But, according to the National Journal, (not linked here because it is a pay
per view site), given how close this year's race is not only for President, but
for control of the House and the Senate, it is convincible that Strom, a 97
year old, ultra-conservative Senator from South Carolina, could become the 43th
President of the United States.
You can blame the obsolete (and utterly ridiculous) Electoral College for this
possibility.
Fortunately, the odds of Strom moving into the White House are long. First,
Bore and Dubbya have to split the Electoral College, with 269 votes a piece.
If that happens, selection of the president goes to the House of
Representative. In the unlikely event that the House is unable to decide a
winner between Jan 4th and Jan 20th, the Senate gets to elect a vice president.
If the Democrats pick up 5 seats, (again, highly unlikely) and there is a tie
vote in the Senate, the Speaker of House becomes president. If the House is
split down the middle and unable to choose a Speaker, then the president pro
tempore gets the job. That's Strom.
I can't think of a better poster child for reforming the Electoral College and
I call on Congress to immediately pass an amendment changing the selection of
President of the United States to the person that wins the popular vote.
The SF Comical has a decent write up of this nightmare scenario.
