You are correct that if we end up with any legislative body making the decision, where the Florida Legislature or the US House, the reaction of the public could be violent. However it could go either way, in my opinion, depending on the public's perception of how things have been handled. Right now the public perception is running in favor of Bush, but that could change at any time. If a legislative body takes over, the swings in public perception could be dramatic, but I wouldn't want to predict which way, though you could be right. My best guess is that the country would just become increasingly divided, with Republicans becoming more Republican and Democrats becoming more Democrat, and animosity reaching new levels on both sides.
As for the recounts, I am surprised that the Bush team didn't argue that if they are going to recount the ballots in Miami and Palm Beach that they should do a statewide manual recount. That would bring us to your suggested solution, and a solution that at least has some semblance of fairness.
Carl |
