Charles Hurt and George Zornick talked about politics and the 2012 presidential race. Topics included the Republican 2012 presidential field, the New Hampshire Republican debate, President Obama's latest job approval ratings, the possibility of a double-dip recession, and Representative Anthony Weiner's political future.

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/2012PresidentialPolitics3/start/0/stop/352

Pennsylvania electoral college G.O.P

Republicans in Pennsylvania are considering a proposal that would award 18 of the state’s 20 electoral votes to the winner of each of its congressional districts, leaving the remaining 2 to the winner of the state at large.

If the proposal was in 2008, when Pennsylvania had one more electoral vote prior to reapportionment, Obama would have carried only 11 of the state’s 21 electoral votes despite winning Pennsylvania by a 10-point margin.

The plan would create the possibility, in fact, that the winner of the popular vote in Pennsylvania could come away with fewer electoral votes from the state. Pennsylvania’s congressional districts are heavily gerrymandered and the Democratic vote is concentrated in the dense urban areas of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Republicans have a 12-7 edge now in the state’s congressional delegation, and are in charge of its redistricting process. With Pennsylvania needing to lose one seat because of slow population growth, they will try to consolidate Democratic voters into six districts while reinforcing their own.