House passes health care bill on 219-212 vote

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

This frightens me. I'm 100% behind health coverage for all, but I just don't know if this is the best way to achieve it.

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Washington (CNN) --
The bill passed in a 219-212 vote after more than a year of bitter partisan debate. All 178 Republicans opposed it, along with 34 Democrats.

In the 2004 elections, George Bush won 50.7% of the popular vote, vs. John Kerry gaining 48.3%. I know that it's the electoral college that chooses, but the percentage of yays to nays is pretty darn close 50.930 (or 50.9%) to 49.30 (49.3%), with the electoral college voting 286 for Bush and 251v for Kerry. In the 2000 election, 47.9% of the popular vote voted for Bush, and 48.4% for Gore (although the electoral college voted 271 to 266 in favor Bush).

Democratic supporters questioned the extremely close results in both elections (not just based on the popular vote, there were other issues as well), and Republican supporters accused the Dems of "sour grapes". Isn't this kind of the same thing?

I get it - that close margin shows that there is a strong division amongst the congress, and likely the citizens of the US. But majority rules, even in the closest of races, and in the most important (the presidential election).