OPINION
7A
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7.2008
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD
ASSOCIATED PRESS
How to make votes in this state count
Kansas Obama supporters:
your man won, but your vote for president didn't have a thing to do with it. McCain won Kansas by a 16 percentage point margin.
Most of the votes in this historic election were cast in states where the outcome was already known. The votes in the seven battleground states were the ones that really elected Barack as our next president.
The Electoral College is the culprit of this reality. Our winners-takes all-electoral-votes voting system seriously undermines the importance of individual votes in non-swing states, and as a result, voter turnout suffers. Counts from Tuesday haven't been finalized, but in 2004, turnout in the swing states was 66.82 percent, more than six percentage points
Cries to abolish the Electoral College in favor of a national
higher than the 60.1 percent national turnout. Kansas had 61.6 percent turnout.
popular vote were made after the controversial election decision in 2000, but these pleas never made it on the national agenda, according to Paul Schumaker, professor of political science.
Realistically, the abolition of the Electoral College was less likely than Obama winning Kansas. Its provisions are laid out right in the middle of the Constitution, and federal lawmakers aren't going to violate our sacred document to throw out a voting system that reinforces the two-party system.
But reforming the Electoral College could achieve vote equality regardless of the voter's location, and one of these reforms could be carried out without federal approval.
Reform No.1:
Allocate votes from states proportionally
A reform the states can take on themselves is to end the winner-takes-all procedure of awarding electoral votes in favor of proportional allocation.
Proportionally allocating electoral votes is the only way to reap the benefits of a national popular vote without abolishing the Electoral College. The reform would enable a Democrat to cast a meaningful ballot in a Republican state, and vice versa.
Under proportional allocation, if half of Kansans vote McCain, one-third vote Obama and one-sixth vote Nader, McCain would get three of the state's six electoral votes, Obama two and Nader one.
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States hold the power to institute this reform because states, not the federal government, are in charge of setting up the voting procedure of the Electoral College members in their state. The only reason we have the current sys-
ten is because 48 states have decided on winners-take-all (Nebraska and Maine use a different procedure).
Reform 2:
Abolish the plus-2 rule
All other things equal, the plus-2 rule makes an individual voting from a state with a small population more powerful than someone voting in a state with a large population.
The rule dictates that the number of electorates in a state equals the number of districts in that state plus two. This means that each state has two electorates that aren't represented by population, ensuring small states have fewer citizens per electoral vote, making their citizens' votes more powerful. To correct this bias toward small states, each state should lose its two extra EC members so that the number of a state's electoral votes is based solely on population.
A reformed Electoral College in which every vote holds equal power no matter the state would enliven our election process.
Voter turnout would increase. Third-party supporters would feel less alienated from mainstream politics because their candidates would actually make it on the electoral scorecard.
Instead of focusing almost exclusively on states with tight races, candidates would campaign in all states.
A reformed Electoral College would not only produce candidates that are more in-tune with national problems but also citizens who are politically energized and want to cast a meaningful vote.
— Ian Stanford for the editorial board
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CONTACT US
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Matt Erickson, editor
864-4810 or merickson@kansan.com
Dani Hurst, managing editor
864-4810 or dhurst@kansan.com
Mark Dent, managing editor
864-4810 or mdent@kansan.com
Matt Erickson, editor
Kelsey Hayes, managing editor 864-4810 or khayes@kansan.com
Lauren Keith, opinion editor 864-4924 or leith@kansan.com
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Malcolm Gibson, general manager and news adviser
Jon Schlitt, sales and marketing adviser
864-7666 or jschlitt@kansan.com
THE EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Kansas Editorial Board are Alex Doherty, Lauren Keith, Patrick de Oliveira, Ray Segebrecht and Ian Stanford.
What happens when your twin takes over
MARIAM SAIFAN
ALEX NICHOLS
Alex Nichols is currently on assignment in Tibet. Filling in for him this week is his evil twin, Fernando.
When Alex asked me to write this column for him, I was more than happy to oblige. After all, "evil" twins are rarely given equal voice in the press these days. This was my chance to break through the barrier set by the media elite, who tend to shy away from people with my ... resume.
So I sat down and tried to come up with something to write about, something near and dear to my blackened heart.
And after hours of stroking and twirling my mustache in pensive thought, I finally came up with the perfect subject for an evil twin to write about; voting!
Yes, mere days ago the people of this great nation of ours exercised their unalienable right to speak out and choose who they wanted to lead this great nation, from local officers to senators to the president of the United States of America. (Obama won, right? I don't really read the newspaper.) Americans had a chance to make their presence as citizens felt.
Everybody, that is, except for me.
You see, I'm a convicted felon. Don't look so surprised! Yes, little of me was found by a jury of my peers to be "guilty" of the apparent "crime" of "importing endangered species" for the purposes of "trafficking their precious organs." Who knew that was a felony these days? In the 21st century! 'jeez!
