The Battle of Palm Beach
or
Will the Minority (Jewish, Black, etc.*) Vote Count and Save Gore & Lieberman?

(Satire?)

Some conspiracists are saying it was Bush's brother Governor Jeb, but maybe it was a clever official who claimed she was trying to make it easier for the "elderly to read" the ballots. Or was it a mole (Republican, Democrat, Jewish) passing as an apolitical and inept draftsman who years ago created the "butterfly ballot" for Palm Beach County. Did she not know it violated electoral law to surreptitiously list VP Gore in 3^rd Place and assign Buchanan's "button" to the 2^nd rank.

Then did other moles (of whatever affiliation) make sure that these tricky buttons were left off the sample ballots? and that these samples were different and clearer than the cards the many retirees of Palm Beach got when they went into the booth. Even the newspapers left the buttons out when they "explained" the complicated butterfly ballot. It was a very messed up butterfly experience once they got into the voting booth!

So now like a putsch in reverse, a double 2 step, a seemingly diabolical strategy was set to catch thousands of unsuspecting Palm Beach voters. In fact, over 19,000 ended up so confused by the sudden appearance of oddly (and illegally) placed "buttons," they punched two buttons to the right of Gore's name - perhaps just to be sure or maybe trying to hit the correct one. These 19,000 votes where then all thrown out! Thousands more found themselves struggling to choose the right button and to their credit, didn't push two buttons. But, if they were voting for Bush it was relatively easy since he was on top and only one button stood to the right. But if they were trying to prevent a slide down that slippery slope to the right, they selected button number two - which according to the instruction booklet was supposed to stand for the number two candidate -- and to their later horror, selected Buchanan! Outside the booth, they would cry "we'd rather die than have voted for Buchanan!"

Even Buchanan himself believed these voters mistaken, though later he said he'd keep the votes!

Imagine finding yourself alone in the booth, not sure which button to push, with mounting anxiety and no way to straighten it out. No wonder so many double punched. But here the conspiracy begins to reveal itself - if that is what it really was.

"I didn't go there to take a test, I went to vote!"

Florida law requires a state recount of all the accepted votes and while Bush's margin has shrunk, it is likely he will prevail with the help of the more conservative overseas ballots.

But it doesn't stop there. The legal maneuvering has already begun, but more importantly, the Battle of Palm Beach can now begin. Voters of all types, furious and feeling disenfranchised add their grievances to the growing demand for justice and taking to the streets with a growing cry for a re-vote in Palm Beach! The uncounted and disenfranchised voters of Palm Beach threatened not to be silenced until the Supreme Court heard their cries!

"The confused old people were not being civically responsible" or

"victims of a unnecessarily confusing and even illegal ballot"?

The Battle for a re-vote on ballots that allow clear voting sounds increasingly reasonable. Republicans cry foul and warn "if you allow the Palm Beachers to re-vote, why where will it stop?" Of course they attempt to divert the issue, but the law and democracy demand that were any significant number of voters are deprived by legally irregular procedures and is there a means of redress, the citizens and nation deserve no less. If Bush supporters really support democracy, why would they fear a legal re-vote to fix the problem in Palm Beach?

FIX THE MESS?

Palm Beach should vote again and maybe on ballots that don't confuse, one punch to one candidate and then it will be clear how these many retirees and the majority of the nation voted.

Then maybe the Jewish and minority vote will save the day for Gore and Lieberman after all!

We well see!

Walter Teague 11/10/2000

wteague@verizon.net
http://www.redandgreen.org

Photos of Protests in Florida demanding a revote!

[P.S. Florida Law says the "written" ballot must have the mark to the right of the candidate and the second most popular candidate be listed second. But on the punch card ballot, the second mark or button was for Buchanan, who was listed on the right! Also, the mechanical ballot is supposed to be look like the written ballot. The sample ballots omitted the buttons and were printed differently. How hard would it be to follow the law and make the ballots clear?]

* Note: This document was originally titled "The Battle of Palm Beach or Will the Jewish Vote Count and Save Gore & Lieberman?" However, subsequent events showed that in addition to the large minority, maybe even a majority of elderly Jews in Palm Beach County, the votes lost and now being fought over include large numbers of other "minorities" such a Blacks and Haitians in other counties that altogether may produce a majority of voters for Gore and Lieberman in Florida! Thus it seems a better description to say "Will the Minority (Jewish, Black, etc.*) Vote Count and Save Gore & Lieberman?"