Title: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: ○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└ on March 14, 2005, 07:05:03 PM NY Daily News November 1, 2000 They're not only thinking the unthinkable, they're planning for it. Quietly, some of George W. Bush's advisers are preparing for the ultimate "what if" scenario: What happens if Bush wins the popular vote for President, but loses because Al Gore's won the majority of electoral votes? "Then we win," says a Gore aide. "You play by the rules in force at the time. If the nation were really outraged by the possibility, then the system would have been changed long ago. The history is clear." Yes it is, and it's fascinating. Twice before, Presidents have been elected after losing the popular vote. In 1876, New York Gov. Samuel Tilden won the popular vote (51% to 48%) but lost the presidency to Rutherford Hayes, who won by a single electoral vote. Twelve years later, in 1888, Grover Cleveland won the popular vote by a single percentage point, but lost his reelection bid to Benjamin Harrison by 65 electoral votes. The same thing almost happened in 1976 when Jimmy Carter topped Gerald Ford by about 1.7 million votes. Back then, a switch of about 5,500 votes in Ohio and 6,500 votes in Mississippi would have given those states to Ford, enough for an Electoral College victory. But because it didn't happen, the upset over its having almost happened faded rapidly. Why do we even have the Electoral College? Simply put, the Founding Fathers didn't imagine the emergence of national candidates when they wrote the Constitution, and, in any event, they didn't trust the people to elect the President directly. A lot has changed since then, including the anachronistic view that the majority should be feared. But the Electoral College remains. So what if Gore wins such crucial battleground states as Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania and thus captures the magic 270 electoral votes while Bush wins the overall nationwide popular vote? "The one thing we don't do is roll over," says a Bush aide. "We fight." How? The core of the emerging Bush strategy assumes a popular uprising, stoked by the Bushies themselves, of course. In league with the campaign — which is preparing talking points about the Electoral College's essential unfairness — a massive talk-radio operation would be encouraged. "We'd have ads, too," says a Bush aide, "and I think you can count on the media to fuel the thing big-time. Even papers that supported Gore might turn against him because the will of the people will have been thwarted." Local business leaders will be urged to lobby their customers, the clergy will be asked to speak up for the popular will and Team Bush will enlist as many Democrats as possible to scream as loud as they can. "You think 'Democrats for Democracy' would be a catchy term for them?" asks a Bush adviser. The universe of people who would be targeted by this insurrection is small — the 538 currently anonymous folks called electors, people chosen by the campaigns and their state party organizations as a reward for their service over the years. If you bother to read the small print when you're in the booth, you'll notice that when you vote for President you're really selecting presidential electors who favor one candidate or the other. Generally, these electors are not legally bound to support the person they're supposedly pledged to when they gather in the various state capitals to cast their ballots on Dec. 18. The rules vary from state to state, but enough of the electors could theoretically switch to Bush if they wanted to — if there was sufficient pressure on them to ratify the popular verdict. And what would happen if the "what if" scenario came out the other way? "Then we'd be doing the same thing Bush is apparently getting ready for," says a Gore campaign official. "They're just further along in their contingency thinking than we are. But we wouldn't lie down without a fight, either." http://www.bartcop.com/111tie.htm Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: 12th Doctor on March 14, 2005, 10:47:05 PM NY Daily News November 1, 2000 They're not only thinking the unthinkable, they're planning for it. Quietly, some of George W. Bush's advisers are preparing for the ultimate "what if" scenario: What happens if Bush wins the popular vote for President, but loses because Al Gore's won the majority of electoral votes? "Then we win," says a Gore aide. "You play by the rules in force at the time. If the nation were really outraged by the possibility, then the system would have been changed long ago. The history is clear." Yes it is, and it's fascinating. Twice before, Presidents have been elected after losing the popular vote. In 1876, New York Gov. Samuel Tilden won the popular vote (51% to 48%) but lost the presidency to Rutherford Hayes, who won by a single electoral vote. Twelve years later, in 1888, Grover Cleveland won the popular vote by a single percentage point, but lost his reelection bid to Benjamin Harrison by 65 electoral votes. The same thing almost happened in 1976 when Jimmy Carter topped Gerald Ford by about 1.7 million votes. Back then, a switch of about 5,500 votes in Ohio and 6,500 votes in Mississippi would have given those states to Ford, enough for an Electoral College victory. But because it didn't happen, the upset over its having almost happened faded rapidly. Why do we even have the Electoral College? Simply put, the Founding Fathers didn't imagine the emergence of national candidates when they wrote the Constitution, and, in any event, they didn't trust the people to elect the President directly. A