In a message dated Wed, 15 Nov 2000 9:47:05 AM Eastern Standard Time,
"k.camplate" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
<< Wowwwww, so long and so.....wrong. The head coach on offense sees a thrown
ball trapped instead of cleanly caught, the ref rules it was caught. He says
nothing, obviously, winning is everything. The Dallas coach is very religious
but even he would hold his tongue. So now he's a very bad man? This isn't a
murder or some other physical law being broken.>>
You misunderstand entirely. I'm not saying EITHER side is wrong. But the Bush
people from the start have been acting like they're the only ones above
partisanship, and that's so obviously not true. It's as fair to say that Bush
is trying to steal the election by not wanting a recount as it is to say that
Gore is trying to steal it by demanding a recount. (Or as unfair.) They're
BOTH trying to win, NEITHER cares about fairness or honesty. And at least the
Gore campaign isn't pretending otherwise.
<<Bush won the general election. Bush won the recount.>>
Did he? How can you be so sure? They still haven't counted the overseas
absentee ballots. Maybe Bush will still have a lead after those are counted.
But maybe he won't.
And even if he does, there are so many reports of irregularities that it does
call the fairness of the Florida election into some question. Maybe they're
not all true. But you may as well decide, if you're George W. Bush - do you
want to win? Or do you want to find out if the election in Florida was really
conducted with maximum fairness. Saying, um, well, there's always unfairness
in any election, is, to me (admittedly, a strong Gore supporter), an
admission of defeatism. You might as well say, well, there's always going to
be death and disease, so we shouldn't try to find new medicines and new ways
of being healthy. There's always going to be crime, so why bother trying to
stop it?
<<Now Gore wants a hand recount of certain counties.>>
Of course he does. HE THINKS HE WAS THE REAL WINNER!!!!!
<<Here's your analogy: HIS 90 SECONDS ARE UP! If Gore gets his hand recount
and he still hasn't won will he then say the whole state should be hand
counted? (I know at the end of your post you mean that we shouldn't have a
time limit, that we should take all the time we can to get everything right.
And I agree with that. I wish everything was exact. I wish no idiots won't
vote because their candidate lost or won. I wish, I wish....I wish I had a
million dollars. But the law does have limits so...)>>
Again, I see this as defeatism. Nothing can be done, so nothing should be
done. From a practical point of view, what can be done right now is extremely
limited. It took a long time for our entire election machinery to break down,
so it will take time to fix it. But at least admit that it has broken down,
that there is at least a suspicion that we may never really know who won
Florida.
<<Your characterizations are off. I thought we were going to try and stay
above name calling on the list, even saying fair, noble, and honest. Bush and
his team are doing what they can to stay ahead on the count, Gore is doing
what he can to win the count.>>
Yes. I agree. So the Bush people should simply admit it and not pretend that
they're the clean winners. Even if they ultimately win, it won't have been
clean and they should be willing to admit it and be humble about the whole
thing. This week they're being very quiet, and I appreciate it. But James
Baker last week was acting like an arrogant jerk, which left an extremely bad
taste in my mouth.
<<Jesse Jackson, who admittedly isn't a direct part of the Gore camp, said
'If the recount is done and Gore is declared the winner then Bush should
graciously accept the result and step down so we can move on. But if Bush
wins then the irregularities that have been reported should be checked out.'
What's good for one candidate isn't good for the other.>>
Don't blame me for Jesse Jackson. I haven't said a word about him and I don't
completely support what he's doing. There are reports of minority voters not
being allowed to vote, and those reports should be investigated. But absent
proof of these irregularities, whoever wins the vote - whoever wins - wins,
and the loser should for the good of the country accept it.
But just don't pretend that it was a clean, fair election, because it
manifestly was not.
Tom Beck
