Al Gore: The Man Who Should Be President

[kpete]

Al Gore: The Man Who Should Be President
When Al Gore spoke this week, he showed what we should demand of our leaders: honesty and forthrightness.

We know that in 2000, when Americans went to the polls to select a president, Al Gore won the popular vote. Furthermore, he won the Florida vote when all the overvotes were counted (votes where someone selected Gore through the voting machine technology AND also wrote in his name). Florida was legally bound to count those votes because their law specifically called out that votes were to be count where the intent of the voter could be discerned. And in the case of the overcounts that intent had NO ambiguity. The only reason the Supreme Court ruled that the equal protection clause was relevant was because the Florida Supreme Court did not provide a standard for counting votes where there was an ambiguity in whether the ballot expressed a certain vote or not.

The Florida Supreme Court has ordered that the intent of the voter be discerned from such ballots. For purposes of resolving the equal protection challenge, it is not necessary to decide whether the Florida Supreme Court had the authority under the legislative scheme for resolving election disputes to define what a legal vote is and to mandate a manual recount implementing that definition. The recount mechanisms implemented in response to the decisions of the Florida Supreme Court do not satisfy the minimum requirement for non-arbitrary treatment of voters necessary to secure the fundamental right. Florida’s basic command for the count of legally cast votes is to consider the “intent of the voter.” Gore v. Harris, ___ So. 2d, at ___ (slip op., at 39). This is unobjectionable as an abstract proposition and a starting principle. The problem inheres in the absence of specific standards to ensure its equal application. The formulation of uniform rules to determine intent based on these recurring circumstances is practicable and, we conclude, necessary.

So what did the US Supreme Court say about the overvotes so as to guarantee that the legitmate votes could not be counted? They noted that there were at least 110,000 overvotes outstanding, but because it would take too much effort and the election officials couldn't use computers to discern the intent of the voter, these votes would have to be ignored for expediency's sake.

more at:

http://www.pacificviews.org/weblog/archives/001753.html

[JeffR]

1. Amazing what else in this country

Is being ignored for expediency's sake.

[NanceGreggs]

2. And where was the GOP on this issue of ...

... the Supreme Court dictating if, how and when votes were to be counted? You know, the "States' Rights" party?

The GOP has been hijacked by Neo-Cons, in the same way Islam has been hijacked by religious fanatics.

[AZBlue]

3. You mean the man who really is President?

Sorry, I know what you are saying and I agree, I just can't help myself because, well, he really did win!

[Mme. Defarge]

4. I prefer to think of Al Gore

as the man who WILL be President in 2009. After seeing him in action last Monday, a scene from the movie "My Cousin Vinny" flashed through my mind. "I want that guy" as my President, instead of the court appointed one!

[johncoby2]

6. I had the same thought. Gore in 2008.

Gosh the man has the brains. He doesn't lean on the podium. He doesn't smirk. He is well qualified. What the *uck else do we need?

He needs to run. And he needs to pick a viable VP. No Lieberman type of person.

[Mme. Defarge]

9. Sign up today!

http://www.algore.org/

[GoreDean2008]

5. President Gore Should Be Re-Elected in 2008!!!!!

The Supreme Court's coup de tat on the night of December 12, 2000, overthrew the legitimately elected President Al Gore from office. Also on the night of December 12, 1979, South Korea's evil military dictator Chun Doo-Hwan staged a bloody coup de tat against the South Korean democracy. It took more than a decade and several hundred lives to end the military regime and restore the democracy in South Korea. December 12 is an infamous, anti-democratic date and Americans (as well as South Koreans) should never forget this date.

Re-electing President Gore in 2008 means much more than the Democratic control of the White House. Re-electing President Gore in 2008 means the restoration of the American democracy and the legitimacy of American presidency. And only the legitimately elected president will save us from the terror threats without exploiting the terror threats for political gains.

[kpete]

7. Gore himself hoping for groundswell in 2008

Eleanor Clift: Gore himself hoping for groundswell in 2008
by steveGA

Sun Jan 22, 2006 at 02:28:54 AM PDT

This week's McLaughlin Group is a must see. Lots of coverage of the increasing talk of impeaching Bush. But more significant to me was the discussion of Gore.

The first pundit (Steve something, sorry I missed his last name - not one of the regulars) said he was confident Gore is not running, because he's talked to "Gore people" who say Gore is not making the needed calls to line up big money.

Eleanor Clift then jumped in to say that Gore should probably be prefacing his speaches with a clarification that he is not a candidate for president, but that he can't bring himself to do it, because in his heart of hearts, he's hoping for a popular groundswell of support that will draft him to run.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/22/42854/3495

[SomewhereOutThere424]

8. * is only president by title

If there was a civil war and gore was the leader of the side other than bush, I know the man I'd call my president. Bush is simply a figure head and the republicans a legalized mafia, all the dems need to do is do SOMETHING...I just wait for the day it's more than fillibuster and speeches.