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Under US system, presidential votes really matter only in swing states


NelsonG

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WASHINGTON: Burdett Loomis plans to vote for Barack Obama in November even though he knows his ballot for president won't make a difference.

The University of Kansas political science professor says it's been that way since 1977 when he first arrived in the state. Kansas has not backed a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964.

"Even though we have this single election where all Americans go to the polls on the same day to vote for president, the reality is we have 51 separate winner-take-all contests," said the 63-year-old Loomis.

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International Herald Tribune

Psshh... You're telling me! Living in Texas, my vote only counts towards the popular vote tally (which is just there for shits and giggles) because Texas is a Republican state right now. The last time Texas voted for a Democratic Presidential candidate was... well, I don't know. Not since I've ever been into politics! But, a short time from now, when a lot of these Hispanics become "legal" or have children with an American birthright and are eligible to vote, Texas should move closer and closer to becoming a swing state.

In short, in the 2008 Presidential election, my vote is meaningless in Texas since this state will vote Republican. So I could vote anything, but it doesn't matter, McCain will take Texas, unless he just flat out does something stupid. :wink:

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I do too, but not for this election. I haven't looked at history, but if voting patterns are like anything else, it runs in a cycle. Texas will eventually be a Democratic state.

I will vote at this election... still not sure who I'm voting for, but since I'm a registered independent, I will sit back and study who would be best. I've helped campaign for multiple parties in my short voting time :)

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I do too, but not for this election. I haven't looked at history, but if voting patterns are like anything else, it runs in a cycle. Texas will eventually be a Democratic state.

I will vote at this election... still not sure who I'm voting for, but since I'm a registered independent, I will sit back and study who would be best. I've helped campaign for multiple parties in my short voting time :)

Texas used to be a democratic state.

There's no choice in this election - it's Obama the whole way! :lol:

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Under an unmotivated system, sure I'd agree with the article. However, now this being from a Republican standpoint, when the ideal Republican candidate comes in at the right time then states which would be under normal circumstances would go Democrat would vote Republican. In the recent times(which I consider 1973-present)we've only seen it once and it during the Reagan years.

1980

Paint It Red

(Second pic more impressive)

Do I believe that could be reversed so that it could all be blue? Maybe. I believe at the core we're a Conservative nation(sort of proven by the pics)and for a Democrat to be able to count in places where there are little to no Democratic bases(Nebraska)you would still need Conservative views. But I'm talking for the present days. It's possible that in one hundred years we could become the exact opposite but it's hard for me to understand how.

Edited by riseofthevalk
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Under an unmotivated system, sure I'd agree with the article. However, now this being from a Republican standpoint, when the ideal Republican candidate comes in at the right time then states which would be under normal circumstances would go Democrat would vote Republican. In the recent times(which I consider 1973-present)we've only seen it once and it during the Reagan years.

1980

Paint It Red

(Second pic more impressive)

Do I believe that could be reversed so that it could all be blue? Maybe. I believe at the core we're a Conservative nation(sort of proven by the pics)and for a Democrat to be able to count in places where there are little to no Democratic bases(Nebraska)you would still need Conservative views. But I'm talking for the present days. It's possible that in one hundred years we could become the exact opposite but it's hard for me to understand how.

Republican nation? You must referring to the last century :lol:

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Conservative nation. And well yeah, technically I would be since this century is fresh out of the oven. When you look at those pictures, it kind of proves the point. When a real Conservative steps up to the plate the voters for him come out in droves. When was the last time before 1980 that New York and California went Republican? And New England? Those are the most Liberal places in the country and they've gone Red before. I think it could be done again, we just haven't seen the ideal candidate yet. If one were to pop up in time then I could see those states going red again.

Edited by riseofthevalk
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Conservative nation. And well yeah, technically I would be since this century is fresh out of the oven. When you look at those pictures, it kind of proves the point. When a real Conservative steps up to the plate the voters for him come out in droves. When was the last time before 1980 that New York and California went Republican? And New England? Those are the most Liberal places in the country and they've gone Red before. I think it could be done again, we just haven't seen the ideal candidate yet. If one were to pop up in time then I could see those states going red again.

Why would you ever want that? You like a party that supports the war, thinks its ok to spy on its citizens, favors the wealthiest citizens over the middle class, and doesn't give a damn about the environment?

I'm happy to be associated with the left - the patriotic wing devoted to justice, liberty and common sense :lol:

post-9-1215191765_thumb.jpg

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I agree with the US being a generally conservative nation. Even our "left" isn't truly left, but rather more of a left-leaning right. True "left" would be highly looked down upon and criticized in this nation. Those are true radicals.

Depending on how these upcoming months progress with the two-party candidates, only time will tell if we see a Blue map.

On a sidebar... what color are we going to use when a viable third party gains momentum to replace one of the other parties? (It will happen) I mean, we'll more than likely return to a two-party system once one of the parties prevails, but for a minute there will be a third party that wins electoral votes.

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