re: be on alert!!! grant
Nixon gained 31.8m of the popular vote. The forces arrayed against him gained 41.2m of the popular vote, a negative margin to Nixon of 9.6m votes, or in % terms, 43.4% to Nixon, and 56.6% arrayed against.
Bush gained 47.87% of the popular vote (or 50,459,624 votes). EC = 271 (or 50.4%).
Al Gore gained 48.38% (or 51,003,238 votes). EC = 266 (or 49.4%).
Ralph Nade (for the Greens) gained 2.74% of the popular vote (or 2,882,985 votes). Nil EC votes.
Pat Buchanan (for the Reform Party) gained 449,120 votes (or 0.43%).
Harry Browne (for the Libertarians) gained 384,440 votes (or 0.36%).
So, in reality, even if the results of the election had been reversed (ie: the decision of the Democrat controlled State Supreme Court of Florida, upheld, or maintained), Gore would have been elected with only 48.38% of the popular vote. As it was, Bush was elected following the US Supreme Court decision (on a 3:2 split basis, along party lines) which was decided on 10 December 2002.
This was followed by the Electoral College convention on 12 December 2002 at which the EC delegates actually voted to determine their President. A sufficient number of attending delegates could have changed their minds (they didn't), as EC voting was only mandatory (ie: along the same lines as the "first past the post" vote) in 20 States.
In recent elections, few (if any of the candidates) have scored a majority of the popular vote: 1) In 1996, Clinton (Democrat) scored 49.42% of the popular vote (minority President). 2) In 1992, Clinton (Democrat) scored 43.01% (minority President). 3) In 1988, Bush (Republican) scored 53.37% (majority President). 4) In 1984, Reagan (Republican) scored 58.77% (majority President). 5) In 1980, Reagan (Republican) scored 50.75% (majority President). 6) In 1976, Carter (Democrat) scored 50.06% (majority President). 7) In 1972, Nixon (Republican) scored 60.69% (majority President). 8) In 1968, Nixon (Republican) scored 43.42% (minority President). 9) In 1964, Johnson (Democrat) scored 61.05% (majority President). 10) In 1960, Kennedy (Democrat) scored 49.72% (minority President, even with the aid of the supportive Illinois and Texas vote rigging). 11) In 1956, Eisenhower (Republican), with Nixon as VP, scored 57.38% (majority President). 12) In 1952, Eisenhower (Republican), with Nixon as VP, scored 55.13% (majority President); and 13) In 1948, Truman (Democrat) scored 49.55% (minority President).
Since the end of WW2, 14 Presidential elections have been contested, resulting in 6 Democratic victories, and 8 Republican victories.
More to the point, however, 6 Presidents have been elected since WW2 with a minority of the popular vote (ie: Truman, Kennedy, Nixon in 68, Clinton in 92 and in 96, and Bush in 2000). Even with a results reversal in 2000, 6 Presidents would still have been elected with a minority of the popular vote, except that the minority victor in 2000 would have been Gore, not Bush.
Conversely, 8 Presidents have been elected with a majority of the popular vote (ie: >50%) (ie: Eisenhower-2x, Johnson, Nixon in '72, Carter, Reagan-2x, and Bush in '88).
6 of the 8 majority Presidents were Republicans. 2 were Democrats.
4 of the 6 minority Presidents were Democrats. 2 were Republicans.
No defence of the system, but it didn't suddenly become flawed (for the first time) in 2000.
