There was an article in my local paper citing an eighty-six (?) year old democratic elector, from Oregon. She says that last time she did this, it was very uneventful. Butt this time, "her phone's been ringing off the hook" with people asking if she'd consider changing her vote.

I was already concerned about it only taking two electors' changing their votes, to swing the vote to Gore, should Bush "win" this (technically a tie, in my opinion) Floriduh business. If people are already contacting Democratic electors, what must be happening to the Republican electors? What kind of threats, or bribes might be offered? Or are the Demos and Repubs too honest to investigate these options?

What with all the other bullshit going on, and more to come, my main hope is that one of these two power crazed candidates will come to his senses, and either concede, for the good of the country, or at least agree to a game of stud poker or horseshoes, or something.

My biggest fear is that we won't have ANY president elect come Dec. 18, and the commander in chief will declare marshall law ala Pinochet so we won't be left without a president "at the helm".

Am I paranoid, or who?

JOJ

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2000

Answers

You're both paranoid and a Who.

Seriously, since Oregon went to all mail nobody's trusted your returns anyway. Ask Al.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2000

JOJ:

As a matter of fact, several of Florida's Republican electors have been contacted with requests that they change their votes. Sadly, these requests have been accompanied with a bit of "persuasion" from what those media which covered it called "low-key itelligence gathering operations" or words to that effect. Or in the vernacular, blackmail.

As soon as these stories started to come out, this activity stopped. The national news media opted not to pick up on this story. Imagine that.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2000

The national news media opted not to pick up on this story. Imagine that.

As Cap'n fun is so fond of saying, Flint, "Just for shits and grins", may I ask where you learned of this if the National media didn't pick it up?

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2000

Anita:

I invited you to read some of the columns by Thomas Sowell, but I see you decided against it. They are a good place to start. Sowell isn't a nutcase, but you might or might not consider (for example) Forbes Magazine to be national media.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2000

Putting your "invitations" aside, Flint, are you suggesting that Forbes was where you learned of this?

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2000

Sigh. This is why I'm bored to tears with this. Nobody is bothering to check facts, just repeating spin.

Yes, a Florida Democrat has been talking to electors. Gore has nothing to do with it. Both he and Gore has denied any connection.

Happens I believe that.

Just like I believe that independant Democrats filed suit in Miami because they didn't like having their votes not count.

Blaming everything on the parties is just silly. A lot of independant people have taken an interest in this, and you need a dozen scorecards just to figure out the players.

Like I said, I'm going fishing.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2000

If people are already contacting Democratic electors, what must be happening to the Republican electors? What kind of threats, or bribes might be offered? Geeze, not in the least bit biased in what we post now are we? Democrats are being contacted, but the republicans must be having threats and bribes used against them.

Maybe this is an admission that republicans have "something" that can be used against them, where the democrats don't so they are just being asked....how sad that words have to be manipulated and twisted so it "looks" like something is different then it really is.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2000