Well, I went and voted this morning. As I stood in the voting booth, I took a moment to give thanks that I could do my own very small part in determining the fate of my country, without having to worry that that right would be taken away from me.
Please - go vote today. We live in a flawed country, but, it is still the best on earth. I, for one, want to make sure it stays that way.
Oh Erin, I’m sorry - I realize this has nothing to do with horses. Thanks for your patience.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Glimmerglass:
Illegal? Perhaps a confusing design but certainly not illegal. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Illegal. There’s some statute on the Florida books that requires the little boxes to be only on the right side of the candidates’ names. Also, there are allegations that some polling place workers refused to provide new ballots to people who asked for one but this is far far away from being an actual fact.
Smiles, most people are requesting a re-vote only in Palm Beach county, not all of Florida.
I can’t figure out how Gore is gaining all these votes in the recount 
. What does this say about the way the country counts the ballots? Just how accurate is this system? Should the country at large be subjected to a recount? I dunno 
.
geez, my grammar sucks todays 
[This message has been edited by astraled (edited 11-09-2000).]
AHC - Absolutley correct! You don’t vote … you can’t complain! I too experienced a line at the polls this morning. A good sign, I think. Those of you who have not voted yet - what are you waiting for?
Kryswyn, I think the State of Fla isn’t considering the recount votes official until they have the signed, certified results in hand from the district voting officials. So it looks like they’re sticking with the original vote counts until they actually receive the certifications. Supposedly the wire reports are based on communications with the local voting officials (I heard that on the radio).
This is KILLING me!!!
Florida be damned. It wouldn’t be so awful, this waiting, if only Florida didn’t lose it’s blasted ballots!
I’m afraid it is going to be Bush. I just heard the lost ballots are primarily from Republican strongholds.
Yipes Erin, and we never fixed our system even from that. Being that we are all opinionated 
, there are some VERY valid points people are posting.
Makes you wonder if we truly voted in anyone. Or, are we being manipulated once again?
Well its the morning after Election Day and apparently its all come down to a veritable handful of votes.
Regardless of how this turns out, what I see as a real positive is how the American people, despite the pundits, pollsters, and politicians, voted their mind. In this day and age of email, FAX’s, 24hr CNN, and experts telling us (The People) how we are going to vote, this presidential election still has come down each individual’s vote being critical and each individual having a say.
I hope that this might inspire people to believe that they, as an individual, can make a difference - if not as a member of a particular political party, then as a proponent of a specific issue.
For those of us who are not particulary enamored by either major political party, and tend to “swing vote”, pick an issue that you believe in and work towards it. For example, I am a big proponent of land preservation (no surprise there!). I find myself working side-by-side in this cause with NRA members (typically Republican voters), PETA members (?Democratic, Green Party?, Liberterians?) and everyone in between.
So even if you don’t strongly believe in one of the political parties, pick an issue that you believe in an work towards that!
And if you don’t believe that a small group of individuals can make a difference, just check in with the election board in Florida!
Off soapbox now - Thanks!
(And SL Warrior - that’s great about the voter sticker on your mare’s bridle!)
[This message has been edited by Whistlejacket (edited 11-08-2000).]
The local news did a little “test” here in Seattle at a local nursing home. They devised a mock ballot identical to the one used in Palm Beach, Flordia. Even knowing what the problem with the ballot was, nearly half of the seniors asked to mark the ballot ended up voting for Buchanan when they meant to vote for Gore. I would also like to say to Woodbern and others, please don’t make disparaging remarks about our older folks – I don’t care that they can split a bill 44 ways and know if the waiter is off a nickle. This is generalizing, and not in a positive light, either.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Heather:
I can’t decide if the fact that its this close indicates that we all are so close ideologically that its impossible to choose, or that there are two fully distinct sets of people in this country…<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don’t think it is that WE are sp close ideologically, but that the two major candidates are so close ideologically. Both major parties have “moved to the center” so much that only a few issues separate them.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by pacificsolo:
I don’t care if we have a recount! Why are you lumping all of us conservatives into one assuption of intention? I want whoever deserves to win to win! Yes, I want that person to be Bush, but if Gore is legitimately the winner, the so be it.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well put PacificSolo!!
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by horsenut:
The way I understand absentee ballots, at least here in Mass., is that they’re supposed to be in by Election Day. So can anyone tell me why these things weren’t the first things they started counting in the morning? I don’t get it.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
It depends on the state. For instance, in Oregon, they have to be Postmarked before midnight Nov 7, so some of them haven’t even been delivered yet. Don’t know about Florida.
They have preferential voting in Ireland too. We were there during the election in (I think) '97.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by HATTIE:
Florida has a huge absentee ballot due to the large amount of military stationed here. That is, the Navy. At any one time when a aircraft carrier is out we are talking about at least 5000 at sea. What I find amazing is that there is a 1763 difference between Gore and Bush in Florida. Those 1763 votes (unless recount changes these figures) will determine our next president of the United States. So you see, EVERY vote counts! These are fascinating odds!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hattie, from what I have heard, everything you say is true, but apparently just by coincidence, this election no carriers based in FLA happened to be at sea, so there should be many fewer military absentee ballots that usual – but as with everything else in this election, who really knows? Incidentally, at noon EST, the news reports say that at the halfway point in the recount, Bush’s lead is down to about 900 votes. Ain’t it all amazing! I think we have zoomed right past “weird” and are now tanking up at “surrealistic” on our way to “Kafkaesque” smile
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Worthy:
[B]Welcome to the board, Kate. Unfortunately, you have (and others before you) hit a sensitive spot with Me.
