Is there a Republican official anywhere in the country who is concerned about the fact that many thousands of honest voters in Florida have apparently been thwarted in their effort to vote for the candidate of their choice? Over the last few days we've seen Mr. Bush playing president down in Texas, bouncing around like a puppy among the big dogs from his father's administration.

What's really beginning to get to me is the way the Repuglies have twisted the whole argument about who is trying to steal the election. Who is it, after all, who's jamming all the circuits and shutting down the process to make sure that the person who got the most votes in the country isn't the person who wins the election?

Good news.Tomorrow is Friday which means most of the people whining about George Bush and victory will be out picking up their welfare and social security checks and won't be jamming this board with their STUPID, cliche comments.

Was the thread by DemocRAT an example of the definition: Compassionate Conservative? Gee I thought the Republicans were sincere about that!

Hey, compassion is someone else's schtick. I just want someone in office who doesn't use the White House as campaign headquarters/Super Eight, doesn't obstruct justice, keeps the military strong, cuts taxes, saves social security for me AND granny, etc. By the way, idiot, this is called a "post" not a thread.

Dearest DemocRAT:
Although your candidate doesn't know that Social Security is a Federal Program I'm sure he will save it.

JCam, you believe that Harris is W's only ally? His brother Jeb is calling the shots. Just cause you don't see Jeb's face in front of the camera these days, don't think he's not pulling the strings behind the scenes.

The situation could hardly be more transparent. The Republican Party is consumed with the fear that somehow a fair count of the votes in Florida will be permitted. It is doing all it can to prevent that from happening.
Why is the G.O.P. so afraid? Are the votes already there to elect Al Gore? Are they sitting in boxes, just waiting to be counted? There's only one way to find out. Properly registered voters who cast legitimate ballots that are not counted are participating in an exercise in futility, not democracy. Democracy demands that votes not only be cast, but counted. This is a fine point that seems to have conveniently escaped the consciousness of Republicans focused on Florida.
While doing everything possible to thwart a meticulous count of the Florida vote, Governor George W. Bush and his top gun, former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, have been crying out for days for "closure," as if the nation were grieving rather than trying to find out who really won the election. "When is it going to end?" Mr. Baker asked. He never asked whether legitimate voters were being frozen out of the process. He wasn't interested in that. In Mr. Baker's view, and presumably Mr. Bush's as well, too much is at stake to worry about the niceties of the democratic process.The Republican Party is attempting to hijack the presidency.

Eduardo:

Olé! Bien dicho!
Excellently stated.
Ciao!

I got news for you Eduardo, both parties are trying to hijack the election! In the end, the courts will probably decide who is our next President! Whoever gets in, will be accused of stealing the presidency and will be out in 4 years anyway. So, it just doesn't matter! To all you who are obsessing over this, you need to get a life! The world will not end because Gore or Bush gets in! The sun will come up tomorrow etc. Life is too darn short to worry about the things we cannot change or control!!!!!

Gene - Well, sure, you have a point about Jeb. But I don't believe he's very smart or at all capable of directing anything this big. And I just wonder whether W. has all that much faith in Jeb these days. Looking back to May, W. was ahead by 8 in Fla., and by all counts had a lock on the 25. Even Rove termed Fla. a "pivotal state." You don't normally say something like that if you don't believe it - and Carl Rove is not dumb. Just as Jeb lost his own first race, and then had to lie to minorities and reinvent himself, a la Gorean molds, he almost lost this one for W. So, if Jeb is calling the shots, god help W., and Jeb , get ready for some cold bird to go. But, hey, jumping ahead, take a look at today's Wash. Post, and the looming battle to persuade electors to vote for the popular vote winner and turn their backs on the state tally. Even the old bug exterminator himself, Tom DeLay from Texas, is researching how Members can challenge individual electors on the fateful day of January 6. If people such as DeLay, Armey, Hastert and Lotts get in control, the US will in fact be in a constitutional crisis. Such a crisis need not involve folks rioting in the streets - just a deep cycnicism and fear about what the rules are these days. Suggest it's time for people to dust off their Richard III's and review the corrupting influence of power. I'd put my money on the Bard.

Am I imagining it or did Fodors really remove the last two political threads? (i.e., where to send Katherine Harris as an ambassador, and should travelers boycott Florida)?

How much pressure WERE you under to censor "non-travel" posts? Or am I just simply missing them?

If that's the case, and you removed them, you'd better just limit this forum to questions on Vegas and WDW, or maybe toilets. We can just continue to post inane little questions about uncontroversial topics because reality and world history are too difficult to deal with.

If travel doesn't connect you to a larger world out there then what good is this forum?

Don't George W. Bush's handlers know the entire world can see that the King is being "installed" rather than elected? Third world dictators are "installed." Will Bush be America's first openly tin horn president? After all, his dad's supporters in the CIA have had plenty of practice putting other banana republic style rulers into power. Maybe Republicans hope that once Bush is in office, wearing his phantom suit of "legitimacy," the public won't notice that the Emperor/King has no clothes.

In one of Campaign 2000's dazzling showbiz moments, the entire world witnessed the fact that Republicans, among them an aide to House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, acted as fake "grassroots" (or AstroTurf) protesters at Dade County canvassing offices. Republicans paid the thugs to play the part of a genuine mob, and the profiteers really earned their money. They shoved innocent bystanders and pounded the canvassing office doors.

If Republicans install Bush as King in a hurry, will the nation later take time to address voting irregularities, or will the whole country be happy living with the fact that this "election" was all for show? Remember early in the campaign, most Americans said they placed a high value on authenticity? Will we now settle for the mere appearance of authenticity?

We sure are giving the appearance of being a banana republic run by a corrupt highly connected family.

During his big speech Sunday night where he declared himself the winner, Bush said : "The election was close, but tonight, after a count, a recount and yet another manual recount, Secretary Cheney and I are honored and humbled to have won the State of Florida." Are you kidding? Two inaccurate counts and an incomplete manual recount that was suppressed by GOP-financed stooges and your lackey- Katherine Harris -- who wouldn't even give Palm Beach County a couple extra hours to finish their job -- and you have the nerve to unilaterally declare yourself a winner? By the way -- if you won, then why haven't you dropped your case before the Supreme Court?

HELP! We're trapped in an Election Night Party! The invitation said we'd hang in until the final tally, and the booze ran out in two days. We ran out of food three weeks ago. The toilets are backed up. If it weren't for running water, we'd all have died of dehydration. Send food. Send winter clothes. Send more booze!

lol Jann. You will have one hell of a hangover for the next four years if dumbya wins!

Isn't it wonderful to watch the people that said "Bush, Gore what's the difference? I'm voting for Nader" pitching hissy fits because it looks like Bush is in.

I'm beginning to think that a Bush presidency may be the best thing for Gore. BTW bets are on that the US SCt will go down partisan lines. The Fla SCt suddenly seems emmasculated. And to think that all along I thought there was some kind of presumptive constitutional right-to-vote in our system of government. Guess not. Faulty voting equipment has assured us that Bush will prevail in the unpopular vote.

I don't even care who wins anymore. I'm just tired of the whole mess. I wish we could fast-foward 4 years because WHOEVER wins this election is going to have a hard time getting much accomplished.