Electoral College...

[Liberalboy]

So I was doing some research online (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states) and wanted to figure out which states Obama or Clinton would need to win in the fall, and here's what I found:

These are the states that were carried by the Democratic Presidential Candidate in the last four elections 1992 -2004

Hawai’i 4
Washington 11
Oregon 7
California 55
Minnesota 10
Wisconsin 10
Illinois 21
Michigan 17
DC 3
Maryland 10
Delaware 3
Pennsylvania 21
New Jersey 15
New York 31
Connecticut 7
Rhode Island 4
Massachusetts 12
Vermont 3
Maine 4

TOTAL EV’s: 248


These states were carried by the Democratic Presidential Candidate in three of the last four elections, and will probably go to Obama or Clinton...

New Mexico 5
Iowa 7
New Hampshire 4

TOTAL EV’s: 16

That ends up totaling 264 EV, and 271 are needed to win the Presidency

So that leaves the battleground States (7 EV’s needed to get 271)

Nevada 5
Colorado 9
Missouri 11
Ohio 20
West Virginia 5
Virginia 13
Florida 27

TOTAL EV’s: 90

Which one of these can we win, which ones will go more for Obama and which ones more for Clinton? I think it shows the need for a VP from the West or the South.

[Bicoastal]

1. Obama can win Virginia and Colorado. Either could win Ohio and Missouri.

The other 3 are trickier--but I honestly don't think Hillary could win any states that Obama couldn't. Not out of the 7 you listed.

[tedoll78]

2. Actually.. we only need 269EVs this time around.

269-269 gets us a tie.. which goes to the House.. which gets us our candidate.

It's one small quirk, but it's an important one.

[tritsofme]

3. That assumes Dems would vote our candidate in even if he loses the popular vote.

With Republicans in charge I would have no question, but I don't know what our leadership would do...

[Maribelle]

4. Hillary could win Florida, but not Obama

[theaxe7]

5. Obama would also have trouble holding states like NJ and Pennsylvania

I can see McCain running strong in the mid to upper middle class suburbs that usually tilt dem. here