Pondering 2012 and the 12th Amendment.

[BadgerKid]

AIUI, the 12th Amendment provisions for the House of Representatives to elect the President (from the top 3 recipients of electoral votes) in the event no one receives a majority of the total number of possible electoral votes. I'll assume it's the newly elected House, but I haven't confirmed that.

For the 2012 elections, this would mean there are two pressures in play. First, it's in both GOP's and Democratic Party's respective interests to try to minimize splinter parties from forming. Secondly, having the GOP keep control of the House in 2012 will help ensure a Republican/Neocon/Teabagger president.

My purpose isn't to argue for or against primarying President Obama, but in the end, I think if the Democratic Party is going to be meaningful post-2012, there had better be a strong, unifying presidential candidate behind whom the rest of the party can stand---or at least agree to stand.

[Pab Sungenis]

1. That and taking back the House.

But more importantly, taking back the House with REAL Democrats that aren't going to stab us in the back.

[WhiteTara]

3. And holding the Senate

with a change in Senate leadership. Harry has always been a disappointment. I never understood why Hillary saved his seat.

[PoliticAverse]

2. This might be a problem with a third party candidate but not a primary challenge.

Is there a likely significant third party challenger this year ?

[quaker bill]

4. There is no challenger on the left

that is any threat to take any electoral votes. There could be a tea party wackjob on the right running indy. Bachman comes to mind as a potential indy candidate. She could snag a few electoral votes from the deeper crimson states. For the most part she would be a gift to President Obama as she would snag enough rightwing votes to assure he won in the "winner take all" states, which happens to be nearly all of them.

[metalbot]

5. Very unlikely for there not to be a majority of electoral votes

Since most states give all of their electoral votes to the person who won that state, it makes it very hard for a third party candidate to make it through the election with any electoral votes.