Why are the U.S. Elections always so close?

Question

The last two presidential elections were won by less than 5% percent of the popular vote.

Why does it come so close to being a 50/50 split?

My theory is that the two parties are not really all the different on most things, ,, what's your explanation?

Answer 1

Well, "last two elections" and "always" are two different things.  If you had asked this question in 1992 just before that election, you would have asked," why are the U.S. elections always such one-sided blow outs?"  Dukakis (88), Mondale (84), Carter (80), and McGovern (72), and Goldwater (64) were just obliterated.

As for the last two elections, what's really scary is how close the electoral maps looked.  Three states different worth 16 electoral votes.  Now, we're polarized about 50/50 between red and blue states.  And it certainly isn't because there is little difference between the parties.  The difference seems huge to me.

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OK, I understand your perspective, Bitter.  60-40 seems like a pretty big blowout to me, but if that's what you had in mind as close, they are all indeed close.  But I think the candidates most often offer a real difference.  Perhaps the closest race I can remember ideologically between the candidates was Clinton-Dole in 1996, and that's because Dole was a liberal Republican and Clinton was whatever he needed to be to get elected.  All other races in my lifetime have offered a real difference between the candidates.  One area where I might agree is that in nearly every election, I hold my nose and vote because I don't really want either major party candidate (well, I did like Ford).  In that sense, both candidates are not really different.  Maybe that's why the biggest vote-getter in every election is "stayed home".

Answer 2

Obama has a 10% lead....that is not so close.

Answer 3

That's how it's always been. The creative dreamers vs. the robotic realists

Ever hear that famous quote "for every action, there's an equal but opposite reaction" ?

Answer 4

Justin stop watching MTV for your political news.  The Zogby poll which is the most accurate in the nation just posted this:

The latest nationwide survey, begun Friday afternoon after the McCain announcement of Palin as running mate and completed mid-afternoon today, shows McCain/Palin at 47%, compared to 45% support for Obama/Biden.

In other words, the race is a dead heat.

Why is it so close?  There is nothing else to choose from.Give people 4 or 5 legitimate people and it would be all over the place.

Answer 5

Because the Republicans pick up on just enough issues to be competitive.  They've been so well funded for years and are extremely smart.

For example do you really think they give a c**p if g**s get married?  Heck recently a republican senator was found soliciting s*x from a male police officer in an airport bathroom.  But they know than a certain percentage of people will vote for them if they speak out against it.  They do this for tons of non-issues and with that and money manage to get elected.  

issues include but are not limited to... flip-flopping, being anti-american, terror, being somebody you'd want to drink a beer with, offshore drilling, freedom fries, being a "maverick", being a POW etc etc...

Answer 6

You hit the nail on the head.  There really isn't much difference between the candidates.  They both make a lot of promises to get elected, fail to deliver on most of those promises, and blame their failings on the other party.