How politically savvy are you?
September 23, 2008
ONE
How many electoral votes does it take to win the presidency?
ANSWER
The Electoral College is made up of the 538 electors who officially elect the president and vice president of the United States. Presidential candidates require a majority of 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. The number of electors each state is allocated is equal to the combined total of its senators and representatives in Congress.
TWO
Which presidential candidate has raised the most money so far?
ANSWER
Barack Obama had raised $401,327,135 as of July 31. John McCain had raised $171,092,491 by that date. Obama’s top industry donators were lawyers and law firms while McCain’s were retired individuals.
THREE
Where are the battleground states?
ANSWER
Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania (each with 20 or more electoral college votes), and also Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin are considered to be in play.
FOUR
Are there any third-party candidates?
ANSWER
Ralph Nader is running this year, as he did in 2000 and 2004, as is Bob Barr, running for the Libertarian Party. Candidates are also standing for the Green Party and Constitution Party.
Here are some Web sites to check out:
This nonpartisan, nonprofit Web site tries to reduce what it calls the “level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics” by “fact checking” what candidates and politicians say.
Run by the Center for Responsive Politics, this Web site tracks “the influence of money on U.S. politics and how that money affects policy and citizens’ lives.” Search by donor name, industry or employer, among other criteria to see who donated to whom and how much they gave.
The Campus tab on this Web site pulls stories from sources such as campus newspapers and mtvU to show how political stories apply to college students and what young voters are saying about them.
This YouTube channel showcases political ads and events as well as featuring videos in which voters discuss what issues are most important to them and address candidates.
