Just another Saturday

While the polls are indicating an advantage in the popular vote for Romney, as has been pointed out many times, it is the electoral college votes that count.   What happens if Romney wins the popular vote, but loses the electoral college?  Civics 101 clearly notes the President is re-elected.

On the practical side, what does it mean?

See The Washington Post article that notes:

That kind of split decision between the electorate and the electoral college would mark the fifth time in American history — and the second time in a dozen years — that the person who occupies the White House was not the one who got the most votes on Election Day. 

What has never happened before is an incumbent president being returned to office after the majority of the electorate voted to throw him out. 

Every modern president to be re-elected — Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Clinton, George W. Bush — has gotten a bigger share of the vote in their second bid for office than their first, and with it, a chance to claim a mandate. 

A win in the electoral college that is not accompanied by one in the popular vote casts a shadow over the president and his ability to govern.

Pretty much sums it up I think.

I will take it even further though.  If Obama is re-elected, and if there isn't a significant improvement in the economy, and if he does not find a way to build a bridge across the aisle, the 2014 mid-term elections will result in an earthquake creating a substantial shift in the political landscape. 

There is plenty of time after the election to think about that scenario after the election if the scenario pans out.

I have been getting a kick out of "your a liar, no your a liar" subplot in the election.  It is hilarious, because neither candidate is being completely honest with us.  And neither candidate has any clear edge on being more honest with us.  One of the sites I have recommended to you in the past was the above Washington Post.  Its Fact Checker is just about as good as it gets.  While I actually prefer FactCheck.Org, I do like the Pinocchio rating scale on The Post (Hey what can I say, I am a victim of the entertainment news genre). 

When two candidates are separated by decimal points on the average of the truth scale, I don't consider one superior to the other in the truth category.

As far as saying anything to get elected, another popular refrain, while my memory fades somewhat with advancing age, it is not so bad as to have forgotten all that was said four years ago in another election.  Please don't bother with "obstructionist" congress refrains.  The first two years of this presidency, one party controlled congress and the White House.  

A heck of a lot was said four years ago, and not much of it has been ponied up.  What's the old saying, don't write a check you can't cash?

The saddest part of this whole election is the simple fact no matter who the president is, it will take a "Miracle Worker" to break the gridlock.  I don't see either contender being the first male to be cast in the role.

The up side, at least we do get to pick our own poison.