lot has changed since then, including the anachronistic view that the majority should be feared. But the Electoral College remains. So what if Gore wins such crucial battleground states as Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania and thus captures the magic 270 electoral votes while Bush wins the overall nationwide popular vote? "The one thing we don't do is roll over," says a Bush aide. "We fight." How? The core of the emerging Bush strategy assumes a popular uprising, stoked by the Bushies themselves, of course. In league with the campaign — which is preparing talking points about the Electoral College's essential unfairness — a massive talk-radio operation would be encouraged. "We'd have ads, too," says a Bush aide, "and I think you can count on the media to fuel the thing big-time. Even papers that supported Gore might turn against him because the will of the people will have been thwarted." Local business leaders will be urged to lobby their customers, the clergy will be asked to speak up for the popular will and Team Bush will enlist as many Democrats as possible to scream as loud as they can. "You think 'Democrats for Democracy' would be a catchy term for them?" asks a Bush adviser. The universe of people who would be targeted by this insurrection is small — the 538 currently anonymous folks called electors, people chosen by the campaigns and their state party organizations as a reward for their service over the years. If you bother to read the small print when you're in the booth, you'll notice that when you vote for President you're really selecting presidential electors who favor one candidate or the other. Generally, these electors are not legally bound to support the person they're supposedly pledged to when they gather in the various state capitals to cast their ballots on Dec. 18. The rules vary from state to state, but enough of the electors could theoretically switch to Bush if they wanted to — if there was sufficient pressure on them to ratify the popular verdict. And what would happen if the "what if" scenario came out the other way? "Then we'd be doing the same thing Bush is apparently getting ready for," says a Gore campaign official. "They're just further along in their contingency thinking than we are. But we wouldn't lie down without a fight, either." http://www.bartcop.com/111tie.htm Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: Gabu on March 15, 2005, 12:28:30 AM Holy crap, shut up about Gore's losing in 2000 already. I cannot believe we're still discussing this.
Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: ○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└ on March 15, 2005, 12:33:55 AM "Then we win," says a Gore aide. "You play by the rules in force at the time. If the nation were really outraged by the possibility, then the system would have been changed long ago. The history is clear." Gore won Florida Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: skybridge on March 15, 2005, 10:46:18 AM "Then we win," says a Gore aide. "You play by the rules in force at the time. If the nation were really outraged by the possibility, then the system would have been changed long ago. The history is clear." Gore won Florida Unfortunately not officially. Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: ilikeverin on March 15, 2005, 04:55:27 PM -_-
Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: 12th Doctor on March 16, 2005, 07:07:21 PM "Then we win," says a Gore aide. "You play by the rules in force at the time. If the nation were really outraged by the possibility, then the system would have been changed long ago. The history is clear." Gore won Florida Well, since a study conducted after the election proved that Gore would have lost under almost any precevable method of counting, I think your claim is bullsh**t, Mr. Moore. Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: ○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└ on March 16, 2005, 08:37:07 PM Well, since a study conducted after the election proved that Gore would have lost under almost any precevable method of counting, I think your claim is bullsh**t, Mr. Moore. If the media had actually tried out all the combinations under Set Standards and Ballot Design here, they'd have found that Gore wins most ways. Also the 2 What If ways that involve a statewide recount result in a Gore victory. http://www.nytimes.com/images/2001/11/12/politics/recount/ Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: PBrunsel on March 17, 2005, 07:32:39 PM We all know Alan Keyes beat Obama. It was those crooked Libertarians that spolied the election for Keyes. :D
Mayor Daley stole the election from Keyes. :D Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: Jake on March 18, 2005, 10:20:21 PM "Then we win," says a Gore aide. "You play by the rules in force at the time. If the nation were really outraged by the possibility, then the system would have been changed long ago. The history is clear." Gore won Florida Alot more likely than Kerry winning Ohio, but still, I'm LOL at that. Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: Keystone Phil on March 19, 2005, 12:56:07 AM "Then we win," says a Gore aide. "You play by the rules in force at the time. If the nation were really outraged by the possibility, then the system would have been changed long ago. The history is clear." Gore won Florida I'm still convinced that Bush stole Kansas and Wyoming. ::) Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: PBrunsel on March 19, 2005, 01:30:37 PM In 2000 45 percent of all Black Voters in Florida were turned away from the polls for being black. This is a fact I just made up.
Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: Akno21 on March 19, 2005, 05:15:59 PM In 2000 45 percent of all Black Voters in Florida were turned away from the polls for being black. This is a fact I just made up. It's not a fact. Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: PBrunsel on March 19, 2005, 07:42:53 PM In 2000 45 percent of all Black Voters in Florida were turned away from the polls for being black. This is a fact I just made up. It's not a fact. Nobody gets my jokes! :) Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: Gabu on March 20, 2005, 02:32:01 AM In 2000 45 percent of all Black Voters in Florida were turned away from the polls for being black. This is a fact I just made up. That's nothing; in 2004, every single election worker were Republicans and burned each vote for Kerry. Then the media just made up percentages so people would be convinced that Bush won. Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: J. J. on March 20, 2005, 11:33:05 PM In 2000 45 percent of all Black Voters in Florida were turned away from the polls for being black. This is a fact I just made up. It's not a fact. I would be jFRAUD Bizarro Universe. Actually, the Press did recount the ballots, and by all but the most restrictive standard, Bush won; if you completely disregarded the intent of the voter standard, no questionable vote counted, Gore won by 3 votes. If the chad was mostly out, partly out, sorta out, Bush won. Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: J. J. on March 20, 2005, 11:48:22 PM Here is what was actually concluded:
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/florida.ballots/stories/main.html Florida Court Standards: Using the NORC data, the media consortium examined what might have happened if the U.S. Supreme Court had not intervened. The Florida high court had ordered a recount of all undervotes that had not been counted by hand to that point. If that recount had proceeded under the standard that most local election officials said they would have used, the study found that Bush would have emerged with 493 more votes than Gore. Gore's own standard: Suppose that Gore got what he originally wanted -- a hand recount in heavily Democratic Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Volusia counties. The study indicates that Gore would have picked up some additional support but still would have lost the election -- by a 225-vote margin statewide. Now this was a very close election, the only way that Gore "wins" is that if you count people who voted for two or more candidates, or you count people whose intent was not clearly manifested. Now, I would have favored a statewide recount, but Gore didn't, at least at first. I really would not favor giving one person two votes for President in the same election. Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: TX_1824 on March 30, 2005, 06:29:33 PM Quote Gore won Florida Quote Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....... Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: ○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└ on March 30, 2005, 06:36:09 PM In 2000 45 percent of all Black Voters in Florida were turned away from the polls for being black. This is a fact I just made up. It's not a fact. I would be jFRAUD Bizarro Universe. Actually, the Press did recount the ballots, and by all but the most restrictive standard, Bush won; if you completely disregarded the intent of the voter standard, no questionable vote counted, Gore won by 3 votes. If the chad was mostly out, partly out, sorta out, Bush won. I've stated real facts very clearly, and they haven't been refuted. I know you Republicans would rather argue do straw man arguments. Speaking of facts and arguments, some of you Republicans have serious problems with those. Hint to J.J., don't get into an argument on statistics. Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: King on April 02, 2005, 12:11:42 AM I've stated real facts very clearly, and they haven't been refuted. I know you Republicans would rather argue do straw man arguments. Mycollectivelyinterestingpaljfern73 has no credibility problems! Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: ○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└ on April 02, 2005, 12:51:36 AM I've stated real facts very clearly, and they haven't been refuted. I know you Republicans would rather argue do straw man arguments. Mycollectivelyinterestingpaljfern73 has no credibility problems! State some facts to back up that conspiracy theory. Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: 12th Doctor on April 02, 2005, 04:13:40 PM I've stated real facts very clearly, and they haven't been refuted. I know you Republicans would rather argue do straw man arguments. Mycollectivelyinterestingpaljfern73 has no credibility problems! State some facts to back up that conspiracy theory. Well, the fact that you chose to attack him rather than denying it might be one. Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: J. J. on April 02, 2005, 06:19:04 PM In 2000 45 percent of all Black Voters in Florida were turned away from the polls for being black. This is a fact I just made up. It's not a fact. I would be jFRAUD Bizarro Universe. Actually, the Press did recount the ballots, and by all but the most restrictive standard, Bush won; if you completely disregarded the intent of the voter standard, no questionable vote counted, Gore won by 3 votes. If the chad was mostly out, partly out, sorta out, Bush won. I've stated real facts very clearly, and they haven't been refuted. I know you Republicans would rather argue do straw man arguments. Speaking of facts and arguments, some of you Republicans have serious problems with those. Hint to J.J., don't get into an argument on statistics. Hint to JFRAUD, don't make up stuff, at least that can be independently verified. Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: chadnat1019 on April 06, 2005, 04:07:46 PM Its been over 4 years sence that election. So much has happened to our country sence them. Let me repeat (OUR COUNTRY).
Please Dems, get over it You guys are still a major party, and have some ideas that Americans want to hear. But when you keep living in the past the future will pass you by. Title: Re: Bush Set to Fight An Electoral College Loss Post by: PBrunsel on April 06, 2005, 07:01:41 PM Hayes Set to Fight an Elecoral College Loss
November 6,1876 As reported by the New West Liberty Chronicle Republican Presidential nominee Governor Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio prepared a group of former Grant Administration Lawyers to fight an electoral loss today. The Hayes Campaign states that they will, "Fight any voting irregularities in South Carolina, Louisiana, or Florida at any expense." The fear that Governor Samuel Tilden (D-NY) will attempt to "steal" the election is a constant fear for the GOP. "If he tries to steal Ohio or Florida," Congressman James Garfield (R-OH) stated, "Than he will ahve to answer to our legal team." The last time a recount was called in American Presidential Politics was when General McClellan decided to recount New York in 1864, but he would have lost anyway so it was forgotten about. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This above article is a s relevant as the real article we are talking about now. |