Black V white....election usa style

[The Devil]

It's amazing how things have changed. It's only about 40 years ago that President Kennedy called out Army units to protect black students wanting to attend a white university.

Now we have a black man who looks like he will win the popular vote for President.

But will the race thing yet surface. Obama may win the popular vote, but the Electral college doesn't vote on who WILL be president until mid December.

As I understand it there is nothing in the constitution to say that the Electral College has to vote the same way as the majority of the population.

So it is possible that although Obama may win at the polling booth, McCain could be voted the next president.

As they say......only in America.......

 

[waruikazi]

Can you explain the Electoral college thing?

I'm hardly upto speed as to how the aussie elections work lol.

 

[The Devil]

Can you explain the Electoral college thing?

I'm hardly upto speed as to how the aussie elections work lol.

I think this cut and paste will explain it.....the last couple of lines make interesting reading.



Each state has a number of electors equal to the number of its U.S. senators (2 in each state) plus the number of its U.S. representatives, which varies according to the state's population. Currently, the Electoral College includes 538 electors, 535 for the total number of congressional members, and three who represent Washington, D.C., as allowed by the 23rd Amendment. On the Monday following the second Wednesday in December, the electors of each state meet in their respective state capitals to officially cast their votes for president and vice president. These votes are then sealed and sent to the president of the Senate, who on Jan. 6 opens and reads the votes in the presence of both houses of Congress. The winner is sworn into office at noon Jan. 20. Most of the time, electors cast their votes for the candidate who has received the most votes in that particular state. However, there have been times when electors have voted contrary to the people's decision, which is entirely legal.

 

[missllama]

wow i have never heard of that before....

 

[waruikazi]

Interesting...

I'll quote one redneck from Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine:

'[We have guns because] It is every citizens responsibility to keep our government accountable...' (I may have some words wrong). I know you're not saying it will happen, but if Obama wins the popular vote and then does not become president we will see some extremely violent protests perhaps even civil war.

 

[Ramsayi]

Interesting...

I'll quote one redneck from Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine:

'[We have guns because] It is every citizens responsibility to keep our government accountable...' (I may have some words wrong). I know you're not saying it will happen, but if Obama wins the popular vote and then does not become president we will see some extremely violent protests perhaps even civil war.

No,it wont be the first time someone has won by popular vote but wasn't elected president.

 

[waruikazi]

When did it happen before?

 

[Ramsayi]

Gore V Bush along with a few others way back.

 

[jessb]

No,it wont be the first time someone has won by popular vote but wasn't elected president.

Fair point, but the race thing wasn't such an issue in the last election. I think most African Americans would see it as a direct attempt to prevent a black man becoming president and react accordingly.

 

[waruikazi]

Gore V Bush along with a few others way back.

Too bad we didn't see a violent uprising then lol.

I suppose that can be likened to the Beasley V howard election. Beasley got over 50% of the total vote but did not win the majority of seats.

 

[Ramsayi]

Yeah I guess in a way it can.Here a party can win by majority vote but lose on party preferences.So much for democracy.

 

[tooninoz]

Well, there you go. It's officially President Obama.

 

[Vat69]

It's not official yet, he is the projected winner.
I don't think this was a black vs. white vote. I think the Bush government and the current economic crisis were the bigger deciding factors.
Generally speaking of course.
Lets hope if (when) Obama gets in he doesn't do any impersonations of JFK.

 

[grimbeny]

Yeah I guess in a way it can.Here a party can win by majority vote but lose on party preferences.So much for democracy.

This isnt really a fair point though. Usually people who vote for the minor parties would rather have the person who their prefered vote goes to in power than the oposition who gets more first preference votes.

 

[alex_c]

MySpaceTV Videos: Black & White on the Grey matters 5 Racism / illegal imagration by TWENTY POUND SLEDGE (formerly Super Slave)

 

[chilli]

I don't think this was a black vs. white vote..

have you seen any interview with an afro-american on the news who doesn't want obama, and the only reason they put forward relates to his colour. for black people, the election is only about colour.

 

[jessb]

have you seen any interview with an afro-american on the news who doesn't want obama, and the only reason they put forward relates to his colour. for black people, the election is only about colour.

I think for a lot of whites it's about colour as well... John McCain's colour was a SIGNIFICANT factor in the voting choices of many (mostly white male) voters.

But its also about African-Americans finally having someone who truly represents them. Keep in mind that they make up about 12% of the population and until 50 years ago were segregated from the white population. You can kind of understand that Obama's race is a big deal when African Americans in living memory weren't allowed in "white" restaurants and only a couple of generations ago were kept as property to be traded.