Why are the election and the presidential inaugaration so far apart?

[Rabrrrrrr]

I was just thinking about it for some reason, and realized that I have no idea why we wait 2.5 months between an election and an inauguration.

Is it purely to give the old president time to leave and hand over the reins? Or just so that the new president has time to plan the parties?

Why?

[billyskank]

1. I don't know why you do it like that either

We can hold a general election and get a new Prime Minister in No. 10 the next day.

[TK421]

2. period of mourning n/t

[johnnie]

3. Well, in bush's case it was because it took him 2 and a half months..

To learn how to say "I will" without an ear piece.

[Cabcere]

5. I laughed much harder than I should have at that.

:) It's too true...thanks, johnnie! :hi:

[billyskank]

6. Actually in Bush's case

he needed a month or so to steal the fucking election.

[XemaSab]

4. Time for ol' Homer to ride into BFE on his trusty mule and give the news to the new president,

then time for Franklin to get on HIS trusty steed and make it to DC. :shrug:

[Crabby Appleton]

7. Takes a long time to travel by horseback to Washington. nt

[AZBlue]

8. It's to give the new Pres time to plan. And you need more than that for the events.

Not just the parties. I'm an event planner - given all that goes on with an Inauguration, 2 1/2 months is nothing.

[Hand]

9. Insh'Allah. nt

[DS1]

10. soul-exrtraction is a complicated process

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. Good point. Plus a few days watching the Kennedy assassination

from an angle no one's ever seen before, shown by a bunch of hooded mystery men giving the president his new agenda.

[JVS]

12. They used to do this time consuming thing called counting the votes.

I kid, but seriously it's probably because it took time for the states to figure out who won (or even do their individual procedures for pres election such as taking a vote in the legislature) in their area and then it took time for people to travel and convene the electoral college.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. Very good - so according to you and some others, this is an OLD tradition!

I didn't realize it went that far back - I was thinking that it had been a modern invention to have that long distance between election and inauguration.

But if it goes back to the early days, then it makes sense that it would have that long of a delay, horse and buggy not being the most efficient method of news distribution.

Thanks everyone!

[LaurenG]

14. I think the last 2 times were just to acclimate us to the horror

x(