How Bush Could Win Without Florida

Friday, Nov. 10, 2000

LOS ANGELES (UPI) B Even if George W. Bush winds up losing Florida in the recount, he would still have an outside shot of becoming president.

Without Florida's 25 electoral votes, Bush would have to win the other two states that are still undecided B Oregon with seven votes and New Mexico with five. (Both of these undecided states, by the way, were colored in as won by Gore on an NBC News map during a broadcast Thursday.) And he would have to have Gore's apparent 6,000-vote victory in Wisconsin B with its 11 electoral votes B overturned in a recount.

Those 23 electoral votes would give Bush exactly what he needs to win, even without Florida.

While Gore must have 270 electoral votes to win, Bush needs only 269. That's because if the candidates tie with 269 votes each, the election is thrown into the House of Representatives, where Bush's election is a near-certainty. In the House, each state, no matter what its population, gets one vote. The members of a state's congressional delegation will vote among themselves to decide for whom their state will cast its one ballot.

Because Republicans tend to do better in smaller states, the GOP will have a majority in at least 31 of the 50 states' congressional delegations in 2001. The balance of power in New Jersey, however, is still up in the air.

There are still other scenarios in which Bush could win without Florida. Even if he loses Oregon or New Mexico, he could still become president if he wins in a potential Iowa recount. Iowa's seven electoral votes are in the Gore column, but by only 5,000 votes.

In summary, Bush would need to take back Wisconsin and two of the following three states: Oregon, New Mexico, or Iowa.

In Wisconsin and Iowa, Republican officials say they are looking into the possibility of requesting recounts.

In this kind of hard-nosed end game, Gore's best chance to claw back electoral votes via a recount would probably be in New Hampshire, where Bush's winning margin is a little under 8,000 votes.

(C) 2000 UPI. All Rights Reserved.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), November 10, 2000

Answers

Let's get the facts straight. Gore WON the vote of the people, If Bush sits in the White House, it will be because of the electoral college vote, NOT because he won the popular vote.... a pretty important distiction I'd say.... eh?

-- It did Happen (Right_Here@right.now.com), November 10, 2000.

Let's get the facts straight.

Lets do just that shall we!

This is NOT the first time this has happened! The last time it happened was in the fall of 1959 with Kennedy and Nixon. Kennedy had the electorial votes and Nixon had the popular vote. Nixon followed and respected the law of the land and conceeded. Unlike Al Gore who is busy with teams of DNC lawyers right now in Florida looking for or trying to create loop holes to exploit

Stop your whining!

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), November 10, 2000.

Oh...and one more thing.

Is there any chance you will ever have guts to post with your normal handle instead of hiding behind another cleaver one, this one being aimed at me?

Low life coward!

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), November 10, 2000.

The "loopholes" were a direct result of the extraordinary closeness of the popular vote in Florida coupled with allegations that some voters who meant to vote for Gore were unable to do so. When Bush had a margin of over 50,000 votes, Gore had conceded and was not looking for "loopholes."

If the situation were reversed, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Bush campaign would be running through the same legal hoops in hopes of changing the outcome of the Florida vote.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), November 10, 2000.

>>>Stop your whining! <<<

????Who is the one bithcin' and moaning here? Can't stand the fact that Gore won the vote can you? Simple truths are sometimes over the head of simple minded morons! There, we are now engaged in a pissing match, real big of us huh?

-- It did Happen (Right.Here@right.now.com), November 10, 2000.

>>Oh...and one more thing.

Is there any chance you will ever have guts to post with your normal handle instead of hiding behind another cleaver one, this one being aimed at me?

Low life coward! <<

Probably the same chance as you using your real handle...... And I think it is quite apropriate too as it did happen, right here, right now! As your only defense is to call people names, I guess there is no hope for you to take the high road, is there?

-- It did Happen (Right.here@right.now.com), November 10, 2000.

Can't stand the fact that Gore won the (popular) vote can you?

Looks to me as if it is YOU that is having a hard time with this fact, not me. My concern is Florida electorial votes. Yours is in the lack of meaning to a popular vote, 20/20 hindsight and "yeah-buts".

Buy a vowel.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), November 10, 2000.

Gore didn't necessarily win the popular vote yet. With millions of ballots still to be counted and the margin so close, we simply do not know yet.

Mar.

-- Not now, not like this (AgentSmith0110@aol.com), November 10, 2000.

some voters who meant to vote for Gore were unable to do so

Really? How so?

Bush campaign would be running through the same legal hoops in hopes of changing the outcome of the Florida vote.

Some yes. A recount, yes! Some hand recounting, maybe. A lawsuit, no way. A orchestrated protest rally in Palm Beach, no way. He has more ethics and respect for our country than that. Bush has been a class act up till now. The three debates are proof. He held his cool when Gore interupted, attacked, etc. etc. while Gore time and time again has shown his true colors by reinventing himself THREE times and showing all three faces of himself during the same debates.

He was trained by Mr. Definition of What is the definition of "IS" himself.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), November 10, 2000.

>>Buy a vowel.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), November 10, 2000. <<

Get a Clue, better yet, get a life! reading comprehension is not a strong point of yours, is it?

-- It did Happen (Right.here@right.now.com), November 10, 2000.

some voters who meant to vote for Gore were unable to do so

Really? How so?

The allegations stated that they inadvertently punched the hole designated for Buchanan when their intent was to vote for Gore.

