> Bush didn't cherry-pick anything. It is not the same. The undervote exists statewide, and in fact in many other counties, the undervote exists in much higher percentages than in the counties in question. <
That is an extremely poor excuse.
[And Bush DID request, by the way, another machine recount in Palm Beach County.]
Yes, some other counties had higher percentages of undervotes - and that makes it SOUND all valid and peachy keen - but what you are IGNORING are the actual raw numbers. Please don't resort to calling up the argument of: but, but, but...statistics are the criteria...as if they are the beginning and end of all logic. Please, just don't bother. That would be an attempt to use satistics, as Carolyn put it, to make water into wine. The actual numbers clearly show the logic in the choices made for recount.
Here are some of your 'higher percentage' counties as well as the actual number of undervotes -
Bradford County -- 7.87% -- 741 actual undervotes
DeSoto County -- 8.24% -- 701 actual undervotes
Franklin County -- 12.40% -- 419 actual undervotes
Glades County -- 9.59% -- 357 actual undervotes
Hamilton County -- 8.94% -- 389 actual undervotes
Jackson County -- 6.70% -- 1,170 actual undervotes
Levy County -- 5.68% -- 766 actual undervotes
Ok'chobee County -- 8% -- 858 actual undervotes
Taylor County -- 8.16% -- 605 actual undervotes
Counties chosen for recount -
Broward County -- 2.49% -- 14,622 actual undervotes
Miami-Dade County -- 4.37% -- 28,601 actual undervotes
Palm Beach County -- 6.43% -- 29,702 actual undervotes
[ source: sun-sentinel.com ]
> Again, I ask, are you satisfied with a Gore victory attained by cherry-picking votes? Would that be a legitimate victory in your mind? <
In protesting an election, it is the protester's RIGHT to request that individual counties conduct a recount. Given the numbers shown above, it is ludicrous for you to argue why the particular counties chosen were chosen. You, for stubborn and party-line reasons, insist upon painting it as "cherry-picking" when it clearly and decisively can be seen by the glaring numbers why they were chosen.
leg.state.fl.us
Title IX
ELECTORS AND ELECTIONS
Chapter 102
Conducting Elections And Ascertaining The Results
102.166 Protest of election returns; procedure.--
(1) Any candidate for nomination or election, or any elector qualified to vote in the election
related to such candidacy, shall have the right to protest the returns of the election as being
erroneous by filing with the appropriate canvassing board a sworn, written protest.
(2) Such protest shall be filed with the canvassing board prior to the time the canvassing
board certifies the results for the office being protested or within 5 days after midnight of the
date the election is held, whichever occurs later.
...
(4)(a) Any candidate whose name appeared on the ballot, any political committee that
supports or opposes an issue which appeared on the ballot, or any political party whose
candidates' names appeared on the ballot may file a written request with the county
canvassing board for a manual recount. The written request shall contain a statement of the
reason the manual recount is being requested.
(b) Such request must be filed with the canvassing board prior to the time the canvassing
board certifies the results for the office being protested or within 72 hours after midnight of
the date the election was held, whichever occurs later.
(c) The county canvassing board may authorize a manual recount. If a manual recount is
authorized, the county canvassing board shall make a reasonable effort to notify each
candidate whose race is being recounted of the time and place of such recount.
(d) The manual recount must include at least three precincts and at least 1 percent of the
total votes cast for such candidate or issue. In the event there are less than three precincts
involved in the election, all precincts shall be counted. The person who requested the recount
shall choose three precincts to be recounted, and, if other precincts are recounted, the county
canvassing board shall select the additional precincts.
(5) If the manual recount indicates an error in the vote tabulation which could affect the
outcome of the election, the county canvassing board shall:
(a) Correct the error and recount the remaining precincts with the vote tabulation system;
(b) Request the Department of State to verify the tabulation software; or
(c) Manually recount all ballots.
Now I ask you, given Gore's right to request these counties' recount would you truly and legitimately be satisfied with a Bush victory knowing he suppressed so many votes and, through legal maneuvering, denied the rights of the opposing candidate? Are you able to set aside your partisanship to consider these #'s, laws and circumstances objectively? |
