Obama wins Fla., topping Romney in final tally
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - President Barack Obama was declared the winner of Florida's 29 electoral votes Saturday, ending a four-day count with a razor-thin margin that narrowly avoided an automatic recount that would have brought back memories of 2000.
No matter the outcome, Obama had already clinched re-election and now has 332 electoral votes to Romney's 206.
The Florida Secretary of State's Office said that with almost 100 percent of the vote counted, Obama led Republican challenger Mitt Romney 50 percent to 49.1 percent, a difference of about 74,000 votes. That was over the half-percent margin where a computer recount would have been automatically ordered unless Romney had waived it.
There is a Nov. 16 deadline for overseas and military ballots, but under Florida law, recounts are based on Saturday's results. Only a handful of overseas and military ballots are believed to remain outstanding.
It's normal for election supervisors in Florida and other states to spend days after any election counting absentee, provisional, military and overseas ballots. Usually, though, the election has already been called on election night or soon after because the winner's margin is beyond reach.
But on election night this year, it was difficult for officials - and the media - to call the presidential race here, in part because the margin was so close and the voting stretched into the evening.
In Miami-Dade, for instance, so many people were in line at 7 p.m. in certain precincts that some people didn't vote until after midnight.
The hours-long wait at the polls in some areas, a lengthy ballot and the fact that Gov. Rick Scott refused to extend early voting hours has led some to criticize Florida's voting process. Some officials have vowed to investigate why there were problems at the polls and how that led to a lengthy vote count.
If there had been a recount, it would not be as difficult as the lengthy one in 2000. The state no longer uses punch-card ballots, which became known for their hanging chads. All 67 counties now use optical scan ballots where voters mark their selections manually.
Republican George W. Bush won the 2000 contest after the Supreme Court declared him the winner over Democrat Al Gore by a scant 537 votes.
The win gave Obama victories in eight of the nine swing states, losing only North Carolina. In addition to Florida, he won Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Virginia, Colorado and Nevada.
No matter the outcome, Obama had already clinched re-election and now has 332 electoral votes to Romney's 206.
The Florida Secretary of State's Office said that with almost 100 percent of the vote counted, Obama led Republican challenger Mitt Romney 50 percent to 49.1 percent, a difference of about 74,000 votes. That was over the half-percent margin where a computer recount would have been automatically ordered unless Romney had waived it.
There is a Nov. 16 deadline for overseas and military ballots, but under Florida law, recounts are based on Saturday's results. Only a handful of overseas and military ballots are believed to remain outstanding.
It's normal for election supervisors in Florida and other states to spend days after any election counting absentee, provisional, military and overseas ballots. Usually, though, the election has already been called on election night or soon after because the winner's margin is beyond reach.
But on election night this year, it was difficult for officials - and the media - to call the presidential race here, in part because the margin was so close and the voting stretched into the evening.
In Miami-Dade, for instance, so many people were in line at 7 p.m. in certain precincts that some people didn't vote until after midnight.
The hours-long wait at the polls in some areas, a lengthy ballot and the fact that Gov. Rick Scott refused to extend early voting hours has led some to criticize Florida's voting process. Some officials have vowed to investigate why there were problems at the polls and how that led to a lengthy vote count.
If there had been a recount, it would not be as difficult as the lengthy one in 2000. The state no longer uses punch-card ballots, which became known for their hanging chads. All 67 counties now use optical scan ballots where voters mark their selections manually.
Republican George W. Bush won the 2000 contest after the Supreme Court declared him the winner over Democrat Al Gore by a scant 537 votes.
The win gave Obama victories in eight of the nine swing states, losing only North Carolina. In addition to Florida, he won Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Virginia, Colorado and Nevada.
Guess winning no matter how means the most to these people, you know, the means justifies the end. Sad and pathetic.
Louisiana was first. Now 20Â States have formal petitions to secede.Â
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Joining Louisiana now are Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, Michigan, New York, Colorado, Oregon, New Jersey, North Dakota, Montana, Indiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama and Texas ( texas has ssurpassed the required 25,000 signatures and is rising.
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The Louisiana petition, which has served as a pattern for many of the new states, reads as follows: âWe petition the Obama administration to: Peacefully grant the State of Louisiana to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.â
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Note states Obama supposidly has a majority of voters in?
