VOTE!

[Jo]

As much as I don’t want Bush to win, I honestly don’t think a revote would do anything except more chaos and drag the process out even longer.

We talked about this in my AD class (as posted above) and the thing that boggles my mind is how so many MORE people would go vote… since they know their vote really does count. I don’t think there should be a “redo” for people who didn’t do it the first time… Tough luck.

Now fix the system so this bulls*** doesn’t happen again.

Yes, I am getting annoyed, can you tell?

[Bertie]

MISSING votes? How can that happen???

[Jumphigh83]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by heelsdown:
[B]Woodbern: I never thought we would be facing a President elect who did not win a majority vote either, or an election that has failed to produce a clear winner two days after the election was supposed to have ended. Never say never.

There are some very upset people here in Florida and many of them will not let this go, I have to say that I can’t blame them. If I was a nice little Jewish lady who had the opportunity to vote for a team that included Joseph Lieberman and then realized after the fact that I’d voted for Buchanan I’d start slinging matzo balls![/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Can you say “Bill Clinton”?

[Jo]

Watching CNN – they say the recount will end Thursday. Oh the humanity.

[Louise]

I think that the process is proceeding as it should at this time. No matter what happens, this election is going to be clouded. Well, that’s happened before, and, lo and behold, we have survived. Hopefully, we will learn from this, and improve the process.

I want to thank DMK and lillian for their defense of the elderly among us. Their physical and mental capacities may be diminished (maybe altered would be a better word). That, however, does not mean that they are stupid. It simply means that their needs are different than younger people. I thought that the prejudice against the elderly was exaggerated, I may have to adjust my opinion.

[DMK]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BlueGooPonyShampoo:
I have to say that some of us thought that when George Sr. lost in '92 to that Governor from Arkansas, it seemed like the world as we knew it (and preferred it) would come to a screeching end. In '96 when the Clinton/Gore ticket won again … well we we’re pretty sure that civilization as we knew it was surely over (WHAT!!! 4 more years of this mess???). However, the world didn’t end … <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

BGPS - TOO funny!! I remember thinking EXACTLY that same thought in '80, 84 and 88… amazingly enough, civilization still exists in spite of my dire predictions… Besides, when your candidate doesn’t win, you can complain with impunity for 4 years (“I didn’t vote for him!”)

Heelsdown - FL law requires recount on any vote with 1% or less margin. Meanwhile things are getting interesting in Palm Beach. Sadly what is happening down there will only contribute to the inevitable Beltway Gridlock, regardless who ultimately takes the election.

DMK’s prediction? Decision locked up in court battles for 4 years, a grateful nation appoints Alan Greenspan to run the country…

[Erin]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Moose:
As for electronic voting, I don’t trust it yet. It can be manipulated just as easy as other methods, if not more so. I liked the lever method the most.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

True… I guess a physical record (i.e. a piece of paper) is better than an electronic one.

Although I was very surprised to read in the Post (finally getting my money’s worth out of that subscription!) that the hole-punch ballots are often not counted correctly. That’s the reason for the hand-count Gore’s people are now calling for. Sometimes people may not punch all the way through, or the little piece of punched-out paper may not actually fall off… all these weird little things that can mean votes aren’t counted correctly by the counting machine.

Lovely thought, eh? An errant bit of paper means you didn’t actually vote. Apparently our balloting system has always been more of an approximation than anything. So much for every vote counts.

[This message has been edited by Erin (edited 11-10-2000).]

[Becca]

Erin- my alarm went off, and i got up and went to cnn.com and have been there all day!! The ONLY news on the web to rely on!!!

[Becca]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DMK:
…The Constitution is an extraordinary document, and I don’t doubt that all of us appreciate it’s value many times throughout our lives. Personally, I am constantly amazed that a group of people (a committee, for God’s sake!) could create such an amazing and enduring document. And while, I personally, do not see evidence at this moment to change the current process, I would like to note that while the Constitution, in all its glory, is perhaps, not a perfect document.

It is pretty incredible though, isn’t it?? I love the constitution. (And still haven’t been able to see the real thing!!!) I think certainly its imperfection can in many ways lie in the fact that it was ratified in 1788 (?, I believe) and it has been upheld and worked so brilliantly and nearly flawlessly within our lives and our governments for this long. Times change, new events happen, people change, and the world (and our country) change dramatically. We need to accept that that change has come, but also allow for the fact that sometimes more change has to happen to allow for the change which has inevitably occured. Namely some adjustments to the constitution, or some interpretations. Its important, and its going to happen.

and then…

[QUOTE]Originally posted by pacificsolo:
I want whoever deserves to win to win! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I thought the point of voting was that you voted for whomever you thoguht deserved to win?? So even if the person you didn’t vote for wins, wouldn’t that mean that the person (in your opinion) who won didn’t deserve to? I udnerstand that we’re talking numerically here, but conceptually…?

