A Specific Question About the U.S. Electoral College?

Question

I almost completely understand what the electoral college is and how it works. However, there is one thing I don't quite get that I'm hopeful could be clarified here.

When a U.S. citizen casts its vote for a general election candidate, it is in reality voting for the electors that are pledged to that candidate. However, quite contradictorally (is that a word?), a presidential candidate wins a state and gets ALL of its electors. The electors of that state can choose to vote for any candidate, even if the elector did not previously pledge for that candidate.

Can you see the contradiction there? Electors are pledged to vote for a certain candidate. So, in 2008, McCain will have 21 pledged electors and Obama 21 pledged electors each in Pennsylvania. So, that means the state has 42 electors! If PA has 42 electors, then why will the winner of the state receive only 21 electoral votes if he (McCain or Obama) is supposed to win all (42) of the state's (PA) electors?

In addition, if there are only 21 electors in PA, then how can we be assured that the electors will vote for the candidate to which they are pledged, especially considering that many of the electors are partisan party activists. For example, if Ed Rendall is an elector, and McCain wins PA, it would not be too far fetched to fathom that Rendall would still cast his electoral vote for Obama. If the majority of PA electors happen to be, let's say, very partisan Democrats, how can it be assured that they will cast their electoral votes for McCain, assuming he wins PA?

Does this make any sense?

Thank you for answering.....

As you can see, I'm a little confused.

Answer 1

Each party picks their potential electors.  Where you are making an error is that potential electors and actual electoral votes are two separate things.  To answer the second part, there is no way to assure that the elector won't vote for someone else.  That said, since the elector is chosen by the party, then it is a virtual certainty that they will vote for their party's candidate.  In other words, if you cast your vote for McCain, the Republican, you are in effect voting for the Republican electors.  Obama voters are voting for the Democrat electors.  Bob Barr voters are voting for Libertarian electors, etc.  Which ever party candidate has the popular vote for the state, those electors are seated that correspond with the party, and they cast the final ballot for President.

Answer 2

It makes sense for republicans. W. would not be president now if it were'nt for the electoral college. In 2000 most voters wanted Al Gore but the GOP concentrated their advertising in battle ground states and got the number of electoral votes they needed without leaving enough evidence to prove they stole that election.