Why is it that sometimes people who are otherwise really smart tend to hold onto, and repeat mercilessly, really dumb ideas?
No, Tom, Gore didn't win. He lost. There wasn't a single official Florida vote-count which he won. Even a couple newspapers who did independent counts afterwards said the same thing, he still would have lost (oh, he'd've won if you only recounted the precincts the DNC wanted recounted, but that's not quite fair, now, is it?)
Personally, I can't believe that people still continue to "insist" that Gore won. They must really have sad and empty lives if, literally, that is the boneheaded mantra they choose to repeat over and over again.
I have to wonder what percentage of the people "hate Bush" because he "stole the election" and will vote for Kerry. I'm guessing it isn't huge, but I'm thinking at least 3% to 4% of the populace.
What about the proposal in Colorado that would split their Electoral College votes? It would more effectively represent the popular vote. (which Gore WON, btw.)
If the polls are right and it's a close race, it's going to be a NASTY couple of months this winter.... ( I WON! No! I WON! )
Well, a presidential candidate cannot win or lose based on popular vote, so to say "won" is not terribly useful in that context.
But, how a state determines its Electoral College representatives is up to them. If Colorado wants to do it that way, more power to them. The Electoral College system is designed to protect "small states from large states" ... if a state wants to theoretically give up some of their own protection, that's their own business.
There are a couple other states as well, IIRC, that have such ... I think one of the New England states actually, but I can't remember which one.
Theres a lot of hypothetical conspiracy crap behind it all (like some people not getting to vote just before the election (hi Jeb, nice laws you got)), but I don't think that matters anymore..
You can't take back four years now. Time to move on. If all these fools want to slam GWB, better think of doing it at the polls. Yesterday is gone.
It still matters if you think there's a likelihood that the same things are happening in Florida this time around.
For example, former president Jimmy Carter has written about his concerns:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52800-2004Sep26.html
(If that URL evaporates, it's also at http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1314125,00.html )