Column:

America's future might be in Dick Cheney's hands

By Dieter Kurtenbach

Published Oct. 13, 2008

At this point in October, the election table seems to be tilted toward Democratic Party candidate Sen. Barack Obama. The Democratic senator from Illinois by some accounts, including that of Republican Party campaign mastermind Karl Rove, already has enough electoral votes locked up for the November ballots to be elected the next president. Yet most prognosticators still feel Obama is a few votes short due to several toss-up states still in play for both candidates.

But I feel it is nearly impossible for Obama to lose at this point, since he has a nearly 10-point lead in relation to the popular vote and is leading in nearly all of the supposed "toss-up" states. Of these states, Obama holds a lead in every one and has a significant lead in Virginia, a state that was at one point considered a lock for the GOP. And though it is likely Obama could win by almost double the electoral votes, at this point, with just days left until the election, almost anything can happen that could tilt the table the other way.

But even if the tables turn to McCain's side, it seems as if the best he could do would be a 269-269 electoral tie - and the battle would go into overtime.

The House of Representatives would then 'elect' the president. And currently, the House of Representatives is controlled by the Democrats. And while one could delve into the intricacies of how the process works, the truth of the matter is that a party will elect their own. So regardless of what advances Republican candidate John McCain makes in the next few weeks, Obama still has a better chance at becoming the next president of the United States.

Although a tie isn't completely likely, this year there's actually a chance that it could happen, as discussed above. And what would result is a sticky, intricate situation.

The political process that would follow is confusing to most Americans, especially those who don't have a firm grasp on the 25th Amendment and chances are that most Americans do not. To clarify, the amendment states that the newly elected president - in our hypothetical case, Sen. Barack Obama - would state his nomination and a vote would follow in both Houses of Congress.

The problem is that this has never happened in the recent political landscape.

This election has been one of many different firsts for Americans, but if this situation were to occur many citizens would be confused about the proceedings and possibly less content with the results. Feeling that their votes really do matter and that all parts of elections are democratic and transparent is important to Americans and if Congress essentially has to make the decision, many people would not be happy.

But as Americans, we have a responsibility to inform ourselves about all of the possible outcomes for tricky situations such as this one - and that's exactly what I've tried to do.

We also have a responsibility to make our voices heard in the election and to participate. So on Nov. 4, do your patriotic duty and vote, and then go home and get ready for the possible mayhem that could ensure on Capitol Hill.