Yet More Suspicious Behavior in Florida

I actually wrote this before I heard this morning's news regarding the judge's decision. I don't feel really differently, but I'm hearing a lot more about how much the media sucks.

Shit. I managed one election-free day here at D'land, and now I can't stand it anymore. It's hard not to be fascinated.

First of all, I just heard that Nader thinks the four county recount is unfair and that a state-wide hand re-count is the right way to go. I'm inclined to agree with that, but Bush would have to call for it to happen, since Katherine Harris is his pawn and not a public servant at all. Bush is obviously concerned that he could lose on a state-wide recount. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure that if Gore wins on the four county re-count, Bush will be crying foul. So, I think it's a strategy on the part of Bush to play the beaten down guy, should he lose.

How is it any better or worse for one side to say "Gore just wants us to count and re-count until he likes the result" and the other to say "stop counting now while we are still ahead?" I can't really see a difference there. I really wish the Florida Supreme Court would have issued more direct orders for what the right thing to do would be, but I suppose the courts don't quite work that way. They only rule on what's put before them, but a girl can wish, can't she?

You'll note that CNN has a county by county recount. You'll further note that there is one consistent thing in all the re-counted counties: more votes for everyone. Obviously, a lot of people's ballots didn't go through the machine right or weren't even put in it the first time through. Why NOT re-count the whole state? And don't even try telling me that a machine is more accurate than a human. What a bunch of hooey that is.

Some asshole actually called in to Talk of the Nation and said the election was called on election night and it shouldn't have been retracted. Called? WHAT? It was called by the media! Now we are supposed to let the MEDIA decide who's the next president? Wow, I hope you didn't give that one a lot of thought because if you did, I can't imagine what the rest of your life must be like. Let's not even get into the fact that the first journalist to call the election for Bush at 2am or so (FOX News) is actually Dubya's first cousin. Christ on a fucking pogostick, people. Get some perspective.

As of this morning, this is getting serious play on the Diane Rehm show.