I don’t believe anyone advocated land conservation under “the killing of unborn babies”. Your comment is not well thought out and is a generalization.
I am not afraid to say that in my first year of college, I was raped. I discovered that I was pregnant in February of 1992. I was nineteen. I had no money, lived in a one room apartment with one other girl, no education, and after long and painful deliberation, I chose an abortion.
I do not regret it. I have not required psychological counselling. I would have jeopardized my education, my future AND the child’s future by having it. While it was a terrible thing I would not have wished on anybody, I made a choice. MY choice. And you can call me murderer all you want, but I’d like you to know, none of you came forward with help for me. Nobody did, except for my very understanding family doctor.
Whew. There. That’s been brewing in me since page 2. Flame away…
P.S. I was born in Michigan. I’m watching the vote with interest!!![/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
That’s horrible that you had to go through a rape. These kinds of situations are exactly the reason that abortions should stay legal. Who in their right mind would carry the baby of a rapist? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that with a Republican congress and probably Republican president, who will be appointing new S.C. justices, that they will be doing everything in their power to illegalize abortion.
Just glad there is another pro-choicer out there. The bottom line is, no man who has no idea what I go through as a woman is going to tell ME what to do with MY body.
Thank you Erin.
Yes, LOUISE, Cheney was Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush, and was (at least in part) responsible for sizeable cuts in military spending.
This morning, one of the commentators on NPR was floating the idea of a co-presidency.
In international negotiations that require a folksy, downhome approach, Mr.
Bush will preside. When the negotiations get tricky and require that the
president be able to remember and pronounce the name of the leader with whom
he is negotiating, Mr. Gore will step in and take over.
When Mr. Bush crashes the White House computer playing games, Mr. Gore will
come in and fix it.
The White House BBQ’s will be the best ever!
well obviosly NOT because the Palm Beachers who voted AND walked away from the voting booth didn’t notice they had made a mistake until someone TOLD them!!! They didn’t READ it?? An arrow pointing directly at the name of the person not a quarter of an inch away??? They couldn’t “handle” the voting themselves and now they want the country to stand still while they figure it all out.
I apologize for not having read every one of these posts, so if this has been covered…oops.
But does anyone else think the MEDIA i.e. TV coverage should be banned from covering “results” until all ballots have been collected and tallied? Or at least until the last polling place in the Hawiian Islands has closed?
I want to know who decided that Katie Couric, Tom Brokaw and any of the other “NEWS STAFF” had the inside track to the results?
Having spent the majority of my years on the West Coast, I am sick and tired of hearing how the East voted by 5:00PST. I can’t help feel this disillusions some of the voters that had not gotten out yet. Either they have to feel their vote won’t matter, since “their guy” was soooo far behind, so why bother. Or the flip of "their guy " is soooo far ahead, he doesn’t NEED my vote.
I think the media does an incredible DISSERVICE during these times.
And now I climb carefully down off my soapbox. Dang near got a nosebleed up there. Thanks.
The ballot as a “test” of motor skills???The practice ballot went out LONG before the elections, it was designed by a DEMOCRAT and these are the SAME people that can work eight bingo cards and never miss a call but can not figure out how to follow an arrow to the correct hole!!! Come on…can you say cop out?? Make the weeping from the algore contingent STOP! Take it like a MAN. Enough sniveling already.
[This message has been edited by Jumphigh83 (edited 11-11-2000).]
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by dublin:
[B] I could not agree with you more!! A truly scary thought…
[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Oh come on… this is Florida we’re talking about here. Most likely a ton of these people are elderly with poor eyesight. From what I understand, the votes that are being thrown out are because people thought they had to punch holes for both president and VP. Being confused shouldn’t preclude someone’s right to vote.
Hey Glimmerglass, where did the info on the 16,000 ballots thrown out in 1996 come from? I’ve been looking for that info all day.
originally posted by Snowbird: <BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> [B]Personally I used to think the Electoral system was unnecessary. This election proved it’s not true. It was a brilliant idea that has sustained our freedom. Look at the map after it is colored in Gore/Bush.
What do you see even in Florida two thirds of the country voted for Bush. The cities and over-populated areas went for Gore. Do you seriously believe that the best government would come from the opinions of the city versus those who raise our food in the breadbasket. The Electoral college guarantees an equalizing of all the segments and doesn’t give ultimate authority to those who only deal with city problems and jobs.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>[/B]
I fail to see how the electoral college equalizes anything. I live in VA, I voted for Gore. Since more Virginians are Republican, Bush will receive my (albeit minute) portion of the VA electoral vote. Well I don’t want him to have it! As I see it, my vote was meaningless because VA is so far to the right, Gore never made more than a token effort to campaign here. If every person’s vote truly counted, than the candidates would work hard for EVERY vote, in EVERY state. When I lived in Hawaii (heavily Democratic) we NEVER as far as I remember had a GOP Pres Candidate come out to work the state. Did either Bush or Gore go to Alaska or Hawaii this time?? I don’t know. Both states are so far removed from DC and have such a small number of electoral votes, they’re not worth a candidate’s time.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
