What if it's a draw?

JonSnuuu

So what happens if after all this the US Presidential is a dead heat, 269 electoral votes each. If The Republicans regain control of the House of Representatives like it seems they will, Romney will surely be elected president by them in a tie situation, But then the Senate elects the Vice President in tie situations and they have a democratic majority, So Joe Biden would be elected. Republican President, Democratic Vice President.

Has this ever happened before?? What would the consequences be on the running of the country?

nagilum2

johnt91 wrote: »

So what happens if after all this the US Presidential is a dead heat, 269 electoral votes each. If The Republicans regain control of the House of Representatives like it seems they will, Romney will surely be elected president by them in a tie situation, But then the Senate elects the Vice President in tie situations and they have a democratic majority, So Joe Biden would be elected. Republican President, Democratic Vice President.

Has this ever happened before?? What would the consequences be on the running of the country?

Election then goes to the house of representatives and each state contingent votes to determine how the states will vote. The candidate with the most states wins.

This year if it's a tie, it'll be Romney.

JonSnuuu

nagilum2 wrote: »

Election then goes to the house of representatives and each state contingent votes to determine how the states will vote. The candidate with the most states wins.

This year if it's a tie, it'll be Romney.

I understand that, but the sentate elect the VP and they have a democratic majority meaning Biden will be elected VP. Just wondering if such a scenario has ever occured where the President and VP weren't running mates/ in the same party?

Suryavarman

johnt91 wrote: »

I understand that, but the sentate elect the VP and they have a democratic majority meaning Biden will be elected VP. Just wondering if such a scenario has ever occured where the President and VP weren't running mates/ in the same party?

If I'm not mistaken in the earliest elections, the winner became president and the runner up became vice president.

Brian?

Suryavarman wrote: »

If I'm not mistaken in the earliest elections, the winner became president and the runner up became vice president.

You're correct. That only changed in the 2nd half of the 19th century as far as I can remember.

Amerika

Romney becomes president per the House, Biden vice president per the Senate. Don’t really know if Biden would accept the VP slot as he will be kept busy opening hospitals and such in areas like upper Mongolia for the next 4 years.

Brian?

Amerika wrote: »

Romney becomes president per the House, Biden vice president per the Senate. Don’t really know if Biden would accept the VP slot as he will be kept busy opening hospitals and such in areas like upper Mongolia for the next 4 years.

He would. You realise the VP is not just a lap dog for the president and has constitutional responsibilities and powers?

southsiderosie

Amerika wrote: »

Romney becomes president per the House, Biden vice president per the Senate. Don’t really know if Biden would accept the VP slot as he will be kept busy opening hospitals and such in areas like upper Mongolia for the next 4 years.

Biden is actually quite knowledgable on foreign affairs - he would be a far better sidekick for Romney in that regard than Paul Ryan.

Amerika

southsiderosie wrote: »

Biden is actually quite knowledgable on foreign affairs - he would be a far better sidekick for Romney in that regard than Paul Ryan.

In regards to foreign affairs... I agree.

(Biden's been a pretty good sidekick for Romney in the campaign so far )

Brian?

Amerika wrote: »

In regards to foreign affairs... I agree.

(Biden's been a pretty good sidekick for Romney in the campaign so far )

I know you think Biden is some sort of buffoon for being from the wrong part of PA. But Biden has done a great job in this campaign, I daresay you're in a minority even in your own party that thinks he harmed the Presidents chances. Any GOP supporter I talk to here is quite complementary about Biden this time around.

Amerika

Brian? wrote: »

I know you think Biden is some sort of buffoon for being from the wrong part of PA. But Biden has done a great job in this campaign, I daresay you're in a minority even in your own party that thinks he harmed the Presidents chances. Any GOP supporter I talk to here is quite complementary about Biden this time around.

Then I must come from the wrong part of PA also. I went to school in Wilkes-Barre, right next door to Scranton. The GOP should be quite complementary about Biden. You gotta chuckle at Romney's line about Biden at the Al Smith event.

antoobrien

johnt91 wrote: »

I understand that, but the sentate elect the VP and they have a democratic majority meaning Biden will be elected VP. Just wondering if such a scenario has ever occured where the President and VP weren't running mates/ in the same party?

It's a theoretical point now, but the senate doesn't "elect" the VP, the electoral college do. So if the president is decided by the states (as described in post #2), then same mechanism elects the vice president.

While the VP is the president of the senate, the only time the senate gets to vote on it is if the VP has to be replaced for some reason which is what happened when Ford took over the presidency from Nixon after his resignation. The house and senate confirmed Ford's nomination of Rockefeller for Vice President.

Raphael

The point is about an electoral college split - post #2 relates to state contingents in the house of reps, who elect the president in a split, as the senate elects the VP. See the Twelfth Amendment, which governs the process.

It happened in 1824 (wasn't a tie, but other candidates meant no majority), but back then VP was a seperate race in it's own right, and the guy that won it won handily, and was someone both people were happy to work with