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Awesome!!!
What Happens If The Electoral Vote Is Tied?
The House of Representatives would choose the president, and the Senate would choose the vice president.
In the House, each state would get 1 vote. How a state votes would be determined by a majority vote of its entire House delegation. The members could vote as they please, and would not be bound by which candidate their state or district voted for, or by party affiliation.
In the Senate, each Senator would get 1 vote, and the vice president would be chosen by a simple majority.
The Cook Political Report has analyzed what might happen in the event of an electoral vote tie. Their results:
14 states are solidly Democratic: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
6 states lean Democratic: Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
11 states are solidly Republican: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
5 states lean Republican: Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, and Missouri.
Totals: Democrats 20, Republicans 16, tossups 14. Needed to win: 26 states.
Four of the tossup states have even-numbered congressional delegations which means they potentially could produce ties — and no vote for president. If neither candidate won 26 states, neither would become president.
The Senate, though, is certain to have a Democratic majority — and choose Joe Biden as vice president. If the House fails to elect a president, Biden would become the acting president.
With this leverage, House Democrats could say to House Republicans, either you go along with electing Obama or you get Biden.
What An Electoral Vote Tie Would Like Look
So how could the candidates get to a 269-269 tie?
Obama would have to win Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, and New Mexico. (Obama leads in all of those states.)
McCain would have to win Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Nevada, and New Hampshire. (Obama leads in several of those states.)
McCain is targeting Maine’s 2nd CD, hoping to peel off one of that state’s 4 EVs. Obama aims to counter that by peeling off one of Nebraska’s 5 EVs. Those are the only 2 states that award any EVs by who wins the congressional district; all the other states are winner-take-all.
The chances of a tie are pretty slim because it’s unlikely that Obama will lose single one of the half-dozen swing states where he presently leads. But it could happen. And McCain and Obama could both fail to pry the tie-breaking EV loose from Maine or Nebraska — or both might succeed, canceling each other out.
Improbable? Yes. But not impossible. But given that Democrats have 20 solid or leaning states in the House, and Republicans have only 16, Obama is more likely to win 26 states in the House than is McCain. But if both fall short, either because of a 25-25 tie or because 1 or more state House delegations tie, then Biden very likely becomes president.
The only scenario in which McCain could proceed from a tied electoral vote to the White House is if he wins a clear majority (26) of states in the House, which would require taking 12 of the 14 tossup states. That’s possible only if a significant number of Democratic House members vote for McCain.
Some Democrats might do that to hang onto their seats if they were elected in Republican districts. For example, if Alaska’s House seat is won by the Democratic candidate next month, which is plausible as his opponent is the scandal-ridden Don Young, he might vote for McCain to save his own hide in the next election. A few others might vote for whoever won the popular vote, and it’s difficult to get to a tied EV scenario without McCain winning the national popular vote.
But any way you slice it a tied EV probably results in a Democratic president, although his name might be Biden instead of Obama. So, McCain’s only plausible route to the WH is by winning an EV majority. And that scenario is growing more implausible with every passing day.
McCain Campaign Sends Fake Letters To Newspapers
A Dutch political reporter based in Washington D.C. worked for both the McCain and Obama campaigns, then wrote about it for her newspaper back home in the Netherlands. She writes:
” … After … a first mission as a phone banker for John McCain, I returned to McCain’s headquarters in Arlington, Va. … they wanted to put me into action as a ghostwriter.
“Next to commercials and phone banking, writing letters to the editor is the most important method of the McCain campaign to attract voters. At least that is what’s written in the guidelines that McCain campaign worker Phil Tuchman presents to me.
“Today he is training six ghostwriters. What on earth is the appeal of McCain for the former Soviet bloc? Last time I was here, an exuberant Polish guy was phone banking next to me. Today, a Russian in yellow suspenders is shimmering at the same table ….
“The assignment is simple: We are going to write letters to the editor and we are allowed to make up whatever we want — as long as it adds to the campaign.
” … [W]e are supposed to … create a flow of fictional fan mail for McCain. ‘Your letters,’ says Phil Tuchman, ‘will be sent to our campaign offices in battle states. Ohio. Pennsylvania. Virginia. New Hampshire. There we’ll place them in local newspapers.’
“Place them? I may be wrong, but I thought that in the USA only a newspaper’s editors decided that. ‘We will show your letters to our supporters in those states,’ explains Phil. ‘ … [W]e ask them to sign your letter. And then we send that letter to the local newspaper.’ …
“Phil Tuchman has handed out model letters, and talking points and quotes from Sarah Palin’s [convention] speech. But whom do I want to be? Let’s loosen up my fingers a little first — and my principles, too. Am I actually allowed to make up letters? … I start practicing attractive sentences about Sarah Palin:
“‘Her biggest plus to me is that, besides being amazingly smart and qualified, she managed to remain a woman like us. She is the PTA hockey moms. She is the working mothers of special needs children. She is every caring mother of a challenging teenager.’
“Her pregnant daughter Bristol … is not a talking point. A talking point is her son … who will be deployed to Iraq.
“‘And most of all, she is just like any mother of a child who deploys to Iraq in the service of this country.’