Anyway, as you may know, the 14th Amendment allows states to prohibit people to vote "for participation in rebellion, or other crime."
Balderdash, I say! The only
crime I have committed is the importation of endangered species for the purposes of trafficking their precious organs. And if that's wrong, I don't want to be right. Because in this case, being wrong is extremely lucrative.
And that brings me to my argument: I shouldn't have to pay taxes. You see, I went to the library to do some research. And although it felt odd to be in a public building for so long without taking at least a few hostages, I learned a lot about what this country was founded on.
The brave men (and women disguised like men) who fought for freedom in the American Revolution had a rallying cry: "No taxation without representation!"
They thought it was wrong for the British to tyrannically tax them on things like tea, sugar and knick.
ers without having at least a say in who would be doing the tyrannical taxing. Right now I have to pay a lot of taxes. Just one panda lung can push me into a totally different bracket. And yet I don't even get to vote for a tax plan that works best for me, all because of I am a felon.
The government can't have it both ways. Either give humble endangered-species-organ-traffickers like myself a voice or let them enjoy the fruits of their illicit labors.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a fresh shipment of axolotls to attend to. Those things are ultra-profitable, what with their ability to regenerate most of their body parts. Bwahahaha!
Fernando is an Evil State sophomore majoring in diabolic studies.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
What the 2008 election can teach us in the future
By this time, all of America realizes how much this election has changed our country, for better or for worse. On the bright side, the political consciousness of our country has undergone a significant and undeniable increase. This election has ignited a flame in millions of Americans.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
But unfortunately, this trans-
formation has come with a price
Although our collective political consciousness has seen a sharp upturn, our collective political conscience has taken an even sharper downturn.
We have become so wrapped up in red states and blue states, in the far left and the far right and in the attacks and the insults that we have forgotten the reason we have political platforms in the first place.
goal in mind: a better America. It's bad enough that the men and women we just voted for spent much of their campaigns bashing each other.
All of us, Democrats and Republicans allie, have the same
Shouldn't we be able to sit down and have reasonable and fair discussions with our friends and family without the worry of being vilified for our beliefs?
That's what our country is supposed to be all about.
How high fructose corn syrup may be beneficial
The Nov. 5 article "Increasing obesity — in moderation" may mislead consumers about high fructose corn syrup.
— Elliot Metz is a sophomore from Wichita.
...
High fructose corn syrup. sugar and several fruit juices are all nutritionally the same.
High fructose corn syrup has the same number of calories as sugar and is handled similarly by the body.
High fructose corn syrup offers numerous benefits. It keeps food fresh, enhances fruit and spice flavors, retains moisture in bran cereals, helps keep breakfast and energy bars moist, maintains consistent flavors in beverages and keeps ingredients evenly dispersed in condiments
The American Medical Association in June 2008 helped put to rest misunderstandings about this sweetener and obesity, stating that "high fructose
WAYTRU @ FLICKR.COM
corn syrup does not appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners"
In 1983, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration formally listed high fructose corn syrup as safe for use in food and reafirmed that decision in 1996.
Consumers can see the latest research and learn more about high fructose corn syrup at www.HFCSFacts.com and www.Sweet-Surprise.com.
— Audrae Erickson President of the Corn Refiners Association
Why do these people on the fourth floor not understand the concept of quiet hours?
To contribute to Free for All, call 785-864-0500.
--online is sick. Call me if you want me to feel better. Here are a few comments I've vomited up from my online past.
Can I get two stomps and a clap in this bitch?
--online is sick. Call me if you want me to feel better. Here are a few comments I've vomited up from my online past.
My AIDS test is flawless
My psychology professor says I have penis envy. I'm pretty sure I don't have penis envy, kind of like having a vagina.
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Someone call a doctor. I've got a case of love bipolar.
FREE FOR ALL
My math TA is probably the sexiest man I have ever seen in my life. Thank you for making it so easy to pay attention.
I don't want to see anybody else. When I think about you, I touch myself.
Goldfish: the snack that smiles back until you bite their heads
KU sailors are sexy
FYI Todd Reesing, being super quarterback man does not mean that you can walk in front of me at a leisurely stroll when I have 10 minutes to get two blocks away.
--his name. Damn.
That is one fine-looking buffalo.
A guy offered to share his umbrella with me, nevermind I was completely soaked already and only a few yards from my next class. Too bad I can't think around guys, otherwise I would've asked
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Or at least the department stores think so.
To the guy playin the quitar on the 10th floor, please stop, it's terrible.
I love Uggs and Ron Paul and campus parking.
What do you know about Ray Finkel?
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What is a Ron Paul? Is it human?
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Let's learn to not slam doors.