - The Patriot News, 3/8/13
I'm thinking come January 2015, Pennsylvania will be swearing in their first female governor:
Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) plans to run against Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R) in 2014.
"It is my intention," Schwartz told the Philadelphia Daily News when asked if she'll run.
The congresswoman has a deep national fundraising network, built partly by her work with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and is close to both House leadership and national liberal groups.
Polls show Corbett is very vulnerable in the Democratic-leaning state. He has low approval ratings, and a recent partisan poll conducted for the Democratic Governors Association showed Schwartz ahead. - The Hill, 2/25/13
I don't care how gerrymandered Pennsylvania is, it's the Democrats turf and I want to take it back for our party. If you want to get involved with the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, you can do so here:
http://www.padems.com/