[smonk]

the democrats are actually running against optimism? optimism in war? that's going to go over well with the public.

[Gumption]

Democrats accused Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage of "phoney optimism"

I'd like to see any Democrat 5 seconds after they said that to his face in private.

BTW, who spells "phony" with an "ey"? Is that like an "our" (as in colour) thing with the Brits?

[Spanky the Yankee]

"So you have an election that's not quite perfect. Is it better than not having an election? You bet," - Rumsfeld.

1789: First presidential election in the United States.

New York failed to appoint its allotment of eight electors therefore no electoral votes cast from NY.

North Carolina and Rhode Island had yet to ratified the United States Constitution therefore no votes were cast from those states either.

1864: American Civil War.

The following states did not cast votes in that election nor were they represented in Congress during the duration of the Civil War.

Alabama
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana
Mississippi
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia

1868: Three years after the end of hostilities three states did not cast votes because they were as yet
"reconstructed".

Mississippi
Texas
Virginia

Until the 23rd Amendment was ratified on March 29, 1961 citizens of Washington, DC could not vote in Presidential elections.

Today citizens of the following territories cannot vote in Presidential elections:

Puerto Rico
Guam
U.S. Virgin Island
American Samoa.

I think Iraq will survive if the election is held in the law abiding sections only.