The Big Picture, Just Open Your Eyes
By Stephanie Therriaul
Rightgrrl Contributor
November 14, 2000
There's a bigger picture here? Yes, but does anyone see it? If you don't yet, you are about to. We are seeing a real example of what a Gore Presidency would be like. If you are not scared yet, you should be. If there is one thing that is true about Gore and his minions is that they're consistent. Consistently bad. They're consistent in saying what sounds good but doing what is not. Their publicly stated goals are not in agreement with their privately held agenda. The end justifies the means with this camp. Their tactics are questionable and borderline (perhaps even) illegal, and we, as a people need to get our heads out of the sand! Stand up and take notice of what Gore is doing. Take notice of his true agenda and the kind of people in which he's surrounded himself.
Partisanship cannot be avoided. Yet the Democrats use this to their advantage, and ignore it when it threatens to expose their hypocrisy. A pure example of this is their view and treatment of Florida's Secretary of State, Katherine Harris
The law in Florida states that all vote counts (or in this case recounts of recounts) must be submitted to the Secretary of State's office by 5:00PM seven days following the general election. This law was on the books long before this election. It is law. It's not partisanship, it's not discretion, it's LAW. Whose job is it to enforce this and other election laws? The Secretary of State. Regardless of political affiliation, the person who occupies this office MUST enforce the law(s) or be accused of dereliction of duty. Despite this, the democrats are pointing to the fact that she is a Republican and supporter of G.W. Bush and that she is being partisan. And under the democrats' so-called banner "for the Will of the People," she should recuse herself. This is utter non-sense. She is operating under the will of the people by acknowledging and enforcing the law of Florida. If they are going to crucify people already elected and/or appointed to public office, they also need to created crosses for crucifixion for all the democrats heading up and operating the suspect hand recounts. However, I know this is not going to happen. Hypocrisy in action! We cannot let Ms. Harris dangle in the wind while the democrats hit her like a piņata. WE must take a stand and support her role as Secretary of State.
Their excuses attempting to justify their unending, persistent requests for recounts is yet another indication that the end justifies their means. All along they knew this would be a close election so they manufactured so-called voting "irregularities." Democrats designed, approved and sent out to the public prior to election day the now infamous "butterfly ballot." Not a single complaint was recorded. However, the night of the election the democrats mobilized a telemarketing firm to contact voters to instruct them to complain about the "confusing" ballot before the polls even closed! They even went so far as to lie, saying the ballot was illegal! A democrat created ballot being declared illegal by democrats! Really! While this confusing ballot was seemingly unfair, it actually wasn't. There's this phenomenal concept called voter RESPONSIBILITY. So, despite their efforts, the confusing, "unfair" ballot didn't wash with the majority of the American people. Hmmm^Å. I can almost see the democrats scratching their heads for yet another smoke screen strategy to cast doubt on Bush's win.
Even before the election they were encouraging illegal aliens in this country to vote, particularly in California. Clearly illegal, yet completely ignored by the Gore-friendly national media. Buying votes from the homeless in favor of Gore in exchange for packs of cigarettes by a RICH Gore supporter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is also ILLEGAL. And they say that Gore didn't know and/or doesn't support this kind of behavior. I find that one hard to believe, especially since the female operative in question had money out the wazoo. Come on, does he (Gore) really think we're that stupid? Apparently so. Despite this blatant illegal activity, the press core cannot turn a blind eye on this one since Wisconsin could very well be contested by Bush on these very grounds of voter fraud. None the less, the democrats, namely Gore, are succeeding to skew the votes in this country to his favor. What happened to honest and fair election results?
With the law on the side of the Republicans along with military overseas absentee ballots, the democrats are losing the public opinion battle and the election. I believe the democrats are desperate to cast shadows of doubt, FURTHER, on the rules of law and Bush's win to continue their manipulation of the hand recounts of the already recounted ballots. The only way they could have a possible legal leg to stand on to justify the recounted votes being recounted yet again, is to manufacture some evidence or sense of impropriety of voter fraud against the system. A light bulb goes on and they send the self-important (so-called) Reverend Jessie Jackson down to Florida to make allegations of voter intimidation of black Americans. Voter intimidation? Of Blacks? Come on!!! It's my opinion that the African American people are very opinionated and head strong. These are two qualities that evolve from the hardships that they have, as a people, endured. I find it hard to believe that a Republican minority in these heavily democratic counties would have ANY sway or intimidation abilities over the Black democratic voters. If I were an African American, I'd be insulted by this latest tactic for two reasons: 1) for insinuating that my mind and will are weak and easily manipulated, and 2) for using my race in a political maneuver. I believe it's called racism. Jessie Jackson should be ashamed of himself for being a willing puppet in this demagoguery of his own people!