This turned out to be, unbeknownst to anyone, a social vs economic election. The Social voters won. Prepare for the economic malaise . Obama policies are great for warm and fuzzy social issues, but job-killers. He proved that beyond a doubt his first four years. obamacare will only add to the unemployed. Small business (over 50 employees) cannot afford it and will decrease full time and increase part time workersâ¦.It's already begun in restaurant chains across the country..
The Guy Obama is - great - he got him- on social issues-that's what won- immigration, ala Dream Act Gender issues, ala gay marriage, reefer, ala legalization issues.... if you are into those do you realize Social Issues do not feed anyone.
Mitt Romney in his heart believes in most all those social issues - War on Women really? You see Ann? He has 5 daughter in laws⦠He was painted as a madman by Chicago axelrod's....Social issues were never his concern.... He was forced to the right. .He's a numbers guy- ..His main concern was the economy. We blew it. Again. One Big Azz Mistake Again America
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 @KHEB What'd you blow? I didn't think I'd ever witness you blowing anything!
forgot to add... at last, the 2004 presidential campaign, which began in roughly 1997, is over. We have finally come to the end of the bitter hateful partisan viciousness that has consumed us for far too long, and we can now look forward, as a nation, to beginning a new era of bitter hateful partisan viciousness.
Forgot to mention in addition, there were numerous other disturbing irregularities reported at polls across St. Lucie County and many others where voter turn out exceeded registered voters, included the doors to polling places being locked when the polls closed, keeping watchdogs out in direct violation of Florida law, thereby preventing the public from witnessing the procedures used to "tabulate" results.
Voter fraud in swing states....look at just Ohio.  According to the Columbus Dispatch, one out of every five registered voters in Ohio is ineligible to vote. In at least two counties in Ohio, the number of registered voters exceeded the number of eligible adults who are of voting age. In northwestern Ohioâs Wood County, there are 109 registered voters for every 100 people eligible to vote.
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 An additional 31 of Ohioâs 88 counties have voter registration rates over 90%, which most voting experts regard as suspicious. Obama miraculously won 100% of the vote in 21 districts in Cleveland, and received over 99% of the vote where GOP inspectors were illegally removed. Obama miraculously won 100% of the vote in 21 districts in
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Cleveland, and received over 99% of the vote where GOP inspectors were illegally removed.
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The inflated numbers canât just reflect voters who have moved, because the average voting registration level nationwide is only 70%. The vast majority of voters over the 70% level are not voting because they want to, they are voting because someone is getting them to cast a vote, one way or another.
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Those 31 counties are most likely the largest voting counties in Ohio, representing a majority of Ohio voters. This means the number of votes cast above the 70% typical voter registration level easily tops 100,000, the margin Obama won Ohio by. How unusual........ unless you are Obama.
 @erudite I'd think that if there were perhaps suspicious practices taking place, that the Ohio Secretary of State would do as our Kate Brown did here in Oregon with those manipulated ballots in Oregon City, and take action. Would only make sense, right? Oh wait, I'm guessing you're a red-voter, guess common sense and red don't go together.
@pdxd I don't think so.  Here is just one example.
"Up to 10 percent of the ballots cast at a polling station in Pennsylvania reverted to a default, which gave Barack Obama a vote no matter who the voter had selected, according to a poll watcher who was a witness to the proceedings.
The incident took place in the state where officials claimed Obama got a total of 19,605 votes in 59 voting divisions to zero for Mitt Romney and not far from the 100 precincts in Ohio where Obama got 99 percent of the vote, a feat not even achieved by third-world dictators, according to Market Daily News".
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If Obama was such a majority winner why have over 20 states filed petitions to secede from the Union? He is a crook and a fraud.
@ShallowEnder  I should have noted individuals I thought that was a given, however several States have more than enough signatures that is must be addressed with policy by this administration. However 28 STATES filed suits over Obamacare.
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I am confident you have the bulling backwards.  Panthers, ACORN, Union Thugs, Ballot doormen, FEAR, ACLU, Amnest International, NAACP and so many more... Lovely bunch
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Interesting that Obama is so loved that in some precientsin Ohio he recieved 100% plus of the votes. Not even a dictators can do that, especially when Romeny supporters numbered over 35,000 at one of the last events. Obama is the biggest gangster out of Chicago.
