Well-stated SE...
...though your first point holds less weight than you and many others believe. Yes, there is knowledge of the current, narrow margin, but I doubt Democrats would discover within themselves a sudden urge to vote Republican this time around (and vice versa), especially considering the divisive party lines along which most people have clearly voted. Your point becomes more significant for Nader and non-mainstream voters straddling the political fence.
At the moment, both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of juvenile quibbling and flawed reasoning. It seems to me that Republicans are attempting to end-run the election process, discounting approximately 1.4 million uncounted votes prematurely, and clinging to contrived procedural justifications for their "win". The Democrats, equally guilty, concede only that they intend to pursue all legal avenues to obtain a "fair count" and erroneously assume a re-run in West Palm Beach and vicinity would turn the voting tide in their favor (applying the existing ratio to 19,000 votes would still keep Bush in the lead). Arguments levied by the Democrats with respect to leading in the "popular vote" is subterfuge at this juncture, and will hold little or no weight in a court of law.
Both parties should remain quiet and await the Florida ruling. Of course, another alternative would be to exclude the Florida electorate altogether and accept the current [electoral] tally as final.
Regards,
Scrumpy |
