Tag: elections
The election is over, now what?
by Jacob on Nov.05, 2008, under Funny
I appologize if you’ve seen this already, but I thought it aptly describes what I’m going to do now that the election is over. Click on to see the rest of this XKCD comic.
Actually, with all the political signs disappearing out of front yards, it is time to start looking at houses to buy.
Best democrat for swing states
by Jacob on May.19, 2008, under Politics
Hillary Clinton’s latest claim why she is the better candidate:
“The states that I’ve won total 300 electoral votes,” she told about 300 people in a high school gymnasium in Maysville, the birthplace of the actor George Clooney. “The question is who can win 270 electoral votes? My opponent has won states totaling 217 electoral votes.” (Source: New York Times)
Additionally, Clinton discounts Obama’s wins in red states: states that traditionally vote republican, such as Utah, Idaho, Texas, and others.
While I believe Clinton’s claims are somewhat silly, I’ll humor the idea for just a moment to do some of my own math.
There are 8 states who have, in the last four presidential elections, voted for the republican candidate twice, and the democratic candidate twice. These states are: Nevada, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states)
Now if we consider these 8 swing states, the number of electoral college votes each of these states contributes toward the general presidential election, and the democratic candidate who had the most popular vote, we arrive at these numbers:
- Nevada, 5 votes, won by Clinton
- Louisiana, 9 votes, won by Obama
- Arkansas, 6 votes, won by Clinton
- Mississippi, 11 votes, won by Obama
- Tennessee, 11 votes, won by Clinton
- Kentucky, 8 votes, yet to be determined
- West Virginia, 5 votes, won by Clinton
- Ohio, 20 votes, won by Obama
The totals are: Clinton - 27, Obama - 40.
These numbers seem to indicate that Obama has the best chance to pick up more electoral college votes from these swing states.
Even if we broaden our definition of a swing state to include any state that has been mixed in the presidential voting anytime in the last four elections, Obama still beats Clinton, 71 to 57.
BYUSA Elections
by Jacob on Mar.14, 2006, under Politics
Ok, so this is a little late, but I was going to make up t-shirts that encourage people to vote for their student body president. The t-shirts were going to say:
Remember to vote! Maybe this year it’ll count.
It just seems that every elections there is a team that drops out or is disqualified.
Hillary Clinton, Yuck!
by Jacob on Nov.04, 2004, under Politics
Well, the day after the 2004 presidential election and Larry King is already trying to make a big deal about Hillary Clinton running for president in 2008. If that isn’t scary, I don’t know what is.
But let me list some reasons why I don’t think she will be elected. If I’m lucky, this blog will endure until 2008
The big one is that most people said in the exit polls yesterday that morals were a big issue. And I think the Hillary Clinton is going to have a really tough time making a case why she promotes moral values better than the next candidate. Another reason, is that she is going to have a hard time convincing a lot of Americans that she has enough qualifications to be elected President. She has only been elected to the Senate in New York just a couple of years now, and I don’t think that she is going to win based on the issues.
Her only chance is to make the non-issues issues. Like that fact that she would be the first woman President, and foo like that. If she can make that center stage, then she will have an easier time convincing voters.
Register to Vote
by Jacob on Oct.20, 2004, under Politics
Recently I’ve been seeing all these “register to vote” or “rock the vote” commercials. They are interesting, because although they may seem like a public service announcement, it almost seems to have a political agenda behind it.
I think that certain organizations know they have a viewer base that strongly agrees with their political views. Therefore, the more encouragement these groups give to their viewers to vote, the more votes will be cast in the direction they would prefer.
