Stated Simply: NPV Makes GOTV Efforts Pointless
Channel: adventures in the free state
Date: 2020-01-28

Paying attention yet, collectivists? Your "Get Out the Vote" campaigns in NH will be so much utterly wasted effort. Because their vote will be ignored. They could have just stayed home and saved the trouble.

"One man, one vote? Not so fast. "National Popular Vote Interstate Compact" would "allow" you your vote, by fiat, only as long as you agreed with the majority. Have a different opinion, though, and, well, you still vote with the majority. NH's electoral votes will not be her own to delegate. And thus NH voters' votes will not belong to them, either. Your vote will be recorded as whatever CA and NY want. If you like their choice, fine for you. But choose another path, and the record of your preference disappears. Poof! Disenfranchised. Like you never voted at all. All your vote are belong to us. Yours has been assimilated. NH, your vote is simply not recognized anymore. Absolutely no reason to bother spending the time casting one. How's that for "spirit of the Constitution"?

If any of the voters in the states falling for NPV want to know what "yeah, your vote doesn't count" really means, just wait until the NPV -- and thus their own ostensible electors (who haven't gone anywhere, jbtw) -- goes against what they /thought/ they and their state voted for. Yes, that will happen, citizen. "Wait, what?!? THAT'S NOT FAIR...!!!" Oh, the outrage and gnashing of teeth that will follow that entirely predictable revelation. But, hey, you told your state to ignore your vote, in favor of what /other/ states wanted...

HB1531, "relative to the release of voting information in a presidential election", before the NH House Election Law Committee, 1/28/2020, seeks to make an effective objection to this "hive mind" movement, by jamming a monkey wrench into the gears that grind so fine.
https://granitegrok.com/mg_monadnock/2019/12/the-electoral-college-defense-act
https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/01/14/new-hampshire-is-fighting-back-to-defend-the-electoral-college/

And another consideration. Dispense with the Electoral College (by ratifying a Constitutional amendment, obviously, right? -- because we don't modify the Constitution by popular vote in this country), and what do you think presidential campaigning would look like then?

First, every stop will look like a "yuge" Trump rally, for one thing, because there's no need (nor /ability/, functionally, given the following) to go out on the street to face actual voters. Or a highly controlled appearance in a tv studio, because even if you're a /decent/ candidate, that's just what you /need/ to do out west and in the high-delegate-count states in order to reach the /whole state/.

By contrast, tiny (and politically hyper-active) NH (arguably /too/-) easily does "retail politics", even for national campaigns. Reporter: "What do you think of the candidate, ma'am?" Voter: "I'm not sure yet: I've only met him 3 or 4 times." Yes. Pols stop at diners and such, hold livingroom "town halls", and go door-to-door. They talk one-on-one with actual (and notably, 'uncommitted', even hostile) voters -- who can often respond with "who the hell are you, and why should I vote for you?" People pose to them real policy questions that they can't avoid. And it's all captured on video, so /you/, Ms WA voter and Mr. NM citizen, get to learn from it, /too/. And NH being especially small, /everyone in the state/ can get themselves to /any appearance/, to inject a frustratingly unscripted moment. We revel in it, actually.

Can, e.g., Californians say the same? Can Californians /do/ the same, just given the geographic expanse of the state? Hell, /you/ could come to /NH/ and join right in -- which is probably /at least close/ to as practical as getting yourself to L.A. or S.F. -- and watching on the big-screen...

But do you think they'd bother to stop at diners in Fresno /anyway/? No. Major staged rallies before network cameras, in big cities in the half-dozen most delegate-rich states is the only opportunity you'll then have to vet them. Which is, needless to say, /no/ opportunity to vet them at all.

Thus, there are really 2 aspects at risk with the National Popular Vote. The first is that your vote is made irrelevant. But the second is more selfless. So you're welcome. For the effect of the Framers' prescient gift, the Electoral College. And for the gratis "due diligence" earnestly exerted by FITN NH -- which, until repeal of the EC leaves them no reason to stop here /at all/, benefits /you/ at least as much as it benefits /us/.

Quit your whining, and take advantage of your resources. Or...

We could reclaim all the arrogated power that government has stolen (contrary to not only the "spirit" but to the /letter/ of the Constitution), return it to where it belongs, the individual -- the smallest and most /vulnerable/ minority, right there -- and no one will need to care about /any/ of it anymore. Get on with running your own life. Go in peace...