I loathe the idea that only a handful of states matter in this election. Instead of trying to appeal to the most people in this country, period, we have this ridiculous system where only a few people in a few states matter.
People living in California - their votes are just written off. Think of it: the state with the most people in it simply doesn’t count in our Presidential election. So very absurd.
It’s more that they’re reliable than not counted.
I mean, in the unlikely event that 99% of Dems in California stayed home the State would turn either turn red or give a bunch of electoral votes to a third party candidate, seriously hurting the Dem candidate’s chances with the Electoral College.
But yes - the problem with the Electoral College is that the power of individual voters is unequal, and varies depending on where you live.
58% of PA voters want to ban fracking, but don’t expect either candidate to bring it up.
And while most want to ban it:
Pennsylvania voters continue to be split over fracking. A poll out this week, which surveyed 700 likely voters in September, shows 58% support a ban on fracking while 42% oppose it.
Virtually all agree that it can’t continue the way it has been:
“Support for taking mitigating measures like regulation and enforcement is strong among all populations that we surveyed,” O’Leary said, “from Democrats and environmentalists on the left to hardcore Republicans on the right.”
Unfortunately for voters in PA, both candidates for president and their Senate seat are fully behind fracking.
Yet people are still scratching their heads like nothing can be done to motivate PA voters.
In general, about half of those surveyed support fracking, while 30% oppose, with 19% unsure.
This is why. In the unlikely event that all 19% end up swinging to pro, we’re talking about almost 70% support for it. That not only included moderate Republicans that potentially can be won over, but some conservative Dems that we can’t afford to lose.
The 58% is meant to represent “likely voters” but the problem is that if there are enough single issue folks, we may see unlikely voters vote on the issue beyond the lone poll’s expectations.
Normally we want to get the vote out, but adopting an explicit anti-fracking stance could energize folks to vote GOP who otherwise would never vote Dem and would stay at home.
There is some hope here though:
90% supported expanding setbacks from schools and hospitals, while 92% wanted increased air monitoring at fracking sites and 94% wanted greater disclosure of fracking chemicals.
So be pro-fracking but also pro-disclosure, pro-monitoring, and pro-setbacks.
