A Ballot Buddy System

Randall Lane writes:

But here’s a bipartisan solution: an electoral vote buddy system. Red and blue states of similar size should pair up and pass state laws to apportion their electoral votes by district.

It seems to me that the last thing we want is to put more emphasis on the output of congressional districting.

California’s Legal Tangle

Courts Vs Voters - OR - Counter-majoratarianism film at 11.

Waxman Topples Dingell, Claims Gavel at House Energy and Commerce

CPG FTW?

[John] Lewis, a champion of the seniority system, was downbeat after the tally was announced, “I think in the long run we will pay for what we did today,” he said. “It’s not good for the order of things.”

When Do You Disbelieve a "Change of Heart"?

Bryan Caplan on ideology, revealed preferences and change.

Political scramble if Kerry joins Cabinet

Turmoil in the Massachusetts Senate Delegation and yup the (endogenous) institutions matter.

Unlike most states that allow the governor to appoint a replacement, Massachusetts law says that a vacant US Senate seat would have to be filled by a special election within 140 to 160 days of the resignation. The Democrat-controlled Legislature approved the law when Kerry was running for president in 2004, to prevent Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican, from appointing a possible successor.

Democrats could try to change the law back to ensure Republicans don't pull off a surprise victory. Patrick indicated yesterday he was open to the idea of reverting to the old system of appointments, but said he was "not pushing a change."

Go Vote!

That is all.

Real Time Research on the 2008 Election

Andrew Gelman has posted a number of interesting bit from Red State, Blue State as well some analysis on the current election. Here is a post comparing the changes in state level voting patterns between 2004 and 2008.