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 @erudite Hate to break it to you, but no "State" has petitioned to secede. I'm sure every state has a small minority of extremists who hate the idea of not being allowed to bully minorities and those of other beliefs. That's what has happened in 20 states. Not a single "State" has asked any such thing.
'St. Lucie County, Florida ... Obama Wins' 141.1% "voter" turnout...hmmm, that can only mean that Warner Bros. Cartoon Characters, the dead and who knows who "voted" for Obama.Â
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Coincidentally (or not), St. Lucie County is also in Allen West's district where 6,000 votes mysteriously "shifted" from Mr. West to his challenger. Out of the 247,713 cards cast, somehow election machines counted 123,591 total votes.This is just one county out of how many that were needed to pad the election in Obama's and other Democrats favor?
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If you look at reports of turnout in swing states this is not an uncommon phenomena. How predictable especially considering Obama's outsourced Spanish Company is tallying up the counts, the one George Soros has the finger on the CEO of for 21 million dollars in over due debt.
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on america!
Having been on the inside of insurance program making and marketing, costs of insurance premiums are heavily and directly influenced by Federal, State, and local, government, down to the county and city, with number of employees, kind of business, ages, and health of employees.
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This is all strangled additionally with extraordinary complicated, but non productive, useless restrictions, regulations and causes of enormous costs. If true reform by lifting and regionalizing some of these managing costs would have cut costs directly, offered true opportunity to have a free market that would be competitive and allow costs and premiums to plummet while the insurance companies could still have a margin of profit.
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Obamacare does not address any medical, dental, vision or nontraditional medicines either. Obamacare removes liberties and choice that are cherished in a free society, which this election just âChangedâ.
Cherished? like pre-existing conditions? Like an illness life time payout limit on healthcare? Ya those liberties and choices, I'm going to miss those.
Haven't been commenting but I sure have been reading since the country made it's decisions on Tuesday. Wow. The neocon dead-enders will never admit they are a minority...a rapidly shrinking minority. Get on board or get out of the way. We are moving forward.
@w-t-f Keep dreaming.
@lastboyscout.I noticed that you have been MIA after the election.If you are reading this,I hope you are doing ok.
 @noneofyourbizzness He is crying over the river.
@Michael R. Newton He was extremely confident in a Romney victory like many of the conservatives on here.Personally,I never make election predictions because the idea of eating crow doesn't sound too palatable to me.
YA KNOW NONEOF, i WAS THINKING THE SAME THING TODAY. I MISS HIM. LOL ACTUALLY I REALLY DON'T. LOL. DOES HE KNOW OBAMA WON? GOSH I HOPE SO LOL.Â
P.S. MAYBE HE CHANGED HIS NAME?
@usa2swimpattycrabby he seems like a nice enough guy.He was more than sure of a Romney victory like many conservatives.Me? I din't have any idea until around 6:30 pm I finally started to get the feeling that it was going our way.
For all you knowitalls here are the nums.....Enjoy Paying !..........
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â 6.1 million will be eligible for free/close-to-free insurance through Medicaid under the law.
â 12.9 million will have to purchase coverage but receive subsidies to help with premiums
â 7.3 million (2 percent of population) will not be eligible for any assistance and will simply have to buy a plan or pay the penalty.
Look at it the other way, the mandate will not directly impact most Americans. Two hundred fifty million out of 268 million non-elderly folks, or 94 percent, of Americans already have insurance coverage through an employer or the government and donât face the penalty or having to buy a new plan.
By 2014, if you donât have insurance, youâll have to pay tax ⦠a tax that can be paid in one of two ways: either a flat rate, or a percentage of your income, depending on whatâs greater. In 2014, Americans without insurance will pay $95 per person, or 1 percent of their income. However, if you earn around $50K and donât pay the fee, youâll be forced to pay a $500 penalty.
These figures increase over the next several years, by 2016 the fee for one personâs coverage at $700, and a penalty of $1,250.
The penalty/tax will be phased in from 2014 to 2016.
The minimum penalty/tax in 2016 will be $695 per person and up to 3-times that per family. After 2016, these amounts will increase at the rate of inflation.
The minimum penalty/tax per person will start at $95 in 2014 (and then increase through 2016)
No family will ever pay more than 3X the per-person penalty, regardless of how many people are in the family.
The $695 per-person penalty is only for those who make between $9,500 and ~$37,000 per year. If you make less than ~$9.500, you're exempt. If you make more than ~$37,000, your penalty is calculated by the following formula...
