I voted for Gore too, but there is no doubt that Bush won. The idea that the USSC could not intervene in a national election on the interpretation of the law is just silly. Could a state supreme court change other aspects of voting in a national election, say, the voting age? Technically the states COULD have a separate voting age, they generally just don't bother with it. Imagine a congressional election in a state which let's 16 year olds vote ONLY FOR STATE OFFICES.
Imagine if the USSC had stayed out of it?
1) Florida SSC, all Dems, get the state certified for Gore by arrangng the recount.
2) One congressman from each party questions the certification results, forcing the House to act. That's all it takes, a challenge from ONE congressman from each party.
3) The House, voting by STATE DELEGATIONS(one vote per state), has 30 GOP majority delegations, Bush wins.
4) The Dems CAN appeal to the Senate. If the Senate, on January 3, picks Bush, it's over. If it picks GORE, based on Gore and Lieberman voting for themselves, the Constitution declares Congress split and allows ONE PERSON the final decision.
5) The governor of the state in question. Jeb Bush
6) Less than two weeks before inauguration, Dubya is chosen to be president by his brother.
Wonder how much screaming we would then hear about the USSC's gutless refusal to act in early December and the pain the nation went through?
As an aside, the early call for Gore was based on an inept polling group which the national media had adopted, throwing aside the AP and such for election 2000. In Florida this group had a total of 42 observers, for 67 counties. In 2002, the group messed up again. They're out of business now. If the AP can't regroup in time, there may be no consensus poll watchers for the media.
Another aside. Bob Bechel, staunch super-Dem and Mondale campaign manager in 1984 did declare that the early call cost the GOP 8000-9000 in the Florida Panhandle alone.
A third aside. For 20 years the Dems have claimed the calling of the election for Reagan after he carried the belt west of the Mississippi cost Jimmy Carter over a million votes. In 2000, the call was earlier and the election closer.
How about this for alternate history?
George Bush spent much of the last two weeks, cash and appearances, in California, a hopeless state for him which alarmed the wiser GOP who realized how close it was. Out of party loyalty, Bush went there.
1) Realizing he is in genuine danger in his brother's state, Dubya hits Florida hard, carries it by about 30,000 votes on election night, and is declared the winner. Changes?
2) NOT realizing the danger, he instead makes a more casual general effort, avoiding California. Bush carries New Mexico in 2000, giving him 5 more electoral votes before the Florida mess hits. Changes?
3) Bush hits the Midwest, changing the results by about one percent of the turnout. As a result he carries Wisconsin and Minnesota, missing Iowa by a few hundred votes, leaving him with 267 votes in the electoral college as the Florida fiasco begins. Changes?
Imagine if the USSC had stayed out of it?
1) Florida SSC, all Dems, get the state certified for Gore by arrangng the recount.
2) One congressman from each party questions the certification results, forcing the House to act. That's all it takes, a challenge from ONE congressman from each party.
3) The House, voting by STATE DELEGATIONS(one vote per state), has 30 GOP majority delegations, Bush wins.
4) The Dems CAN appeal to the Senate. If the Senate, on January 3, picks Bush, it's over. If it picks GORE, based on Gore and Lieberman voting for themselves, the Constitution declares Congress split and allows ONE PERSON the final decision.
5) The governor of the state in question. Jeb Bush
6) Less than two weeks before inauguration, Dubya is chosen to be president by his brother.
Wonder how much screaming we would then hear about the USSC's gutless refusal to act in early December and the pain the nation went through?
As an aside, the early call for Gore was based on an inept polling group which the national media had adopted, throwing aside the AP and such for election 2000. In Florida this group had a total of 42 observers, for 67 counties. In 2002, the group messed up again. They're out of business now. If the AP can't regroup in time, there may be no consensus poll watchers for the media.
Another aside. Bob Bechel, staunch super-Dem and Mondale campaign manager in 1984 did declare that the early call cost the GOP 8000-9000 in the Florida Panhandle alone.
A third aside. For 20 years the Dems have claimed the calling of the election for Reagan after he carried the belt west of the Mississippi cost Jimmy Carter over a million votes. In 2000, the call was earlier and the election closer.
How about this for alternate history?
George Bush spent much of the last two weeks, cash and appearances, in California, a hopeless state for him which alarmed the wiser GOP who realized how close it was. Out of party loyalty, Bush went there.
1) Realizing he is in genuine danger in his brother's state, Dubya hits Florida hard, carries it by about 30,000 votes on election night, and is declared the winner. Changes?
2) NOT realizing the danger, he instead makes a more casual general effort, avoiding California. Bush carries New Mexico in 2000, giving him 5 more electoral votes before the Florida mess hits. Changes?
3) Bush hits the Midwest, changing the results by about one percent of the turnout. As a result he carries Wisconsin and Minnesota, missing Iowa by a few hundred votes, leaving him with 267 votes in the electoral college as the Florida fiasco begins. Changes?
