Flutterby™! : Elections... 2000-11-09 14:45:53+00

Elections...

2000-11-09 14:45:53+00 by ebradway 11 comments

I was reading CNN.com just now and came across a couple mathematical facts: 1. 19120 ballots were thrown out in Palm Beach County, Florida, because more than one Presidential vote was cast (some of the confusing ballots) 2. Palm Beach County is 62% in favor of Gore and 36% Bush. Assuming the other 19120 ballots are split along the same lines, Gore would have received an additional 11854 votes and Bush 6883 votes. That would give Gore a solid 4000-vote lead according to current counting. Does anybody, besides myself, think it's odd that Florida's Governor is also named Bush?

I tend to picture Dub-ya having Jeb in a headlock giving him nugies(sp?) yelling...Your promised me florida! you promised!

And then Daddy George walks in and says 'Now boys, I promised a kinder, gentler government. Don't make me call your mother in here...'

Speaking of Mrs. Bush, has anyone heard anything significant about the Jr. Mrs. Bush? I've never cared much for George, but Barbara always seemed like a real powerhouse... For that matter, what's with these Republican women? I mean I'd much sooner vote for Elizabeth Dole than any male republican. In fact, I'd bet the Repblicans would have swept the presidency with a Dole/Bush ticket (Elizabeth and Barbara, that is).

As far as the voter confusion goes, anyone feeble minded enough to get confused over a ballot with a huge arrow, large enough to be seen by the occupants in the space station, leading from the candidate's name to the hole to punch needs their ballot tossed out. This is a totally bogus argument.

Um, while you may still be young larry, most of the residents of palm beach county no longer are. The fact a they can SEE the ballots is amazing considering the average age. The actual design for the ballots WAS very un-userfriendly. It also looks like the ballot violated Florida voting statutes.

Spink, as I gaze through these bifocals at the screen and run my fingers through the grey, thinning hair on my head and think of the young cashier at the restaurant I just left who asked if I had an AARP card, all I can say is "bless you, young man" for the kind words about my still being young. ;-) The ballots were not that confusing and were designed and approved by registered democrat who had the design approved by both the chairman of the county's democrat and republican parties. The sample ballot was published in the local paper a week prior to the election and sample ballots were reported to have been mailed to the registered voters in the county. Signs were posted in all precincts telling the voters that an election official was available to answer any questions about the ballot and signs were posted alerting the voters about what to do if they felt they made a mistake. I will agree that mistakes were made and some voters were confused. The numbers indicate that. However, under the above mentioned circumstances anyone that did make those mistakes doesn't need to be selecting the next leader of the free world.

I can see how the ballot design could have confused some people. I even sympathize with the people who accidentally voted for Buchanan. I can see myself, hurried and harried in the voting booth, after waiting in line for an hour, with all these people behind me, punching the second hole and realizing later that I did the wrong thing. I'm not sure what can be done about that, though. As for the 19,000 invalidated ballots with multiple punches for President, I'm sorry, but you can't punch twice, that seems pretty self-evident to me. Even if those 19,000 people were confused by the ballot and wished to vote for Gore, they shouldn't have punched the card twice, they should have gotten a new ballot! What did they think would happen?

What really bothers me about this whole situation is just how large a political force Florida has become. If the trend of presidential candidates pandering to the Florida vote continues as it has (with all the emphasis on drugs and medicare and such in this campaign), will the 2004 election consist of promises to lower the speed limit to 45 mph and restrict driving privileges to those with Ford LTDs, white hair, and who will occupy the left lane?

The other way of looking at this is that if jealous Jeb hadn't offered such lukewarm support for his dumber brother in Florida, W might have won by 100,000 and we'd have a close but over-with election. You know the Bush family is pissed.

Could I bitch for a moment? (Notwithstanding the fact that I've been bitching on Metafilter all week...) Larry said: However, under the above mentioned circumstances anyone that did make those mistakes doesn't need to be selecting the next leader of the free world. Could we stop propagating that particular red herring, please? If the remainder of the country hadn't voted the way it had (and let's remember that *no one's* overseas ballots have been counted yet), the votes in PBC wouldn't matter a damn. So those people aren't "selecting the next leader of the free world", and let's quit saying that they are, shall we?

I'm not saying that. We were all involved in selecting the next leader of the free world. My comment applies to anyone, anywhere and not just to those voters in Florida. Maybe I should have worded it, "doesn't need to be involved in selecting the next leader of the free world."