Media Recount Alert: Did Gore Blow It? (How To Counter the Impending Dem Spin!)

Slate / kausfiles.com ^ | November 10, 2001 | Mickey Kaus

[jackbill]

I do know that one of the things the scanners did was spit out ballots (not count) that had punched votes and marks or any other extraneous marks.

In this case, the voter is given another ballot. Were the "original" ballots in this case destroyed? Or are these the "overvotes" that have now been counted?

[LaineyDee]

Wasn't it recently reported that 350,000 Mexican illegals have returned to Mexico since 9/11? There went over half of Algore's "popular vote majority".

*chuckle* I haven't read that.... where did you find it? It wouldn't surprise me in the least.

[RGSpincich]

So, if the Overvotes were counted, it appears that Gore would have won. Is that it?

Or so they claim. Make'em prove it. Don't accept their count. I want to see the ballots one by one, where is the video of the recount? Each ballot pictured as it was prior to being handled by a Democrat. Oops, can't happen because all of those ballots have been bent, spindled and mutilated by partisan Democrat vote recounters prior to the partisan media recount.

[COB1]

"really meant to vote for Gore!"

Of course, bert!
All the votes for the local dog-catcher was supposed to be votes for Al Gore for the Presidency, too!
What I'm puzzled about is why there hasn't been a change in the way we elect our president?
With all the problems we had in the last election it would seem to me that a number one priority in this country would be to force the states to select one positive means of voting and counting the votes for the presidency before this happens again.

[okie01]

"I've forgotten the county in Florida where this happened but remember reading about it several times in November 2000."

It was Okaloosa County, in the panhandle (Fort Walton Beach, Eglin AFB).

[dogbyte12]

Honestly, this is a non story now, and should be treated as such. Historians can debate it with more perspective in 20 years. The fact is, that the election was a dead heat. Somebody had to win, and the machine counts gave Bush the win. Tough noogies to Gore, but that is life. Gore barely won the popular vote nationwide, Bush barely won the popular vote in Florida and the electoral college.

It is one of the problems with our system of government, but it's better than any other, so unless we decide to go to a parliamentary system, we have President Bush, we could have had President Gore, it's just the way things are.

I still find it amazing, that we have this winner takes all system. This was basically a 50-50 election, and even though 50% of the people voted for Gore, whatever Bush says goes, or would have been the reverse if Gore had won.

It works ok with 2 candidates, but what if we ever get a strong third party candidate? Just say, for example, Sam Nunn, and Zell Miller are the Democratic nominees, the party moves more towards the center. Liberals are furious, and throw all their support behind Ralph Nader and the Greens.

The Country is moving to the right as well. Bush gets 34% of the vote, Nunn gets 34%, and Nader gets 32%, but he wins California, NY, Illinois, and Florida with winner takes all systems, and with a few other key states, takes the presidency, even though 68% of the people in this country repudiate his ideas. Something like that happens, then what?

[blackbart1]

Most people including the dems are very thankful that GW in President at this time. Don't think there will be any problem. And maybe the headlines are pro-GW Bush.

[marajade]

But how was it determined that where there was two votes for President that the one that mattered was for Gore? Only in the case of where someone punched the hole for Gore and wrote in the name of Gore?

[marajade]

They have: 60% for Bush; 35% for Gore.

[kinhistorian]

This is to everybody...... If the headline indicates that Gore won, everyone should send the NYT a postcard and write on it, I vote for Bush. Their mailroom could be flooded with postcards. That should keep them busy for a few days.

[freekitty]

The question is "Are we suppose to believe a Media recount of votes?" My answer "Not". I think they reputation is a wee bit tarnished.

[freekitty]

Don't these people look foolish?

[mbb bill]

Two for me, one for you..

Are we lucky the media counts the same as Gore. They went to government school...

[Piquaboy]

Gore did not blow it, Monica did.

[Ole Okie]

Someone should run a poll: who would you vote for today, Bush or Gore?

Gallup did. It was (as I remember)Bush 65%, Alphonse Algore 35%. About 2 to 1.

[bigeggo]

and if the Pilgrims had shot a cat instead of a turkey, we'd all be eating p***y for Thanksgiving.

[mel]

Agree with you 100% except I think the story will have a one day life span.

[dalebert]

I am getting sick of this very tired old story. These idiots are counting contaminated ballots and trying to say they are legitimate. No way. I am from a heavy dem county and they did not like Gore.They just could not get into a candidate that talked to them like he thought they were retarded and everytime they looked at him they thought of lace underwear. I think if all the illegal manuvers were left out Bush would have won by a landslide. The dems did not care if they destroyed the country as long as they could hijack the election. All Bush did was stick to his guns,go by the letter of the law and hang in there. The right man won.

[TooRight]

Shouting isn't terribly convincing.

Remind them: 1. Overvotes are NEVER counted. Not in Florida, not anywhere. No state, from Alabama to Wyoming, counts overvotes.

No, but they are legal votes-the fact that they aren't routinely counted is a matter of custom, not law. This is a dumb argument-don't try it. Even libs can figure this one out, and they'll shout "rule of law!" and other dumb stuff at us.

2. Gore's defense team did not make overvotes an issue, and the record shows they refused to do so (insert Boies's remarks to US Supremes).

Yup.

3. Any voter who punches a ballot and doesn't check it for hanging chads, non-punched blocks, or any other error DID NOT follow instructions provided with the ballot itself.

Again, true, but irrelevant. The instructions on the ballot machine aren't neccesarily what determine a legal vote. We'll get barbecued if use this one.

4. You cannot have another chance once you've turned in your ballot, and since no one's name is on the ballot itself, there is no way once it's turned in to retrieve it. As in poker, a card laid is a card played.

That is a true statement, but the point is...?

Finally... 5. The election is over, Bush won, get over it!!!!

I'm reminded of all the posts on election night claiming that there would be riots when Bush won the popular vote but Gore won the electoral vote. Would WE just "get over it"? Nah. Let 'em yell. We sound like idiots chanting "get over it."

[ladyinred]

Ah, but overvotes, with two candidates punched, are also a classic indicator of fraud. So if two different holes were punched, you can also make the case that some real hanky panky was going on in the voting precincts.
In spite of the Pro Gore spin, this is what I believe really happened. They just messed up and didn't get the job done, not to mention, Bush didn't just keep his mouth shut when Florida was called early for Gore, when Bush was clearly in the lead.
Messed up their plans. I can just imagine the scrambling going on!
The release of this is just another indicator that the war is on for 2002. The other recounts showed Bush still won even if the recounts had continued. This one is for regaining the control of the Congress and the White House.