The penalty is 2.5% of any household income above the level at which you are required to file a tax return. That level is currently $9,500 per person and $19,000 per couple. The penalty on any income above that is 2.5%. So the penalty can get expensive quickly if you make a lot of money.
However, the penalty can never be more than the cost of a "Bronze" heath insurance plan purchased through one of the state "exchanges" that will be created as part of Obamacare. The CBO estimates that these policies will cost $4,500-$5,000 per person and $12,000-$12,500 per family in 2016, with the costs rising thereafter.
So, basically, you're looking at penalties of approximately the following at the following income levels:
Less than $9,500 income = $0
$9,500 - $37,000 income = $695
$50,000 income = $1,000
$75,000 income = $1,600
$100,000 income = $2,250
$125,000 income = $2,900
$150,000 income = $3,500
$175,000 income = $4,100
$200,000 income= $4,700
Over $200,000= The cost of a "bronze" health-insurance plan
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The IRS will collect the penalty-tax.
The IRS will not have the power to charge you criminally or seize your assets if you refuse to pay. The IRS will only have the ability to sue you. And the most the IRS can collect from you if it wins the suit is 2X the amount you owe. So if you want to thumb your nose at the penalty-tax, the IRS won't be able to do as much to you as they could if you refused to pay, say, income tax.
By the way, the following folks will be exempt from the penalty-tax:
Those who make less than $9,500
Employees whose employers only offer plans that cost more than 8% of the employee's income
Those with "hardships"
Members of Indian tribes
Members of certain religions that don't pay Social Security tax, such as Amish, Hutterites, or Mennonites
And, of course, Obamacare isn't free. So, whether you pay the penalty or not, you're going to have to pay a lot of other taxes to pay for it.
A 3.8% surtax on "investment income" when your adjusted gross income is more than $200,000 ($250,000 for joint-filers). What is "investmentHYPERLINK \l "" income?" Dividends, interest, rent, capital gains, annuities, house sales, partnerships, etc. Taxes on dividends will rise from 15% to 18.8%--if Congress extends the Bush tax cuts. If Congress does not extend the Bush tax cuts, taxes on dividends will rise from 15% to a shocking 43.8%.
A 0.9% surtax on Medicare taxes for those making $200,000 or more ($250,000 joint). You already pay Medicare tax of 1.45%, and your employer pays another 1.45% for you (unless you're self-employed, in which case you pay the whole 2.9% yourself). Next year, your Medicare bill will be 2.35%.
Flexible Spending Account contributions will be capped at $2,500. Currently, there is no tax-related limit on how much you can set aside pre-tax to pay for medical expenses. Next year, there will be. If you have been socking away, say, $10,000 in your FSA to pay medical bills, you'll have to cut that to $2,500.
The itemized-deduction hurdle for medical expenses is going up to 10% of adjusted gross income. Right now, any medical expenses over 7.5% of AGI are deductible. Next year, that hurdle will be 10%.
The penalty on non-medical withdrawals from Healthcare Savings Accounts is now 20% instead of 10%. That's twice the penalty that applies to annuities, IRAs, and other tax-free vehicles.
A tax of 10% on indoor tanning services. This has been in place for two years, since the summer of 2010.
A 40% tax on "Cadillac Health Care Plans" starting in 2018.Those whose employers pay for all or most of comprehensive healthcare plans (costing $10,200 for an individual or $27,500 for families) will have to pay a 40% tax on the amount their employer pays. The 2018 start date is said to have been a gift to unions, which often have comprehensive plans.
A"Medicine Cabinet Tax" that eliminates the ability to pay for over-the-counter medicines from a pre-tax Flexible Spending Account. This started in January 2011.
A "penalty" tax for those who don't buy health insurance. This will phase in from 2014-2016. It will range from $695 per person to about $4,700 per person, depending on your income.
A tax on medical devices costing more than $100. Starting in 2013, medical device manufacturers will have to pay a 2.3% excise tax on medical equipment. This is expected to raise the cost of medical procedures
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Hope this Helps.......
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 @Glenn Pierce Actually, it doesn't. You said that Obamacare will make the country collapse. Nothing you copy & pasted above indicates that that is the case.