“Now we are getting somewhere. I look around. I type: ‘My son, too, is there.’
“Oh god, you liar. Now build up suspense. New paragraph. ‘And my heart needs him back safe so much.’
“Yes, yes. Well done. Another paragraph — why not? Now let’s pump some iron in that mother, for after all, we are not with the Democrats here. Look up the right, patriotic phraseology in the model letters.
“‘But when I see him again, I also want to see his face glow with pride. Just like the day he told me he enlisted.’ Yes, like that. And now full speed in the direction of McCain’s plans to continue the war. Sell that war. With a mother’s heart. ‘That is why Senator John McCain could count on my vote from day one.’
” … I gaze out of the window. This takes 10 minutes. Then: ‘With Sarah Palin, I have even more reason to trust in victory. She represents my heart.’
Hmm. Does that sound like total doublespeak? Or does it sound like logical reasoning to a McCain supporter? I cannot come up with anything better. ‘Sincerely …’ I leave the dots for somebody else’s signature.
“Does Phil Tuchman want to read it? Phil bends over my computer screen and reads. … Then he says drily: ‘I like that. … Can you write more letters?'”
(Quoted from Salon.com under fair use.)
Roger Rabbit Commentary: And now you know the rest of the story!
Rog Buddy, you really really got tooooooo much time on your hands in retirement…Ha Ha
Damn!
So OK, I’ll bet ya one Nickols, and I’ll Raise you one Sims, and I’ll even throw down one Gregoire, but after all, we are in a recession / depression, so I’ll give you back one FAT Acorn! :)
How bout that!
Bury that Acorn weellly weelly weally deep in dat Wabbit hole, else dat shotgun it will get ya. :)
@5 Fuck you. It’s my time and I can do what I want with it. I’ll see your shotgun and raise you an AK-47, goatfucker.
O.J. Simpson Found Guilty
The jury in O. J. Simpson’s kidnapping and armed robbery trial has convicted Simpson on all counts. He’s now facing life in prison.
Why We’re Not Going To Have Another Great Depression
Because of government.
1. Back then, government spending was 3% of the economy; today, it’s 20%.
2. Back then, the government didn’t insure bank accounts; today, Congress has just raised deposit insurance from $100,000 to $250,000. It was electronic withdrawals by small businesses with balances over $100K that sank Washington Mutual.
3. Back then, Social Security didn’t exist; today, Social Security checks sent to millions of retirees put a floor under how far consumer spending can fall.
Wingnuts call this Big Government. I call it Good Government. Thank God we’ve got it!
Ok Rog, I can see there is no sense of humor with you tonight, So how about I’ll offer an AK47 pointed at your favorite 800 Billion Dollar Pork barrel project add on….
Point and SHOOT!
Please don’t Kill the ACORN Add On
Thanks for the video Jon. Billy Preston!! Sweet. I like the String Cheese Incident version of this song almost as good… live of course.
Pleeeeeees don’t kil the ACORN add on…
PELOSSSSSI wouldn’t like it
The homeless people of tent city need our help.
We are all progressive liberal Democrats here. We all claim to be more compassionate and caring than Republicans.
It’s time to put that caring into action.
Who here will sponsor 5 tent city homeless people in their house for the winter?
Below, please write your name and address, and I am going to deliver them to tent city to let them know each address can take 5 people until March 1st.
Ok, fellow compassionate Democrats, it’s put up or shut up time. Let’s see what you’re made of!
re 13: I’ll do that if you’ll pay the medical bills for 5 pregnant teenagers — and let them live in your house — and raise their kids.
You can start with Palin’s kid. Her mother’s obviously too busy to do it.
Awesome!
Keith Moon once played a clear drum set like that, and even kept goldfish in a floor tom for snacks.
Billy Preston – “Will It Go Round in Circles”, kind of like the Donkey Party leadership… :)
Destroy something, lose power, regain power, destroy it again.
Goldy, now that Kathleen Parker has changed her tune: http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....02669.html
Where is the HA Update?
Oh… I know… this is a libtard blog…
“Poor Gwen Ifill was irrelevant — a second-tier actor in Palin’s morality play. Over and over, Palin skipped past Ifill, as well as Biden, to speak directly to the American people. I am one of you, she told them. And these people — Democrats and the media — are neither of us, nor for us.”
Joe Biden said: “All you have to do is to go down Union Street with me in Wilmington and go to Katie’s restaurant…”
Biden was referring to the long-closed Katie’s Italian restaurant, which is actually two blocks away from Union Street. The establishment is now a Wings to Go.
Say it ain’t so Joe?
HA Moonbat’s, how do you know Biden’s lying again? His lips are moving. Katie’s Restaurant has been closed for 15 years!
Probably because Biden’s mind has been in “read only” mode.
Maybe Joe should wear a bracelet with her name. Barack had to read the bracelet he wore!
As I look up Article I of the Constitution I don’t see the role of the vice president of the United States.
ARTICLE II defines the VP Role… HA Moonbat’s, how do you know Biden’s lying again? His lips are moving. Say it ain’t so Joe?… All that time in the Senate and he hasn’t a clue. Where is the libtard MSM on this?
