Rambled Politics:
I agree with you that manipulation exists heavily on both sides. I've long felt that elections were organized in the manner they are so as to inhibit folks from participating.
Remember, using ballpark figures, only half of our people vote in national elections; about a third in state elections and around seventeen percent in local elections. Nice numbers, huh?
OK, so now you're a candidate and you wanna win. Whatta ya gotta do? Two ways to go: Get in tight with whatever party has the greatest number of registered voters and aim for a nomination; or have a populist idea that seems to make sense to everyone. Folks who do the former follow the herd and get funded; whereas those doing the latter rarely win, but sometimes it can happen.
Anyway, so now we have candidates virtually all party-supported. What next must they do in order to win?
Well, if you're the candidate and you've got your party support you now gotta have three bread and butter issues. If you don't believe in any someone else's will do; or your party decides them for you.
Either way, you're running for office now for or against abortion, gun control; you're pro-scouts, visit elderly homes, go to church and support the military. Hey, maybe you played baseball, football or basketball in high school or college or semi-pro. This, plus you gotta fine job with a good stand-to-win-if-you-win type employer and they want you elected.
Out comes waves of stars and stripes, the biggest and best campaign signs, fancied-out bumper stickers, sporty buttons and baby kisses. Add in a good ole' guy or gal pattin' you and everyone on the back and this goes with your perfect-faced photos of you, your wife, the lil' monsters and maybe some famous person squeezed into the picture. Bingo...You're a fine candidate!
So, proudly, there you stand. Vote Me!
And when you get the votes 'cause you were the one meant to be elected, you get to win again...and again...and probably again and more. Hey, it's easy?
Remember? Yer just gotta get half of half nationally; half of 33 percent in statewide elections; and half of 17 percent to win municipally.
So today we're learnin' what's more important than the way the candidate dresses up and what they say or do to round up votes, but it's the technology particular kinds of voters use.
Maybe, in a city election, voting machines work certain ways in certain wards and precints and other ways in other ones. It gets so some votes count and some votes don't and you organize your at-large race accordingly. And folks who run these wards and precincts know exactly how to deliver to the statewide or national candidate. No question about it. It happens over and over!
But don't kid yourself. This happens in small towns too!!!
What a horrible voting system, but it's the one we got.
What are you, kidding me? A politician around to manipulate it?
Yup! The secret's out: Election counts ain't ever right or nowhere close to accurate. Particularly when it's a tie.
What's wrong with the picture?
Voting machines inaccurately counting votes in poorer communities pitted against voting machines accurately counting votes in wealthy communities. Hmmm. This produces a disparity of votes being counted; disenfranhisement of too many voters.
The money of politics becomes not just manipulation of politician over voter in a hide and seek on issues, but also the impact from deficient voting systems used to a politician's advantage.
So that's it: With your political party you work the machines and know how they count in the various pricincts, wards and small towns; you get out the elderly vote--man, did those folk get clobbered tryin' to vote in Palm Beach; you use your three up or down issues; and, finally, you hope not for a tie.
But if it's a tie?
Well, you see, Gore got caught in this web of Floridian election laws probably purposefully kept vague.
Remember? Knowing the system helps you, the politician, get elected over and over and over. Isn't that what this is all about?
And, for sure, when you pull in the secretary of state, the board of elections and the governor deep in your corner, you know you're supposed to win!
Well, that's what happened in Florida.
Except the GOPwinger political forces didn't quite expect such a large minority turnout which literally tipped the balance of what Jeb Bush once thought--still does maybe?--he had in the bag for his brother.
Now, to your question, dvdw: Did Haitian immigrants get to vote? Most likely. Of course, struggling precincts of the inner cities didn't have benefit of a strong-willed Republican Iowan Caucus-type woman running the show. Or did they?
In Florida, it's all mixed up. But the least you gotta do is count all the votes as honestly as possible. Yes, try. That's where we're at. |