[horsenut]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jumpcrew:
i think the liberal press called fla for gore early tp discourage Bush voter turnout in the midwest and western states.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sorry, I disagree … as Erin already pointed out above, studies show that the Eastern votes historically don’t affect Western voter turnout. On top of that, I would hardly call ABC, NBC, CBC, CNN, etc. “liberal press”.

Personally I think FL was called early because we are all so eager for news and all the outlets are so eager to be the first to report it. There’s no mistaking the fact that Peter Jennings, for example, was extremely red-faced over the rush to judgment.

[pwynnnorman]

Speaking of that 15-page thread…

Didn’t I TELL you folks that local government is a crock? All that reduce the fed’s talk. Hmmph! See what you get when you let local yokels take over?

I say that the federal government, bloated as it may be, is still the lesser of the two evils. All these states’ voting fiascos (now that we find out it isn’t just Florida) is proof, IMO.

Do those republicans arguing so forcefully for shifting to state/local governing really want the major programs which secure the health and safety of themselves and their property to be left in the hands of the rank and file? I don’t know what (if any) quality controls exist at the federal level, but I do believe, thanks to pooling the funding, at least the TECHNOLOGY is better!

[DMK]

True enough about the ratings…

Try to visualize a bunch of lemmings at the edge of a cliff muttering “should we ‘call’ Florida?”

And then one did…

[Bertie]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by pacificsolo:
…even as a Bush supporter, I want the person the country has elected to win, get the presidency. In other words, as much as I like Bush, if he is not the legitimate winner, I do not want him running our country for the simple fact that it would rock the country’s trust in a valuable and much needed process…
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I so agree with you on this, pacificsolo! Even though we disagree on our choice for President, I totally agree with your sentiment. Even if we disagree with the choice of the people, we can try again in four years. The most important thing is that the will of the majority of the people is realized; that the process is honest and truly representative of the people’s choice.

[Glimmerglass]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by heelsdown:
Now with over 20,000 votes thrown out (people voted for Buchanan and Gore, ballot discarded) and 3,000 or so votes counted for Buchanan (that even Buchanan admits were likely meant for Gore) I think legal action and inevitably a re-vote is possible.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Point of fact - In the 1996 Presidential ellection, 16,000 ballots were thrown out in the Palm Beach area due to duplicate selections. No reason for a lawsuit in 2000 if the same “confusion” occurs.

[BlueGooPonyShampoo]

Why aren’t more FL democrats expressing their anger & frustration at their own party officials? You know, the ones who were responsible for putting the party faithful vote in such jeopardy? The ones who approved in advance that “undecipherable” ballot. It seems to me that the angst those voters feel is being directed towards those “meanie” republicans rather than where the blame should really rest.

[Kryswyn]

@ 5:00 pm Dubya leads Gore by only 359 votes. Can you STAND IT?

I love the fact that the Bush camp and supporters are already screaming foul and unfair! But betchyer*ss that if Gore ends up ahead by 1, 20 or 2000 votes, Bush’s shrubs will change their tune!

[Whistlejacket]

LOUISE, Thanks for starting this thread, and SL Warrior, thanks for making it horse-related. I too live in a rural area and know of several people who ride their horses to the old one-room Veterans Post where the folks in my area vote. The rest of us are there in our pick-up trucks.

Even though there are many elections where I am not too thrilled about the available choices, I always think of the many people who have sacrificed greatly so that I have the right to vote. That’s all the motivation I need.

Please get out and vote today!

[This message has been edited by Whistlejacket (edited 11-07-2000).]

[elghund]

The best line I heard about the issues in Florida.

“How come these people can simultaneously handle fifteen bingo cards but they can’t handle one ballot?”

You do the recount and then you move on. To do anything else is to worsen the situation.

---

Sorry, got confused and posted twice.

[This message has been edited by elghund (edited 11-09-2000).]

[RumoursFollow]

I voted today as well What a race its been eh? Being a political science major… I intend to stay up till the bitter end tonight!

[pwynnnorman]

WHAT ABOUT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, PEOPLE? WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT: THE PROCESS OR THE THE PEOPLE?

What are Republicans AFRAID of? If, as so many conservatives profess, you believe in God’s will, then why fear a recount?

I’m STUNNED that you guys won’t address this.