On this historic Tuesday past, November the 6th 2012, there was an election in the USA.
When the dust had settled, far too quickly for many, things ended up....
About the same as they began.
Some were very happy with the results, others very sad. Yet things stayed as they were. Perhaps the status quo is rather disappointing, but it's hardly earth-shattering.
For those unaware, Barack Obama remained the CEO of the USA, head of the Executive Branch. (Which also means that whatever might happen with the Judicial Branch, that direction wouldn't be any different than it has been potentially over the last four years. But nobody votes for them, so it really is a moot point.)
The popular vote was close (relatively speaking) for president, some 50.4 to 48 percent. Is 2.4 percent a landslide? Not so much. Although that is 2.8 million, the total is around 120 million so comparatively, not that many.
Maybe the actual mechanism that chooses might say more. Which when it comes down to it, the number of Electors in total only depends on each number in a each state, mostly winner take all, and also having more votes in the bigger states by population adds to your total more bigger better faster. So it's not really all that meaningful in and of itself numbers-wise. That wasn't a blowout either anyway, 303 to 206. Not, say, 503 to 6. It's like Roosevelt said; "All in all, when it comes down to it, when the sun sets ninety and seven Electoral Pledges ain't much."
The map of the Electoral College shows what some call the 'power of the coasts'; except for two states near the West Coast, the Middle of the country and lower East of the country went Romney, the upper East and the whole West went Obama. The populous decider, East Coast West Coast all around the block.
Either way, there has been no change in the hands of the reins of the reign. No return to the old rich white-looking guys being president. Obama's certainly more "now and with it" in appearance, so why go back, anyway. Nobody's burning books yet, it's still a free country, and so on. (Besides, all the bigots and racists can always console themselves by justifying that Obama is half white anyway, right?)
Either way, the bigger potential change simply did not happen. The Legislative Branch, the ones that actually pass the laws (sometimes) stayed essentially the same as well.
The Senate changed a bit. Previously 51 Democrat plus 2 Independent that go along with them caucus-ally for 53 Democrat and 47 Republican. Now, after the election, it looks something like 55 versus 45. The magic number for "real control" (60 or 66 depending) still eludes any single party. Just as before.
Even with the Senate not having one party being in "absolute" control of things, the "majority" (or plurality or quorum or simple majority or however one wishes to wiggly wiggly illustrate it) is of the same party as the Executive. Perhaps it doesn't matter if it's only 55 to 45 and not 60 to 40 or better. However you slice it though, the other half of Congress isn't of that same party.
In the House, the Republicans kept their nominal control and whatever advantage it might bring. Thus it also remained like it was. There are some 435 voting members in the House of Representatives, and in order to have that elusive "real control" one needs what we might call 290. It's only about 234 for the Republicans though.
We're back where we started then. A President it seems 50.4% of the country wants and 48% doesn't. A half and half Congress, and one where no party has total real absolute full control over either chamber.
Hardly anything to get upset over. Even still, you get what you vote for, and the vote appears to say you voted for gridlock or the status quo or one where nobody has a clear overriding mandate.
Is it 2016 yet?
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