Tuesday 8 November 2016

Not Quite a Photo Finish

The election has been one of the strangest in recent memory and this observer could have never foreseen "the Don" making it past the first primary. Getting the GOP nomination? Never saw that in my wildest nightmares. Rather seeking a viable moderate candidate to unify political divides in the Republican party and the country as a whole, the pachyderms chose a figure who proved xenophobia, fear-mongering and hate can still be good political capital.

The papers in the UK have reported that the vote will be divided in swing states, but some of these states have a history of voting a particular way for several elections or have so few electoral college votes as to be nearly insignificant. (My apologies to Nevada and New Hampshire.)

Arizona is called a swing state by some. Seems to me that since its voted Republican as long as anyone can remember, what's the big mystery? It going to vote as it always has.

Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Nevada have voted Democratic, again, as long as anyone can remember. Guess what they're going to do this time? (No extra points if you can answer this one.)

The real bloody contests are in just three states, Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina and here is where the election will be decided. Or not?

After plugging in some numbers and considering everything I said before, even if Trump wins all three, it still wouldn't put him over the edge. He will need voters in historically stable states to buck the traditions set over the last several elections to win. Much has been made of how fed up with the status quo Americans are, but is that level of disgust so high that a divisive figure like Donald Trump can do this?

Here's what the vote looks like if Trump does carry the fatal three swing states:


                                                              Source www.270towin.com


After much examination and four rum and cokes, here is my prediction of the final vote:


 

                                                          Source www.270towin.com



It would be a great comfort on Wednesday morning if Hillary Clinton would have beaten the Don soundly, proving that reason and intelligence are not wholly missing from the American political landscape. If, on the other hand, we allow such a comical figure to win, then only comics will benefit, as the ensuing four years of a President Trump (Gasp! Shudder.) are sure to be a rich source of gaffes, gropes, and confused policy.