A electorial Tie in 2004, as told through the news.

Okay this is basically a "Bush and Kerry have a electoral Tie in 2004" as it would have been told be CNN and Newspapers starting with election night.


PS: could you guys started it please, I can't really think of how to start this.
 
Associated Press:
BREAKING NEWS
November 2, 2004, 9:20 PM MST

In a stunning upset, John Kerry has won New Mexico's 5 electoral votes, according to AP's projections....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[James Earl Jones voice] This is CNN [/James Earl Jones voice]

Wolf Blitzer here [with the as yet unrecognized best political team on television] coming to you live from the CNN Election Center in New York. We bring you the latest results in the 2004 Race to the White House.

...Ohio remains too close to call, but in a dramatic upset, CNN can now project that Senator John Kerry has won the state of Iowa...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New York Times
November 5, 2004

KERRY TAKES IOWA, NEW MEXICO; NEVADA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA TOO CLOSE TO CALL

...Today, the nation waits as once again a Presidential election remains undecided even 12 hours after the polls have closed. The Kerry and Bush campaigns have pledged to make sure "every vote counts" and have sent teams to all three contested states.
 
NBC News
Special Edition -- Election in the Balance
November 5, 2004

...
TIM RUSSERT: You know, Tom, there's the potential for this thing to end up tied. <<references white board>> If Nevada goes for Kerry, which the hand recount suggests is likely, while Ohio and Pennsylvania stay for Bush, as confirmed by the preliminary totals, then both candidates have <<circles number>> 269 Electoral Votes. Remember 270 votes are needed to elect a President.

TOM BROKAW: And should the election result in a tie, the election goes to the House of Representatives, an event unseen in America since 1824.

TIM RUSSERT: Unless they can contest the vote counts, as happened in 1876, then yes, it would go to Congress, though the Represenatives would vote by state...
 
I'll add one, but I don't awatch TV news, and haven't for at least 5 years, so I don't know the people as well, but I'll use some names I recall from the 80s and 90s. Hope this helps you with ideas...

Mon. Nov. 8, 2004

USA Today:
Fit To Be Tied

...The most unlikely of events is coming true. The Republican and Democratic candidates have reached a tie...Word from both headquarters is that they will not accept a "power sharing" agreement of any sort, though that was suggested by a few people. "Honestly," President Bush said, "I don't think Senator Kerry would want to have Vice President Cheney resign and serve alongside me, and I know it would be too uncomfortable if I was in the Vice President's chair."

ABC News:
Peter: "Quite an election for your last one, huh, David." (I think David Brinkley's last was 2004; if not, he'd probably be asked back :)

David: As long as you're having fun, why not let it last a little longer."

Peter: "What do you think about the power sharing idea suggested by some; apparently there were rumors that Reagan offered Ford such a setup at the 1980 Republican convention."

David: "yes, and Ford knew even that would be untenable. They were from the same party. If Kerry and Bush were to try power sharing...well, I'll put this this way, when jefferson' was John Adams' Vice President it ruined a lifelong friendship that only came back into being in 1811. And, these men were Founding Fathers, who had suffered the fears of British arrest together, who had forged a nation. No, power sharing would not work.

Peter: You have to admit, some people are at least thinking outside the box.

David: Well, that's true, but our Constitution has withstood much tougher tests than this; I think it's up to us to trust the framers, and those who have amended it since, to sort this all out. the free transfer of pwoer, without violence, without bloodshed, is a hallmark of this country. When the recounts in Florida said that Bush won, Gore backed down. When Nixon resigned, his last words before boarding thta plane were, "The Constitution works."

Peter: Indeed, very wise words from our old pro. It should be noted that had they counted by the system that the Republicans wanted, there's a good chance Gore would have won. The Democrats, and Gore, got their way with how the recount would be tallied in 2000. You really can't tell with these recounts, can you?

Some other analyst: Which is why the way the Constiution has it set up right now is the best...There might be calls to abandon the Electoral College after this, but just think; if you didn't have it, you'd have 5the potential for 50 Floridas.

Peter: We can't afford to take that long, can we?

Some: Except now, I suspect the people will be flooding the Capital switchboard, telling their reps how to vote, though it is done by state.

Peter: What if the states tie at 25; the Senate choose the Vice President,a nd whoever is chosen becomes President?

Some: Yes, and that person could then appoint their nominee Vice President; and then resign and be appointed Vice President again, though I doubt that would happen. Now, when it comes to the Senate, each senator votes for him or herself.

Peter: And if they tie, it falls to the Speaker to become Acting President?

Some: Yes; as David was saying, the people may try to rush to judgment and say, "Do away with the Electoral College," but we have to realize every failsafe is accounted for here. there will be a President -whether Acting or actual - on January 20th. That's what the people need to be assured of right now.
 
