>>>I told you before, I would have strongly urged the view, had I been a Bush advisor, to
ask for comparable recounts in all close races, including the Midwest, and litigation on all
alleged irregularities, in anticipation of a slash and burn strategy by Gore.<<<
Since when is asking for one hand recount in four counties, this after tallying 327 votes behind out of six million votes cast, a "slash and burn" strategy? That's all Gore did, was ask for one recount! Neocon, I thought you were more reasonable than this. Don't you think a fairer response would have been for both candidates to set back and let the hand recount, as prescribed by Florida law, take its course?
>>>Bush, for
sufficient reasons, did not pursue that route.<<<
You know, you're right. Bush embarked on a "slash and burn" every potential Gore vote strategy.
>>>However, he declined to do so on the
assumption of certain rules which, are, in fact, constitutionally mandated.<<<
No. Bush had one strategy only: Use the state election board, the secretary of state's office, the Florida legislature, the U.S. Congress if necessary, and his brother, Governor Jeb Bush behind the scenes, to make sure no recount showed Gore with more votes than Bush. That's what happened, Neocon. And you know it!
>>>Now, you
propose not merely an unconstitutional compromise, but a change of rule that would have
mandated a different strategy had Bush been apprised of it sooner. So, no, I do not think
it is inherently fair.<<<
No. Were the Florida legislature to assign all of Florida's electors to Bush it would fly in the face of the will, the intent, of Floridan voters in this highly disputed election. I think the Florida legislature could find constitutional justification, under the circumstances, to assign 12 votes to both Gore and Bush and one to Nader.
>>>I do not think the butterfly ballots are illegal<<<
I predict the court will rule it was illegal and the court has the power to assign a statistical likelihood on proportioning votes. Precedent exists in Florida law for this (see the '98 Miami mayor race).
>>>I do not think that spoiled ballots, once cast, should be counted, regardless of Buchanan's speculations;<<<
If they were cast under an illegal ballot, statistical likelihood apportionment could exist.
>>>I do not
think that unpunched chads should be counted<<<
Your position contradicts positions of most states, including Texas, which allow manual recounts.
>>>and the Seminole business did not involve ballots, but ballot requests, where the voter ID number had been omitted.<<<
Nonetheless, doesn't Florida state law state a voter must bear witness if any individual assisted them in the ballot process? And, given equal protection, should not the Democrats then have been provided the same opportunity to do what the Republicans did in Seminole County? Could it be that the Democrats were short connected on the Republican-dominated canvassing board in Seminole County? Hmmmm.
>>>I do not consider the behavior of the election board and secretary of state to have been
especially partisan. Certification could have occurred by the deadline had an earnest
effort been made.<<<
I guess you're forgetting this: Election Tuesday; three days to request hand recount, it's now Friday; Ambassador-elect Harris noting on Friday that she'll not accept any extensions beyond Tuesday; death threats to canvassing board members, delay tactics by Republicans and mob behavior within the administrative offices of Miami-Dade County. Perhaps they should have just drunk tea and been intellectual about all this, huh?
>>> In any event, it does not matter much, since the Florida Supreme
Court intervened, and established the new deadline, and everything will be subject to
legal review. Thus, everyone has his say, and Katherine Harris is not the final arbiter.<<<
I agree. Ambassador-elect Harris is not the final arbiter. The Florida Supreme Court will perform this function, regardless of what the Florida Legislature attempts to do to circumvent the process. Remember, courts can order legislatures on how to behave. For example, the legislature can't pass laws which for which compliance is impossible. And the state supreme court has, in essence, entitled it's previous ruling that the individual right of the voter is supreme.
I believe courts will both count ballots and, under precedent, perhaps even statistically assign an outcome of votes. Bush will lose. Why? 'Cause he got fewer votes than Gore did in Florida.
Finally, what do you think of the creeps in Nassau County who took Gore's votes away from him? |
