Pew Research conducted a poll on how people feel about the failure of the Senate to pass legislation that included background checks on gun purchases. They then broke the results down by party and by how each state’s senators voted. Respondents were not asked specifically about the Manchin-Toomey amendment that would have closed loopholes on background checks at gun shows and for online sales. What Pew discovered in that the people’s sentiments track closely with how their senators voted. About 50% of the people in states where both senators supported the background check amendment are angry or disappointed that gun legislation didn’t pass, and about 50% of the people in states where both senators voted against the amendment are happy or relieved that gun legislation didn’t pass. But, here’s another way of looking at it:
Electoral votes of states where both senators voted for the Toomey-Manchin background check amendment: 261
Electoral votes of states where one senator voted for and one senator voted against the amendment: 134
Electoral votes of states where both senators voted against the amendment: 140
For the purposes of this analysis, Harry Reid’s vote is considered an ‘aye’ because he only changed it to a ‘no’ for procedural reasons. That means Nevada is categorized as a state where the senators split their votes. The District of Columbia didn’t have a vote, so their 3 Electoral Votes are not counted.
Without DC, there are 535 Electoral Votes. A majority, then, would be 268. So, the 261 votes represented by states where both senators supported the amendment is almost enough to constitute majority just by themselves. Add up the Electoral Votes of states where at least one senator supported the amendment and compare it to the states where at least one senator opposed it, and you get a 395-278 tally. The 395 number is just slightly higher than 59% of the total Electoral Votes represented in this sample. Still short of that magical 60 needed to do anything in the Senate.
And neither does the house – the dems with a 1.5million vote majority, but still a minority in that chamber.
We live in a country that is designed to be manipulated by a minority.
Of course, that’s the way they set it up. The veneer of democracy.
Here’s some evidence that opposing gun violence legislation will fuck up your approval numbers, at least in New England.
I think if you did the same breakdown based on population, the results would be more dramatic.
Actually, the Electoral College is based on the Census. This is by population, excluding DC.
Except there are many states with only 1 representative and two senators. So take Illinois with its population and two votes for vs North Dakota with its two votes against. Same number of votes on each side, but major difference in population.
Well, there are states that are so small that the 3 electoral votes they have is still an overrepresentation. But for every Alaska or Wyoming, we have a Delaware or Vermont, so that pretty much balances out. What I am measuring here is precisely the difference between the percentage of the population represented by pro-voters and the actual vote.
Almost never has. Explains why it took almost a hundred and fifty years for women to get the vote. Why Jim Crow was tolerated for almost a hundred years. Why socialism is a dirty word in this country.
Our latest multiple homicide in the city of brotherly love.
This one could have been suicide but we don’t know. Pretty close (about a mile) from our friend Brendan’s pad.
Another kid shot in the chest. They say it was drug-related.
Whaddya know? An appropriate use of an AR-15.
Another background check fail.
Old-fashioned.
This lack of appropriate representation drives me mad. We campaign, we support the party, we vote them in and we hope, not unreasonably, that they will hear us and make things happen in our states.
But because of complacency, bribery, age-old networks and brotherhoods, we don’t get what we vote for. And with Republicans steadfast and stubborn about letting any Democratic legislation pass, we will stay locked down. Our votes actually mean very little in the end.
It frustrates me no end, the standstill and the inability to gain traction on these important issues like health care and gun control. The small victories gained by President Obama seem to be overshadowed by the consistent failures to accomplish serious goals.
dammit.
Agreed but when the logjam breaks…lookout!
theydontworkforyou.org
Giffords’ Group Targets Ayotte & McConnell
Thats true man!
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