Digest then Discuss

[Billyd]

There are a number of posters here that believe that the Jr. Senator from Illinois is the President-Elect of the United States of America. However, this is incorrect. We have only endured the popular vote and have not completed the Constitutionaly mandated process for electing the President and the Vice-President of the United States.

While we have endured the first step, there is still a couple of steps to go. The first being the Electors of the several states convening and casting there votes, which by the way, do NOT have to be cast for the winner of the popular vote, except in 4 cases where the laws of the state require them to do so. Those votes are then signed, certified, and sealed then sent to the seat of government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. Then, in a joint session of Congress, those certificates will be opened, and provided that the person with the most votes has a majority of the Electors appointed (in our case 270) that person shall then become the President of the United States.

So, while we bemoan the results of the populous vote, the Jr. Senator for the state of Illinois, is still that. The Jr. Senator for the state of Illinois. While extrememly unlikely, The Sr. Senator for the state of Arizona, John S. McCain could still become President of the United States. In fact, for that matter HairyEyeball could become President of the United States.

So, until the votes of the Electoral College are opened by the President of the Senate on January 6, 2009, there is no President-Elect.

[PaulR]

Even if Senator McCain ceded to the results as they were?

[Buffa1oso1di3r]

So, even though John McCain conceded, and Obama won in a HUGE victory in the popular and electoral college votes, McCain, against the majority of America's wishes, could become President... and what are the realistic chances of McCain becoming President with a Democrat controlled Senate and House?

[Billyd]

Originally Posted by Buffa1oso1di3r

So, even though John McCain conceded, and Obama won in a HUGE victory in the popular and electoral college votes, McCain, against the majority of America's wishes, could become President... and what are the realistic chances of McCain becoming President with a Democrat controlled Senate and House?

Re-read my original post. Senator Obama has NOT won the Electoral College vote as the EC has NOT yet voted. There are a number of steps to the White House and only one has been completed.

Dig out your copy of the Constitution of the United States and read Article 2 and the 12th Amendment. That's the great thing about our system is that the rule book is available to all who care to read it.

[Buffa1oso1di3r]

Ah!

Very interesting how this Government has instituted a complex system of checks and balances...

[flyBoy2010]

Originally, the electoral collage was created because the founding fathers feared putting the power to elect their leaders directly. This gave a distinct advantage to the upper class. For a long time, only the House was elected directly by the people.

[ang1sgt]

Originally Posted by Buffa1oso1di3r

So, even though John McCain conceded, and Obama won in a HUGE victory in the popular and electoral college votes, McCain, against the majority of America's wishes, could become President... and what are the realistic chances of McCain becoming President with a Democrat controlled Senate and House?

Cadet, Once again you show ignorance of the facts. A HUGE popular vote win? To me that would suggest at least a 2 to 1 vote garnered for the Winner and this was just NOT the case. Believe what you may, but look at the facts. I'll grant you that the Electoral Votes were a Huge Victory, but not the PEOPLES Vote.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781450.html

[Buffa1oso1di3r]

Well sir, it was bigger than the last few popular vote victories... 66 million to 57 million... there's an 8,000,000 vote difference there... and the only lead that was that long was in Clinton vs. Dole.

[CAPSmith]

Even more disturbing though:

Total Votes for Both Candidates: 122,253,619

According to the US census population estimates (subtracting those under 18 and those who voted) the number of people who didn't vote but were over 18 were 105,465,805. It makes you wonder how an election would turn out if the other 35% of people decided to vote.

[SlightlyCatholic]

It makes you wonder how an election would turn out if the other 35% of people decided to vote.

Personally, I think that if the Christian faith-based turnout had been larger and more authentic (true to what their Christian faith teaches about the sanctity of human life), we would have had a different election. From my own faith, I know that Catholicism doesn't permit me to vote for a candidate who is pro-choice. In my own state of RI, we have approximately 650,000 Catholics out of our just over 1 million residents. If they had all voted for McCain, it would have easily been a red state. Just something else to think about.