Bottom line, faithless electors CAN defect, but in any given Presidential election it’s never been more than one or two (don’t even know if it’s ever been two), and I could be wrong, that’s just what I remember off the top of my head. But even though the final results aren’t in for Missouri and North Carolina, Obama has a pretty big lead in NC with 100% of precincts reporting and by all accounts if anything his lead will grow…given that and based on pre-election polling, we could probably give him NC as well, but let’s for the sake of argument say it goes to McCain. Same with Missouri, here McCain is ahead, it could still change, but let’s say with Indiana being given to Obama yesterday, Obama has 349 electoral votes. My point is that Obama will end up with 349, 360, 364 or 375 Electoral votes. Let’s say it’s only 349, that means that you need 270 to win, 269 to tie, 268 to lose. Effectively then, even if Obama loses NC and MO, 81 electors would have to defect.
Not going to happen.