Some yes. A recount, yes! Some hand recounting, maybe. A lawsuit, no way. A orchestrated protest rally in Palm Beach, no way. He has more ethics and respect for our country than that.

But apparently not enough ethics and respect for our country to recognize the voices of a few thousand people who mistakenly voted for the wrong candidate and were responsible for making him President.

Bush has been a class act up till now.

Yes, up till now. Too bad it had to end so soon.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), November 10, 2000.

It did Happen (Right.here@right.now.com)

I suggest you change your plagerized handle to It IS Happening (Right.here@right.now.com) and adjust to the strong possibility of saying President George W. Bush over the next four years.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), November 10, 2000.

voices of a few thousand people who mistakenly

What proof do you have that it was a few thousand?

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), November 10, 2000.

What proof do you have that it was a few thousand?

My mistake. Alleged few thousand. Is that better now?

Even Pat Buchanan claims that most of the 3400+ votes he got in WPB were probably not meant for him and were probably meant for Gore. If that were true, then that would put the number of votes meant for Gore in the thousands, certainly more than enough to make up for the lead Bush currently has in the unofficial count.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), November 10, 2000.

Even Pat Buchanan claims that most of the 3400+ votes he got in WPB were probably not meant for him

Gee, is this the same Pat Buchanan that left the Republican party to go independant?

No ax to grind here is there?

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), November 10, 2000.

>>It did Happen (Right.here@right.now.com)

I suggest you change your plagerized handle to It IS Happening (Right.here@right.now.com) and adjust to the strong possibility of saying President George W. Bush over the next four years.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), November 10, 2000. <<

Thanks for the suggestion for my handle, it was one I almost went with! I don't think I'll have to adjust too much to say President Bush either.... you've jumped the gun and read meaning into my first post that wasn't there... So far, Gore has the popular vote and it looks like Bush will carry the electoral vote whether I like it or not. I do not like the way this is playing out at all. I wish someone would, for a pleasant change, take the high road. I pity whomever takes the office... This almost guarantees one term in office with a congress bitterly divided down the middle, nothing will get done and who suffers, but us, the public.

-- It did Happen (Right.here@right.now.com), November 10, 2000.

whether I like it or not

You are absolutly right.

I wish someone would, for a pleasant change, take the high road.

Why is it when a Democrat is about to, or looks to be about ready to lose we need to take the high road? We only need to glance back on election night to see MAJOR gloating by the Democrats (HAWK).

Spare me on the high road lecture.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), November 10, 2000.

some voters who meant to vote for Gore were unable to do so

Enough of this horseshit! Enough of this crybaby crap! NOBODY stopped those idiots from exercising their right to vote, and they were MORE than ABLE to vote for Gore. They went into that booth and SCREWED IT UP ON THEIR OWN! Dumbasses.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), November 10, 2000.

"This is NOT the first time this has happened! The last time it happened was in the fall of 1959 with Kennedy and Nixon. Kennedy had the electorial votes and Nixon had the popular vote"

Where are you getting this? According to the Washington Post (sorry, I can't link) and CNN, the last time this situation came up was in 1888. Kennedy won by a slighly larger margin of both the popular and the electoral vote than either candidate has this time.

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), November 10, 2000.

Ain't Gonna Happen dipshit,

The person who was spamming the board with the states won by Gore was using the symbol "@" as a handle. I always use text.

Wasn't me, dipshit. Do me a favor, do not speak until you are spoken to.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen and I Have Spoken (both@won't.stop.farting), November 10, 2000.

>>Spare me on the high road lecture.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com)<<<<

And you can spare us your platitudes of republican moral high grounds as I have yet to see the gop take a high road on any matter! do you really think people give a shit to your chest beating? Keep it up if it makes you feel better, nobody gives a shit.

-- It DID Happen (Right.here@right.now.com), November 10, 2000.

"This almost guarantees one term in office with a congress bitterly divided down the middle, nothing will get done and who suffers, but us, the public."

I don't know about anyone else but this possibility tickles the livin' shit out of me,less legislation would be manna from heaven.

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), November 10, 2000.

Gee, is this the same Pat Buchanan that left the Republican party to go independant?

No ax to grind here is there?

I don't see why his axe to grind with Republicans would be so much bigger than the one he has with Democrats.

Enough of this horseshit! Enough of this crybaby crap! NOBODY stopped those idiots from exercising their right to vote, and they were MORE than ABLE to vote for Gore. They went into that booth and SCREWED IT UP ON THEIR OWN! Dumbasses.

Yes, they did. They screwed it up bigtime. And if Bush gets the White House, it will be because a bunch of "idiots" and "dumbasses" in WPB screwed up their vote. Quite a way to start ones term in office.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), November 10, 2000.

The story leading this thread reminds me of the intricacies of professional football playoffs. ("If the Jets win their last game, they win their division. If they lose, they still win their division provided that the Dolphins lose. Otherwise, the Jets can only qualify as a wild card, which requires that the Chiefs and either the Bengals or Browns lose...")

Tarzan, I just looked up the results of past elections in The World Almanac, and it confirms what you had heard: 1888 was the last election in which the candidate acquiring the most electoral votes did not also have the most popular votes.

capnfun, I resonate with your view on a diminished rate of major new legislation, and I like the flair with which you expressed the thought.

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), November 10, 2000.

hmmm,

I agree, it is a hell of a way to start one's term in office. Not good at all. But if voting is so important....I think I feel a new thread coming on me here....yep, gotta start a new thread.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), November 10, 2000.