The 2008 Presidential Campaign: What Happened and Why?

Post by **Inanna** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:27 am

Currently, according to CNN, Obama is projected to win 174 votes.

Give him California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii (which he WILL get), and you get him at 251.

Fox has given him New Mexico - 256
MSNBC and Fox have given him Ohio - 276.

Done. He wins.

Post by **Holbytla** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:27 am

No it's cooked. There is no way McCain is going to win CA, OR, WA or HA and that will be enough to put Obama over the top.

Post by **ToshoftheWuffingas** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:48 am

UK TV reports that he is expected to take Ohio and his count stands at 200. With the West coast states that means it's certain for him.

Post by **Crucifer** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:54 am

If Obama gets Indiana (and there's oh so slim a chance), then I'm going to bed.

Post by **Impenitent** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:03 am

I meant the Florida goose, although the margin for Obama is lengthening. The rest seems to be a done deal.

But geez! So many traditionally red states are leaning and too close to call! Blows my mind.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:31 am

Indiana is looking OK. So is Florida. Even Virginia I think will end up with Obama.

But he could lose them all and still be president.

Post by **Holbytla** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:34 am

Impenitent wrote:I meant the Florida goose, although the margin for Obama is lengthening. The rest seems to be a done deal.

But geez! So many traditionally red states are leaning and too close to call! Blows my mind.

I misunderstood what you said.
And you are right. The level of unhappiness with the republican party over the last few years has reached huge levels. This will be the first time in a long while that a democrat will get more than 50% of the vote.

Post by **ToshoftheWuffingas** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:36 am

What is the significance of Obama winning Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin? Were they expected to go for him?

Post by **Lalaith** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:38 am

I think they were expected to go to Obama. I think it's significant because they are bigger electoral states.

Have I mentioned that I think it's time we did away with the electoral college?

It should've happened last time after the whole popular vote/electoral vote discrepancy. We have the technology to do it by popular vote alone now. Don't you think?

Lali

Post by **Holbytla** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:44 am

I doubt it will happen. And I am not so sure it should. We are a representative republic, not a democracy.
States like Wyoming, Vermont and North Dakota would have little relevance.
Perhaps states should adopt the Maine way of voting and distribute the electorate by vote totals.

Post by **Dave_LF** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:51 am

Fox just called Virginia, former capital of the Confederacy, for Barack Obama. North Carolina looks likely to go the other way.

Post by **Crucifer** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:58 am

So did CNN. That pretty much does it, I think.

Maybe.

Post by **Lalaith** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:00 am

Holbytla wrote:I doubt it will happen. And I am not so sure it should. We are a representative republic, not a democracy.
States like Wyoming, Vermont and North Dakota would have little relevance.
Perhaps states should adopt the Maine way of voting and distribute the electorate by vote totals.

Tell me how that works, or send me a link.

Please?

<is not above batting eyelashes if needed>

And how would that make the states with smaller populations less relevant? They have less electoral votes, too. (I'm feeling stupid tonight.)

Lali

Post by **Dave_LF** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:01 am

ABC just declared that Barack Obama will be the 44th President. What an accomplishment.

Post by **ToshoftheWuffingas** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:02 am

I see him currently listed at 284. It is done.

Post by **Holbytla** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:05 am

Lalaith wrote:
Holbytla wrote:I doubt it will happen. And I am not so sure it should. We are a representative republic, not a democracy.
States like Wyoming, Vermont and North Dakota would have little relevance.
Perhaps states should adopt the Maine way of voting and distribute the electorate by vote totals.
Tell me how that works, or send me a link.

Please?

<is not above batting eyelashes if needed>

And how would that make the states with smaller populations less relevant? They have less electoral votes, too. (I'm feeling stupid tonight.)

Lali

Maine and one other state distribute their electoral votes based on vote totals. Tonight, even though Obama won Maine, he only gets 3 of the 4 electoral votes because McCain won a certain percentage. In all the other 48 states, it is winner take all.
If we went to a simple majority of votes throughout the states, smaller states would have less of a say in choosing a president. As it is now, smaller states get proportionally more electoral votes than the larger states.

And like clockwork, all of the networks announced Obama as president elect at 11.

Post by **Lalaith** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:10 am

Hmm, I think the guy said something like that for Nebraska, too. ?? That makes sense to me--to split the electoral votes proportionately.

What are the chances of that getting changed any time soon?

Lali

Post by **River** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:16 am

CO was toying with it in 2004 but we were such a swing state that year (more so than this year) that no one, Republican or Democrat, wanted to risk it.

Post by **Dave_LF** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:16 am

I'm fairly certain Obama won all 4 of Maine's votes, though I can't find that information on any of the major websites (I heard one of the networks say something about it earlier). One of Nebraska's is still up for grabs.

Post by **Holbytla** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:16 am

It is a state by state thing and as far as I know there aren't any referendums to change any state's way of voting. There was some movement to change the constitution a while back but it appears to have died out.