So I wonder when Joe visited Home Depot last?
Why is CNN pulling for the Donkey? It’s the official Obama view zone. “Watch Barack Obama debate John McCain tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern on CNN. Please forward this message.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhaGY6SZ39o
Yet their “official” transcript has “go down Union Street with me in Wilmington or go to Katie’s Restaurant.”
I wonder if Joe knows Duct Tape?
Maybe Joe knows light bulbs?
How do we know Joe knows plumbing? Has he been laying pipe lately?
Has he taken Al Gorebasm into Home Depot to help Al with his humongous monthly power bill?
Say it ain’t so Joe.
Since I know Moonbat!s won’t visit John McCain.com, here are Joe Biden’s 14 Lies – Say it ain’t so Joe:
1. TAX VOTE: Biden said McCain voted “the exact same way” as Obama to increase taxes on Americans earning just $42,000, but McCain DID NOT VOTE THAT WAY.
2. AHMEDINIJAD MEETING: Joe Biden lied when he said that Barack Obama never said that he would sit down unconditionally with Mahmoud Ahmedinijad of Iran. Barack Obama did say specifically, and Joe Biden attacked him for it.
3. OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING: Biden said, “Drill we must.” But Biden has opposed offshore drilling and even compared offshore drilling to “raping” the Outer Continental Shelf.”
4. TROOP FUNDING: Joe Biden lied when he indicated that John McCain and Barack Obama voted the same way against funding the troops in the field. John McCain opposed a bill that included a timeline, that the President of the United States had already said he would veto regardless of it’s passage.
5. OPPOSING CLEAN COAL: Biden says he’s always been for clean coal, but he just told a voter that he is against clean coal and any new coal plants in America and has a record of voting against clean coal and coal in the U.S. Senate.
6. ALERNATIVE ENERGY VOTES: According to FactCheck.org, Biden is exaggerating and overstating John McCain’s record voting for alternative energy when he says he voted against it 23 times.
7. HEALTH INSURANCE: Biden falsely said McCain will raise taxes on people’s health insurance coverage — they get a tax credit to offset any tax hike. Independent fact checkers have confirmed this attack is false
8. OIL TAXES: Biden falsely said Palin supported a windfall profits tax in Alaska — she reformed the state tax and revenue system, it’s not a windfall profits tax.
9. AFGHANISTAN / GEN. MCKIERNAN COMMENTS: Biden said that top military commander in Iraq said the principles of the surge could not be applied to Afghanistan, but the commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force Gen. David D. McKiernan said that there were principles of the surge strategy, including working with tribes, that could be applied in Afghanistan.
10. REGULATION: Biden falsely said McCain weakened regulation — he actually called for more regulation on Fannie and Freddie.
11. IRAQ: When Joe Biden lied when he said that John McCain was “dead wrong on Iraq”, because Joe Biden shared the same vote to authorize the war and differed on the surge strategy where they John McCain has been proven right.
12. TAX INCREASES: Biden said Americans earning less than $250,000 wouldn’t see higher taxes, but the Obama-Biden tax plan would raise taxes on individuals making $200,000 or more.
13. BAILOUT: Biden said the economic rescue legislation matches the four principles that Obama laid out, but in reality it doesn’t meet two of the four principles that Obama outlined on Sept. 19, which were that it include an emergency economic stimulus package, and that it be part of “part of a globally coordinated effort with our partners in the G-20.”
14. REAGAN TAX RATES: Biden is wrong in saying that under Obama, Americans won’t pay any more in taxes then they did under Reagan.
Joe Biden sure seems to “just make shit up” a lot, doesn’t he?
And when Biden is not lying about Diners, being shot at or having his helicopter forced down by the enemy, he is busy plagarizing other people’s work product.
You KLOWNS must adnit seeing a Biden pattern here that is more than a wee bit unsettling.
The guy is friendly & likable….but has an eery resemblance in his words & deeds to a wood man named PINOCCHIO!”
But he’s your next Vice President, Cyn. Too bad for you. Great for us.
FYVM
FRObama
Hey Rog Rabbit–
I’m flattered by your attention to my monikor…but you are waaaaaaaaay to obvious it is you!
I guess in your old age you are slipping steve…I mean Ms Cinical….errrr, I mean Roger Rabbit!
Funny as
The best open thread in ages.
Except for the cross dresser trying to pose as Ms. Cynical.
Otherwise exemplary.
Glad to see that even if it’s just for five minutes the cesspool that is HA can be cleaned and purified.
I think I’ll stroll down to Katies and grab a bite to eat. bwahahahahahaha.
Not one liberal here gave their name and address to sponsor a tent city homeless person in their home for the winter?
Interesting.
Hypocrites.
#6
How about you Troll? How many homeless folks are you taking in? You remind me of the military age Republicans who attended some of the recent anti-war rallies/marches. They actually called members of Veterans For Peace cowards. I asked them why they weren’t over in Iraq fighting to protect the
motherlandhomeland; they responded the way I assume you would.Fuck you Zapporo!!!!
Zapporo, #39 proves you right!