If there has been any voter intimidation at all, it's been by the accusers themselves! Gore supporters and campaigners have leaned heavily on the Nader voters not to "waste" their vote or even worse, to blame them if Gore loses! That's extreme intimidation! Look who's calling the kettle black?
How come this election still hangs in the so-called "too close to call" column? Because machine recounts have not given (or rather, stolen) the election for Gore. Gore's desire to take the White House is so extreme and pervasive that he'll exhaust all means to his end. If that means hand recount after hand recount, lawsuit(s) after lawsuit(s) under the guise of "the will of the people," then he'll do it. Step on toes, crush adversaries, and/or even break the law - power-hungry Gore will do it all. This should scare you. If it doesn't, then consider this: he'll do anything, including breaking the law AND he'll get away with it. When should anyone who breaks the law get away with it? That's a good question. The answer lies in historical precedents of bad illegal behavior. Even though I've heard of elections being stolen prior to 1900, I'm going to concentrate on a couple of this century's political coups: namely Nixon vs. Kennedy in 1960 and the Clinton fiascoes.
In 1960, there was evidence of voter fraud and illegal activities that stole the election for Kennedy. Even though Nixon was advised to fight, he did what was best for the country and for himself politically and conceded the race. As some people may say, he was the "bigger" man for doing so. One would think (and some have said) that Gore should do the same; if at least to salvage a potential winning bid for the presidency in 2004. All this speaks to character. But repeatedly character isn't supposed to matter. And, it doesn't, at least not for Al Gore.
Why should Gore concede? He's gotten away with blatant lies; saying anything to get elected; using endless resources from his corrupt cronies: Clinton and Daley; and voter fraud virtually ignored by the media. Why should he follow in Nixon's footsteps when the American people and liberals don't care about character? There's no way he's going to concede when he can steal the election!
And, just in case the American people somehow do become "fooled" into considering character as an important quality in the next president-elect; the democrats and the media just yesterday are trying to draw parallels to the worse side of the Nixon administration by bringing up Watergate. After all, they can't have a Republican (even a dead one) upstaging their candidate, now, can they?
The liberals look at Nixon's concession in 1960 as weak and carte blanche to continue fixing elections because they know the Republicans follow the law and are morally and nationally responsible individuals and they (democrats) get away with breaking the law. If there is any question about this, it was squashed when Clinton was let off Scott-free from criminal prosecution and impeachment. Based on this history of excused criminal behavior; hijacking elections, and rosy pictures of a "presidential" Al Gore painted by his friends in the national media, why should Gore give a moment's thought to conceding when he can lie and have judges, election officials, and the sheep of the NAACP in his pocket?
Al Gore is so used to lying, cheating and stealing that it's become like breathing for him, and the irony is that the American people (or at least those who are deceived into believing Gore is a sincere, caring man) are so used to hearing it and unfortunately are used to believing him. It's not about "the good of the country" with Gore; it's about what's good for him.
If Gore is truly successful in his hijacking of the votes, our only saving grace will be a Republican controlled Congress -- and a prayer for Gore (and/or Hillary) to be defeated in 2004.
Further suggestions and mandates to prevent this fiasco from happening in the future are desperately needed. First of all, we have to restore respect for the rule of law in all situations and we have to be brave enough to prosecute and hold accountable those who subvert and break our laws. This may mean ignoring the media and it's efforts to present popularity contests that would oppose upholding the law. The law should be absolute, not subjective, and no respecter of persons.
To subvert an existing law because existing public opinion disapproves of it or because a politician's agenda is threatened by it, is dangerous. It subtlety leads to an anarchistic attitude. Anarchy and chaos are enemies to freedom and we should be weary and extremely suspect of anyone who implies differently whether in word or in deed.
If someone doesn't like a law they have legal and established ways to get it changed or amended or overturned. To subvert the laws and the Constitution for the sake of personal advancement or gain is a direct insult to all of those who've fought for the freedoms that our Constitution affords us. All should be concerned when the fundamentals that our freedoms are based on are ignored by the self-important, the self-inflated, and the self-seeking. And you can now be sure that Al Gore is all of these.
For national elections, my suggestion(s) would be to have one universal, standard format for the whole country with strict federal standards/procedures for disputes. If a recount is either automatic by law or requested, ONE machine recount for the whole state in question should be used. Although a machine count can have a margin of error of 3-5% or less; a machine is NOT partisan. That together with strict voter RESPONSIBILITY accountability should decrease chances of one party manufacturing a ballot crisis or any other mischief.
The results of the THIRD recount as required by Florida law must be in by 5:00PM today. Together with the absentee ballots' tally by Friday; we should have a FINAL result in the contentious state of Florida. And therefore, a new president-elect. The loser (and I sure hope it's GORE) should then concede defeat, dispatch his minions to their homes and go home himself, quietly.
Copyright 2000 by Stephanie Therriault. Not to be reproduced in any fashion, in whole or in part, without written consent from the author. All rights reserved.