Voting, the Electoral College, and Being Cool

Fern in Haleakala Crater - photo by JoAnn Sturman

by Scott Sturman

The President is elected by accumulating 270 electoral votes; popular vote does not matter.  The hyper conservative Republican Party platform may yield 20 point margins of victory in the states of the South, Midwest, and Rocky Mountains, but of what value is this if the majority of voters in every other state perceive the party as exclusionary and contrary to their best interests?

After the 2012 Presidential election, a number of readers offered incites on the problems conservatives face:

If you want young people to vote Republican, get out of our bedrooms.

Sean S.
San Francisco, CA


As a business owner, I have voted Republican, but when I heard the statements of the Senate candidates in Indiana and Missouri about rape and abortion, I said “the hell with them and their party.”

Sandy R.
Dallas, TX


Over the past several months both my wife and two daughters, who lean right of center, thought Romney was way too condescending and spoke down to women as an afterthought.  His comments about his own wife brought loud remarks from the critiquing females, while I thought it was no big deal.

Women are clearly the glue that holds our society together and are not yet felt to be appreciated and respected.  It is all about demographics, and the GOP will continue to lose until they can figure it out.

The two bozos who spoke about rape during Senate runs, brought the whole party down with them.  That attitude really turns women off. Talk about insensitive!!

Peter M.
Fresno, CA



Certain professions and jobs that tend to be filled by females: teachers, government employees, etc..  The culture tends to be unionized and liberal, which dictates how they vote.  As a business owner I deal with government agencies which are heavily staffed by two demographics: females and minorities of both sexes.  Governmental agencies never get smaller and people vote their livelihood.  The bigger the government pool of workers, the more liberal the electorate becomes.

Another thought - with less marriages (by design or divorce), some women may view government as their safety net, whereas in the past a husband filled that role.  Again, they vote their livelihood; all other issues are minor by comparison.

Gayle L.
Fresno, CA


Republicans are living in the past. Same sex marriage is going to happen whether they like it or not.  Same with abortion, so why do they keep saying they are against it? All they have to say is that it is the law and spend their time saving our country from bankruptcy.

And how about Mourdock's statement if you get pregnant from rape, it is God's will, or Chris Christy bragging on Obama? Republicans are their own worst enemies, and I am getting sick of them.  It has to do with common sense, and not because I am a woman.  Give women a reason to vote for you and they will.  What a bunch of idiots running our country!

Jackie F.
Rapid City, SD



I have a theory about women’s preference for Obama.  My wife didn't vote for him either time because she reads what's happening and knew where he would take the country and now recognizes what a miserable job he has done.  But she said she used to "like him."  

Therein lies the reason for his appeal, not just from women but from minorities and youth as well. Most people, including, and maybe especially, minorities and youth, are woefully uninformed on the issues. Ever watch Jay Leno's Streetwalking segments or Jessie Water's campus/street interview segments on the O'Reilly show?  Most people don't even recognize photos of our leaders, let alone have any intelligent recognition of the current issues.

They do, however, think Obama is a good speaker who is cool, young, hip, black, and liberal - all factors in the likability column. If you are clueless on the issues then likability is the trump card. If you are Black, well let's face it, you vote your race, period.  If you are Hispanic, you vote for the guy that promises the Dream Act, who sues Arizona for enforcing immigration and who decides, by executive fiat, to ignore the immigration laws.  Furthermore, if a candidate proposes to rob Peter to pay Paul, he can always count on the support of Paul, and there are roughly 50% of us who are now in Paul's camp!

Besides, Romney appears to these voting blocks as an old, rich, square, white, Mormon, and a tea tootling Wall Streeter - NOT COOL. Regarding their position on the most pressing issues facing this country and the solutions:  No clue whatsoever.

I believe most of the general electorate, not just the young and minorities, is woefully uninformed on most of the issues to any depth.  The majority don't read the newspapers or watch the nightly news.  They get what little they know from the Net, or Twitter or from surfing thru the nightly news on their way to Monday Night Football or the Simpsons.

For proof of this consider that exit polls show that some 10-15% of VOTERS hadn't made up their minds until a few days before the election!  It's hard to recall an elections when the choices, if you knew the issues, were more distinct.  To not have made up your mind until a few days before speaks to the fact that these people had no idea this country is in a serious mess.

They "liked" this cool Black dude and liked him even more after his token appearances at the hurricane sites and the bear hug from Christie.

Now there's a guy who I would consider throwing under the bus if it weren't for the fact that the bus would come out the worse for it!

Ed L.
Fresno, CA


There has been a total breakdown of the family unit.  Back in the "old days" we married before having children and intended to be together for life. Now the attitude is, "if it doesn't work, we'll just get a divorce."  It is too easy and prophetic.

Many of the young, single mothers in our society today have never experienced the work and sacrifice it takes to maintain a marriage. They are too selfish and self-serving to put their children first, too selfish to understand the need for a dad and proper home life for them.  At the same time, they want to be taken care of and feel secure, so they turn to the government to play the role of husband.

It seems to me liberals promote a "do whatever you want and you can still have everything" ethic with no responsibility required.  This sounds pretty cool, so they vote for it.  By now, they have to vote for it because they can't maintain their lifestyles without government help.

Karen H.
Fresno, CA

When I hear Rush Limbaugh telling me how I should think, I just turn my brain to “off” and wonder why anyone listens to him.  If he is the voice of conservatism, it’s no wonder women, youth, and minorities are not interested.

Georgia T.
Tampa, FL