How Close Were US Presidential Elections? 971
Mike Sheppard writes "I'm a graduate student in Statistics at Michigan State University and spent some time analyzing past US presidential elections to determine how close they truly were. The mathematical procedures of Linear Programming and 0-1 Integer Programming were used to find the optimal solution to the question: 'What is the smallest number of total votes that need to be switched from one candidate to another, and from which states, to affect the outcome of the election?' Because of the way the popular and electoral votes interact, the outcome of the analysis had some surprising and intriguing results. For example, in 2004, 57,787 votes would have given us President Kerry; and in 2000, 269 votes would have given us President Gore. In all there have been 12 US Presidential elections that were decided by less than a 1% margin; meaning if less than 1% of the voters in certain states had changed their mind to the other candidate the outcome of the election would have been different."
Who is DUKASIS? (Score:4, Funny)
So, Bush 41 beat someone named "Dukasis"?
The maps are the best part, as you can see which parts of the country provided the closest margins. It's also interesting that, in 1976, Hawaii had a smaller number of votes needed to flip it than Delaware (Hawaii is generally considered safely Democratic).
Re:How about (Score:3, Funny)
How about if Bush's campaign chair in Florida weren't put in charge of that states recount? How about if George W. Bush's corrupt brother Jeb weren't the governor of that state? How about if that lying cheating sonofabitch didn't steal the election?
Go ahead, Republicans, use your mod point! Strike me down! I will only grow more powerful!
Re:Who is DUKASIS? (Score:3, Funny)
So, Bush 41 beat someone named "Dukasis"?
I think that just illustrates one of Governor Dukakis' chief problems in that election. ;-)
Re:Thanks from the reminder (Score:2, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Douchebag count (Score:4, Funny)
That's gonna cost you soooo many carbon credits !
Re:Thanks from the reminder (Score:5, Funny)
Has or is?
Re:Thanks from the reminder (Score:1, Funny)
Re:1836 election was interesting (Score:3, Funny)
What are you doing on Slashdot, Senator McCain?
Re:Thanks from the reminder (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Vin Diesel Opines (Score:5, Funny)
I'll bet you a nickel that someone else wrote that line.
Nope, that is why he and all the other Hollywood elite get paid so much. They just turn on the cameras, say "Action" and wait for them to come up with amazing plot lines and quotes that will be remembered for ages.
I vaguely remember a strike that happened just recently. I think it was called the actors strike or something similar. Anyway, they said they needed a break from coming up with so many good lines. TV sucked for a few months while they took some time off and regrouped.
Re:Who is DUKASIS? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Thanks from the reminder (Score:3, Funny)
The devastating hurricanes we've experienced in his administration? Yep, Bush caused them.
My toilet is broken: that's his fault, too. I haven't mowed my lawn in 3 years. You know why? Bush. I can't even see my truck sitting in my yard, which is currently rusting away. Bush caused that. Our president is so selfish and ignorant, that it even caused my internet connection to be horribly slow around 2:30 every day.
Re:How about (Score:5, Funny)
Go ahead, Republicans, use your mod point! Strike me down! I will only grow more powerful!
More powerful will you grow, hmm, only when the truth you realize: Republican, Democrat, both to the Dark Side have fallen.
Re:Thanks from the reminder (Score:2, Funny)
"269 votes would have given us President Gore"
And eight years of being reminded of that sad fact can take a toll on a man's soul that can't be quantified.
As the T shirt says "Bet you'll vote next time, hippy".
Re:Thanks from the reminder (Score:5, Funny)
He didn't say worse, just not better which can mean about the same. Instead of being angry about invading Iraq, we might all be upset about Gore not being aggressive enough, Al Qaeda is still running free with a free run of south Asia, and maybe even managed to land a few more attacks on US soil. Then who knows what sort of cowboy war hawk we would have elected in 2004.
Sure, you might lose some of Bush's failures if he hadn't been the sitting president on Sept. 11, 2001, but you also might not have some of his successes.
Re:Thanks from the reminder (Score:3, Funny)
I guess it depends on what the meaning of "is" is...
Does she own a blue dress?
One vote (Score:3, Funny)
Actually, 1 vote would have. As Jon Stewart said, "Bush got the minority vote - Clarence Thomas."
Re:Thanks from the reminder (Score:5, Funny)
The President will re-write your hard drive. Not only that, but he will scramble any disks that are even close to your computer. He will recalibrate your refrigerator's coolness setting so all your ice cream goes melty. He will demagnetize the strips on all your credhe cards, screw up the tracking on your television and use subspace field harmonics to scratch any CDs you try to play.
he will give your ex-girlfriend your new phone number. He will mix Kool-aid into your fishtank. He will drink all your beer and leave his socks out on the coffee table when there's company coming over. He will put a dead kitten in the back pocket of your good suhe pants and hide your car keys when you are late for work.
Bush will make you fall in love with a penguin. He will give you nightmares about circus midgets. He will pour sugar in your gas tank and shave off both your eyebrows while dating your girlfriend behind your back and billing the dinner and hotel room to your Discover card.
He will seduce your grandmother. He does not matter if she is dead, such is the power of Bush, he reaches out beyond the grave to sully those things we hold most dear.
He moves your car randomly around parking lots so you can't find it. He will kick your dog. He will leave libidinous messages on your boss's voice mail in your voice! he is insidious and subtle. He is dangerous and terrifying to behold. He is also a rather interesting shade of mauve.
Bush will give you Dutch Elm disease. He will leave the toilet seat up. He will make a batch of methamphetamine in your bathtub and then leave bacon cooking on the stove while he goes out to chase grade schoolers with your new snowblower.