The Democrats' fifty-state strategyBy Lee Mortimer
Published September 25th 2007 in The Nation
The Democrats' fifty-state strategy may be good for party-building and grassroots organizing, but it makes no sense to throw resources at states whose electoral votes are out of reach in 2008. "Purple America" exists only in fifteen to eighteen "swing" states. Bob Moser's home state, North Carolina, is firmly in the Republican column. Despite having a North Carolinian on the ticket in 2004, the Kerry/Edwards campaign barely improved its vote over Gore/Lieberman in 2000. The only way Democrats can carry "red" states in 2008 is if they are carrying the country by a landslide. And that's not in anyone's forecast. The best hope for a "purple America" is the National Popular Vote plan, which would make every vote equal in presidential elections.
LEE MORTIMER
Durham, NC
Election Day '09 was a roller-coaster for election reformers. Instant runoff voting had a great night in Minnesota, where St. Paul voters chose to implement IRV for its city elections, and Minneapolis voters used IRV for the first time—with local media touting it as a big success. As the Star-Tribune noted in endorsing IRV for St. Paul, Tuesday’s elections give the Twin Cities a chance to show the whole state of Minnesota the benefits of adopting IRV. There were disappointments in Lowell and Pierce County too, but high-profile multi-candidate races in New Jersey and New York keep policymakers focused on ways to reform elections; the Baltimore Sun and Miami Herald were among many newspapers publishing commentary from FairVote board member and former presidential candidate John Anderson on how IRV can mitigate the problems of plurality elections.