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NBC News
Special Edition -- Election in the Balance
November 5, 2004

...
TIM RUSSERT: You know, Tom, there's the potential for this thing to end up tied. <<references white board>> If Nevada goes for Kerry, which the hand recount suggests is likely, while Ohio and Pennsylvania stay for Bush, as confirmed by the preliminary totals, then both candidates have <<circles number>> 269 Electoral Votes. Remember 270 votes are needed to elect a President.

TOM BROKAW: And should the election result in a tie, the election goes to the House of Representatives, an event unseen in America since 1824.

TIM RUSSERT: Unless they can contest the vote counts, as happened in 1876, then yes, it would go to Congress, though the Represenatives would vote by state...

On the Daily Show,

JOHN STEWART

Check this out: If Bush takes Pennsylvania and Ohio, he gets 290 electoral votes. Not 269. I mean, I want this [censored] out of the White House as much as the next guy, but is it really that hard to do fifth-grade math! <laughter>

OOC: ;)
 
On the Daily Show,

JOHN STEWART

Check this out: If Bush takes Pennsylvania and Ohio, he gets 290 electoral votes. Not 269. I mean, I want this [censored] out of the White House as much as the next guy, but is it really that hard to do fifth-grade math! <laughter>

OOC: ;)

Comedians around the world: "Oh baby, please give me more, make it a tie and i dont have to write new materials for several years"
 
On the Daily Show,

JOHN STEWART

Check this out: If Bush takes Pennsylvania and Ohio, he gets 290 electoral votes. Not 269. I mean, I want this [censored] out of the White House as much as the next guy, but is it really that hard to do fifth-grade math! <laughter>

OOC: ;)
OOC; what states does(did?) Kerry need to win to make it a tie?
 
OOC; what states does(did?) Kerry need to win to make it a tie?

Nevada, New Mexico, and Iowa, with Bush keeping Ohio. The returns in Iowa and New Mexico are close enough to be very easily changed. Nevada is a bit harder given the %, but the numbers of voters involved are small enough to make it palatable.
 
OOC: I finally thought of one

Indianapolis Star

November 3, 2004

It's all tied up.

John Kerry and George W. Bush have tied with 269 votes each, with John Kerry possibly having a slight lead in the popular vote. Both Sides have refused to concede until the hand recounts in Ohio and other close states are done.
 
New York Times, November 20, 2008

Bush Wins Pennsylvania by 20 Votes, Election
Kerry Refuses to Concede, Hand Recount Continues in Ohio

OOC: Thus setting us up for a situation where either a Supreme Court can order another recount in Pennsylvania which gives it to him (if Kerry loses Ohio) or only one defecting member of the electoral college will throw us to the House, for even more chaos (if Kerry wins Ohio). ;)

Possible situation if Kerry gets Ohio. With Kerry getting the majority of the popular vote, pressure increases for one elector to flip to him so Bush doesn't win twice by losing the popular vote, in turn leading to nastiness. Of course, the Supreme Court can hand down a decision to say PA's recount is bad, with a following recount in favor of Kerry, leaving us with Bush winning the Ohio recount and getting a straight 269-269 tie. But I thought I'd make this even more tense.

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New York Times, November 20, 2008



OOC: Thus setting us up for a situation where either a Supreme Court can order another recount in Pennsylvania which gives it to him (if Kerry loses Ohio) or only one defecting member of the electoral college will throw us to the House, for even more chaos (if Kerry wins Ohio). ;)

Possible situation if Kerry gets Ohio. With Kerry getting the majority of the popular vote, pressure increases for one elector to flip to him so Bush doesn't win twice by losing the popular vote, in turn leading to nastiness. Of course, the Supreme Court can hand down a decision to say PA's recount is bad, with a following recount in favor of Kerry, leaving us with Bush winning the Ohio recount and getting a straight 269-269 tie. But I thought I'd make this even more tense.
OOC: um not to nit pick,but that headline wasn't exactly what the point of the topic was.
 
OOC: Yes but it was suppose to be a clear cut tie on election night.

OOC: Well, everyone else's posts (indicating recounts in Pennsylvania and Ohio) derailed it from that, so blame someone else.

Honestly, I left it open for a Supreme Court decision or something similar to overturn Pennsylvania and give it to Kerry. If Bush takes Ohio, you get the same situation. You write the headline.
 
OOC: Yes but it was suppose to be a clear cut tie on election night.

that's not posible, considering how close everything was - there would be recounts in a few states, especially after 2000, so you'd see a couple days' delay at least, if it looked like it could be tied. You could move all the headlines up to that Thursday or Friday, including my discussion between ABC newspeople, but election night? That would be awfully hard.
 
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