Leaving aside all my other issues with the game, I am absolutely stunned that no effort was made to improve election night in Political Machine 2008.  When the first game initially came out, this was the most called for addition (besides more credible candidates) and yet nothing was done.

How hard could it possibly have been to have the option to have election night results come in slower?  Obviously the ideal would be for a 10-20 minute experience (that could be sped up if the user wanted) where the media called states as results justified it and added some tension to a close election.  As it is, the entire thing is over in 2 minutes and every state is instantly called in almost the exact same order every time.

Why?

Why ruin the best part of an election game: the actual election results?

I just don't understand why a sequel was made to this game that couldn't correct this glaring fault in the first version.  Why bother to make the game if you aren't going to improve its presentation just a little?

I could rant on this forever, but I'm going to cut it off there.  Stardock has whiffed again on election games and this time they have only themselves to blame (most blame for the shortcomings of the previous game were pinned on the publisher).

Other problems:

1. The silly bobbleheads

2. The AI won't use political capital intelligently

3. Unrealistic voter turnout (my election routinely have me winning 100-105 M votes to my opponent's 90 M; that ridiculous turnout). 

4. No percentages given for popular vote count (which would be more useful than the absurd vote totals)

5. Etc, etc.