The vanishing battleground
IN the razor-thin 1960 presidential election, John F. Kennedy campaigned in 49 states. Richard M. Nixon visited all 50.
The current contest is just as close and intense, but the candidates have campaigned in only 10 states since the political conventions. There are towns in Ohio that have received more attention than the entire West Coast.
The shrinking electoral battleground has altered the nature of American self-governance. There is evidence that the current system is depressing turnout, distorting policy, weakening accountability and effectively disenfranchising the vast majority of Americans…
In the current election, the battleground has grown almost comically small. Just three states — Florida, Ohio and Virginia — have accounted for almost two-thirds of the recent campaign appearances by the presidential candidates and their running mates. The three are home to an eighth of the nation’s people.
Blowback
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well….now that we have 57 states, things should start expanding some, no????/
ted c on November 4, 2012 at 8:32 PM
oh, and I claim my rightfully earned “Bishop”….
ted c on November 4, 2012 at 8:33 PM
This is a good thing for the 87% of us who live outside the battleground states. We get spared the 24/7 presidential campaign ads and robocalls and mailers and door knocks. (We still get plenty of unwanted attention for the state and local races.)
aunursa on November 4, 2012 at 8:38 PM
newrouter on November 4, 2012 at 8:39 PM
where’d the strike come from?
newrouter on November 4, 2012 at 8:40 PM
A return to federalism will greatly reduce the impact of this phenomena as issues are returned to their proper domain, the states.
Think about the lack of importance the reelection of a Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi would be to people not in their states if they weren’t able to wield so much power.
Look at where all of the EVs are, CA alone has more than all of the South. Should CA be allowed to dictate to the entire Southeast via federal policy? No!
We must elect strong 10th Amendment conservatives to state offices who are willing to sieze back the rightful powers of the states that have been slowly and steadily usurped since the end of the Civil War.
Otherwise every federal election is a national election with national impact. Reduce the power of the federal government and reduce the impact of the lunatic Leftists.
Charlemagne on November 4, 2012 at 8:42 PM
It least this way when we hear about email voting in New Jersey we can all just laugh about it.
pedestrian on November 4, 2012 at 8:43 PM
Blame the incessant polling and data mining.
RayinVA on November 4, 2012 at 8:51 PM
This.
IrishEyes on November 4, 2012 at 9:10 PM
Sadly, one of the reasons I had for leaving California was the fact that I, as a republican, had no political representation. Of course, I’m no longer a republican. Conservative Texas is still a better fit, though.
trigon on November 5, 2012 at 1:00 AM