Click to subscribe to Watt-thoughts
#57 - Observations on the election and the aftermath
We have now made it through one week after the Presidential election in The United States of America and we appear to be no closer to choosing who will take office on January 20. Throughout what has happened in the last week, I have several observations.
- It has seemed strange having a Daley appearing on TV day after day telling us his only goal in Florida is to have fair elections. Odd in that in 1960, many claim that his father was the one who led massive fraud in Chicago to elect Kennedy. However the son is not the father and may be trying only to make sure his candidate is not shorted votes.
- Bush has campaigned throughout the campaign to reduce the federal government and return controls to state, but yet when we hit this voting mess in Florida, where does his campaign go but to federal court and not to state court.
- Throughout the campaign Gore has been a major advocate of campaign finance reform laws, but yet we know in 1996, if he did not actually break the campaign finance laws, he at least broke the intent of the laws.
- We have learned that the lack of education that has concerned many for many years appears reeal and will affect more than just the individual. Apparently people in Palm Beach and other areas of Florida have not learned that you can only vote for candidate or think more holes punched increases value of ballot.
- Do we want mail-in voting? We are watching the mess of absentee ballots in many states. In Oregon, which had mail-in voting, the ballots continue to be counted.
- Should wee go to a national ballot where the ballot looks the same everywhere and all the same candidates? Would it have prevented fiasco in Palm Beach and would it help third party candidates?
- Should we adopt national voting laws? A question of states-rights versus a centralized government.
- We know half the population is not going to happy with the outcome. Just is it going to be the Bush crowd or the Gore crowd?
- Should we do away with the Electoral College? Would we be looking at recounts across the entire country instead of selected counties in selected states?
- How many times does it take to get an accurate count, and why does it keep changing? Maybe we need to go back to basic arithmetic and reading.
- Do we have a Constitutional crisis? NO! So far everything has followed by the Constitution. The Gore camp has the right to request to request recounts and has done that. That does not mean that recounts are guaranteed. Likewise the Bush camp has the right to request in court that this be brought to a stop. We are following our laws. Later today on Tuesday Florida will certify vote via their laws, and do final certification on Saturday with overseas vote, barring judicial overview. At no time has Clinton indicated he is not leaving on January 20, or has the military marched to make sure their candidate wins. Yes there have been protesters, but no threats of not staying the Constitutional course. In December the Electoral College will meet in each state via the Constitution and on January 3 the Senate will announce who the president will be. And even if it is a tie or one candidate does not get majority of Electoral votes cast, then we will stay by our Constitution in choosing.
- My final observation is that at this point I do not think it will make a major difference which candidate wins. Both know they only got half the votes and will reach out thru legislation, etc, to bring the other camp into their camp, with items that they would not have done otherwise.
Dwight
Return to Watt Thoughts Web Page
Send e-mail to Dwight Watt.
Copyright 2000.