Is it just me or do American elections make no sense?

[Civrules]

I don't understand it either, I'm dissappointed in Kerry cause of this

But there's nothing else he could have done, which would be of benefit.

 

[Esckey]

So? I woulda stayed in. Actually tell you the truth, I would of flown down to Bush election HQ and waited there till all was said and done to be the first to congraduate him. Just cause he's got 100+ more then Kerry and it's the dieing seconds of the game doesn't mean you should just forfeit it and walk away. I think it's bad sportsmanship(and lets face it any compititon is a sport) to just forfiet

 

[Capulet]

I'm pretty sure I heard Ohio's Secretary of State say that they counted the absentees first.

If we find out that Kerry really did have an advantage in Ohio, could he come back and claim the Presidency? Or since has conceded, is there no way he can come back?

 

[Smidlee]

I'm pretty sure I heard Ohio's Secretary of State say that they counted the absentees first.

If we find out that Kerry really did have an advantage in Ohio, could he come back and claim the Presidency? Or since has conceded, is there no way he can come back?

from what I've heard Kerry did a lot of talking to the democrat party in Ohio and others. They told him there is no way so if there was a real chance for him to win he wouldn't conceded.

 

[Fetus4188]

Kerry is keeping the possibility for another presidential run open, if he had done as Gore did in 2000 the people would be disgusted at him and he would have no chance. The citizens want to have faith in the election process and they don't want a sore loser either.

 

[Hugin]

I'm pretty sure I heard Ohio's Secretary of State say that they counted the absentees first.

If we find out that Kerry really did have an advantage in Ohio, could he come back and claim the Presidency? Or since has conceded, is there no way he can come back?

Kerry could come back if it turns out, once the very last ballot has been counted, that he did in fact win. I am not entirely sure how many times Bush and Gore conceeded to the other during the 2000 election, but it happened once or twice at least. Conceeding holds no legal weight, though good lord I'd hate to even imagine how it would feel to conceed the presidential election, especially after it was so close.

 

[Quasar1011]

If we find out that Kerry really did have an advantage in Ohio, could he come back and claim the Presidency? Or since has conceded, is there no way he can come back?

Sure he could. The electors don't even cast their votes until December. What, you thought we elected the president by direct vote?

 

[Rhymes]

why is it that kerry admitted defeat before the elections were even over? Its not as if he could not have won the elections, i am not being critical of Kerry its just that if theres still a chance of a win why did he pull out?

PS i know the basics of american elections but in England you dont say youve lost when its so close

I totally agree, but this is only ONE reason why US election dont make sense, the list could be long.

 

[Godwynn]

I don't get it at all. We need to get rid of the Electoral College and finally make this nation what our President and everyone else in the world calls it: a Democracy.

 

[Zamphyr]

I don't get it at all. We need to get rid of the Electoral College and finally make this nation what our President and everyone else in the world calls it: a Democracy.

So you would have preferred Kerry to concede last night ? Quite different from the rest of this thread.

Popular vote wasn't very close.....

 

[cgannon64]

Godwynn: Actually, this is the most democratic election since 1988, which was the last time someone got over 50% of the popular vote...

 

[Quasar1011]

Here is the true election schedule:

NOVEMBER 2
• General election
• States send Certificates of Ascertainment - the list of electors - to the Federal Register through December 13.

DECEMBER 13
• Electors meet in each state to vote for president and vice president. Most meet at their respective state capitols.

DECEMBER 22
• By this date, votes must reach the president of the Senate and the archivist.

JANUARY 6
• Congress meets in joint session to count and announce the vote.

 

[GerrardCapashen]

Bush won with 30% (population of 300 million) of the country with him; 150 million are Registered votes and 100 million voted for Bush! Get over it!

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/president/

Get your facts straight. Bush got 59,106,230 votes (with a few uncounted so far) while Kerry got 55,546,066 votes. Therefore Bush had about 20.7% of the country vote for him while Kerry got the votes of 19.5% of the country.

It was certainly not a landslide victory.

 

[cgannon64]

By those standards, there has never been a landslide victory, ever. I bet the most someone has ever gotten was like 30% of the total population.

(And, to play devil's advocate: Bush got the most votes in the history of the United States. )

 

[ManOfMiracles]

I thought Kerry was a gentleman about the whole thing. He could have conceded earlier in the evening but didn't because he respected the people who were still standing in line waiting to vote (@ Kenyon College--kudos to those people who stood in line for up to 13 hours!!!!). Instead he sent his team to get some sleep so they could look at the numbers with fresh eyes in the morning and select a rational course of action.

Bush and his handlers were certainly pushing for an early concession. Reports said Cheney was impatiently pacing the halls at 3 am. At least they managed to come up with something polite for Bush to say when he took Kerry's call. Not that I believe Bush is going to change one iota...

 

[EzInKy]

I don't get it at all. We need to get rid of the Electoral College and finally make this nation what our President and everyone else in the world calls it: a Democracy.

America is a representative democracy composed of semi-autonomous states. Each state gets an equal say in choosing the President by virtue of being a member of the union, and those with higher populations get bonuses based on their population. The President's duty is to enforce Congress's will, not the people's.

 

[JoeM]

Bush won with 30% (population of 300 million) of the country with him; 150 million are Registered votes and 100 million voted for Bush! Get over it!

Unfortunately your system of elections cares not how many people in the country voted, nor how many vote for the president.

<pop> bubble bursts.

You must be happy your chosen President has won, congratulations.

 

[EzInKy]

Unfortunately your system of elections cares not how many people in the country voted, nor how many vote for the president.

Did you vote for your Prime Minister or was he chosen by elected representatives?

 

[Renata]

I know! What's up with the people in parliamentary democracies criticizing the electoral college? I know you're frustrated, so am I, but come on!

Renata

 

[JoeM]

Did you vote for your Prime Minister or was he chosen by elected representatives?

I'm not trying to appear superior, the statements were irrelevant so I pointed it out.

It really irritates me that given Demoracy we still have a minority ruling the majority.

I'm trying to get mandatory voting and PR instated to address the matter.