Electoral College Math? Same Old Same Old.

Robert Novak had a recent post from the Evans-Novak report. The report gives a state-by-state breakdown of EC predictions. The national map looks remarkably like the last two presidential elections, with the tally predicting McCain winning with 270 votes to Obama's 268. Support for Democrat Obama is in the northeast, Great Lakes and Pacific regions, with the big red "L" defining red state support for Republican McCain. So much for a new political configuration.

Of course, the actual result will be different, but the voting and polling data already support another red-blue, polarized 50-50 election. I don't expect either McCain or Obama would necessarily govern as President Bush has, but our political polarization is a reflection of voters' behavior, not governing style. All the evidence points to this, yet people would still like to find a scapegoat in the media, the parties, the Talk Radio pundits, the Bush Republicans, or the culture warriors. But it's the voters forcing the candidates and the parties into uncompromising ideological positions, despite the candidates' promises of a new page in our politics.

As we have seen in the primaries, neither McCain nor Obama can deliver a new politics. Only the voters can reject their own identity politics, listen to the opposition, and learn to compromise on the issues. As James Carville might say, "It's the voters, stupid."