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Politics : Piffer Thread on Political Rantings and Ravings -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Alfred W. Post who wrote (35)	11/13/2000 2:26:05 PM
From: Original Mad Dog	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14610

It is difficult to judge the system entirely by a case like this. There has been no violence, no talk of not obeying the ultimate result. It is a nation in which the rule of law is perhaps given too much sway, and allowed to be converted into the rule of lawyers. While it would be honorable if both candidates chose a different rhetorical course, the fact is that we have an election which is almost exactly even. The latest report indicates that New Mexico, a state in which almost 600,000 votes were cast, is now separated by a margin of FOUR votes. The percentage by which the candidates are separated in Florida is not much more. When I was an undergrad student many years ago, on Election Day my Microeconomics professor gave an analysis of why, from a purely economic standpoint, it makes little sense for any individual to vote in a national election because the statistical chances of one person affecting the outcome were infinitesimal and the cost of going to the polls, though modest, exceeds the benefit from your candidate winning multiplied by the probability that your vote will bring about that win. He had never seen an election quite like this one. I think when we look back on this the result will be some reforms and ultimately a restoration of faith in the system of voting. It is not like somebody got two-thirds of the vote and will be denied the office. In reality, both major candidates got 48.9 percent of the vote, and we just need to figure out who got a few more. Posturing aside, at least we don't have anyone clamoring to take over despite having lost. And when the smoke clears, the winner will have to rule by bipartisan consensus or not at all. This is merely a tough test for the system, not a revelation that the system is completely broken. It's also a helluva buying opportunity for stocks. Starting right now.