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You sort of blow when you write "...the mandate will not directly impact most Americans." Surprisingly, this is accurate. What you gloss over is the insurance exchange market and government subsidies for people who cannot afford the premiums on that market. And the expansion of Medicaid. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court said the Medicaid expansion can't be forced on the states, so the Rick Perrys of the world are tripping all over themselves to deny medical coverage to the poor residents of their states.
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Still, we don't have the country collapsing... We have health insurance reform that falls short of a single-payer system but that improves upon the free market travesty it is replacing. In 2016, we'll still have a country.
Dont be jealous someone knows more than you.Â
Its coming soon .....and when it gets here you can look back and remember where it started....the company I work told us last week our health ins was going up 15 % directly from Obamacare. ....Think what you wish...doesn't change the Truth......
 @Glenn Pierce And you always trust everything the employer tells you?
 @Glenn Pierce Your employer needs to find a new plan: http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/2012/10/02/employer-health-care-costs-to-rise-in-2013/
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"A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research & Educational Trust, reveals that the average cost for a family health care plan offered by employers in 2012 jumped by 4 percent..."
 @Glenn Pierce Your rates will go up because your insurance carrier can still gouge you for their extra profits.  This isn't rocket science.
About the time Barrak is finished in 4yrs, everyone here will feel differently.......time will prove it...
 @Glenn Pierce No matter what happens, I can't imagine that I will wish Mr. flip-flop Romney won.  I suspect the current crop of Republicans in the house will make many wish they'd voted them out.  And it's Barack, not Barrak
Barrak sounds better Mr Speeling Bee.....and I dont care who won Obamacare is what you Voted for......
This comment has been deleted
 @Glenn Pierce Already accomplished that, I meant.
@sargerator
Tried to fix a typo. Oh, well.
Or could that havebeen self censorship ??
Seems as though the "liberal media" is censoring those that lean to the liberal side....odd to me ???
HA !
Until then take a chill pill glenn, relax buddy. Oh by the way did you know Obama won? Ya Obama won.
Glenn
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You know you sound alot like craig !
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTwpBLzxe4U
You are Not paying attention...go back to your bong.......
So...have you used food stamps and welfare and Not get any help from anyone...D'OH !
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Got to admit, the craig is CRAZY ! And whos party is he for again ???
There are alot of Hippies and Dope heads from Cal who moved up here 40 yrs ago and populated the area, it"s no suprise they find ways to get themselves killed in every way possible. I could care less who won the Election if they didn"t destroy the US. Nor do I care about Rep/Dem , Colin Powel would have made a Great Pres , and he didn"t want it. You are going to get what you voted for so here comes another 4 yrs of Obamadamnation, Enjoy....
Can't wait for this next 4 years to end. Welfare for everyone!!!!
You people should be standing in line for some Common Sense instead of trying to get Pot Legal, or believing everthing CNN says as the Gospel Truth. Everybody here wants to present themselves as Intelligent and Intellectually Minded. All the crap about Repubs and Dems doesn't mean a thing when its time to get paid and who is taking your money. Alot of what is see is " Give me more Goverment Nipple! ".
 @Glenn Pierce "...who is taking your money".  Sounds to me like some more of your money is about to be taken by an insurance company.  You know, one of those massive corporate groups that keep raising your rates while you support their candidates. Â
Glenn Pierce says (lol) "Everybody here wants to present themselves as Intelligent and Intellectually Minded." Glenn GLENN, dude you just showed that it isn't so.
Actually I get my information from other sites....this one is enlightening towards your candidate !
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http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/scarce/romney-human-being-who-built-narrated-leona
You know why Nate Silver was so accurate? He used real math and science. The things Republicans don't believe in. I Wonder how all those people who said god is on our side and he will make Mitt President are saying now? If god picks the President he picked the Black guy again.Â
 @Techchefpdx People have frequently (and rightly) criticized some Republicans for treating groups of people as monoliths with little or no internal variation. Yet, your comment suggesting that all Republicans don't "believe in" math and science is doing exactly the same thing, is it not?
Well, you 've got to admit, when these 2 clowns were voted in by tea baggers AND they're on the house science committee, it's seems that is the consensus of the party itself !....You do know how they get nominated to committees right ?
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http://www.mediaite.com/online/gop-house-science-committee-member-evolution-big-bang-%E2%80%98lies-straight-from-the-pit-of-hell%E2%80%99/