This is shaping up as the most important election since 1860. In fact, the electoral map looks eerily similar to 1860. Unless Gore succeeds in stealing Florida, Bush will end up with every Southern state. Even if Gore wins Florida, we can still say that Bush won the entire South, minus one apartment building in Miami. He also won two "border" states, Kentucky and Missouri.
In 1860, Lincoln won no Southern state. In fact, he did not receive a single vote in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, or Texas. (Source: D. Howe, Political History of Secession (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1914), p. 446.) The last time a President was elected without carrying a single Southern state was 1924. Perhaps the Southern electors can meet in Richmond and elect Bush President of the Southern States of America. I am sorry, make that the Southern and Mountain States of America.
As of Sunday afternoon, it appears that while Gore may not have won on Election night, he is kicking Bush's butt in post-Election machinations. I don't blame Bush, but his political mechanics and lawyers appear to have made a monumental blunder in failing to timely request a hand recount in all counties. As any idiot would have guessed, the hand recount produced more votes for Gore since the Machiavellian Democrats only asked for a recount in Democratic counties. Had the Republicans threatened a hand recount of all six million votes, the sheer absurdity of it would have convinced all reasonable people to stick with the electronic recount, which Bush has apparently won.
The supposedly shrewd Republican operatives may have outthought themselves out of an election. Apparently realizing their mistake, too late, they made another error and went to court first, federal court of all places. Of course, the goal in going to court was to end the recount, not to order a new election like the slimy Democrats wanted, but such details are lost on the dim-witted media and thus it was a public relations loss. That is unfortunate because this election is going to be decided in court: the court of public opinion.
Regardless of Republican bumbling, the election crisis has given us a valuable and accurate insight into the leaders of the Democratic Party. They are absolutely ruthless. They will do just about anything to win. Here's why. After the election, they spoke the language of coup d'etat by suggesting that Gore should win, regardless of the Electoral College. So much for the Constitution. Liberals have always been willing to spit on the Constitution when a particular provision did not suit them. The Second Amendment comes to mind.
Then, they encouraged Jesse Jackson and crew to hit the streets and threatened to turn the election into a mob scene such as Americans have only witnessed overseas. Next, they talked about going to court to seek a re-vote. Now here's the thing. They knew at the time that there is no chance whatsoever that these lawsuits would succeed and no chance whatsoever that a new election would be held. The only reason they did this was to exclude Florida from the election entirely so that Gore's narrow electoral vote advantage would make him president. The deceit and hypocrisy are amazing. In the name of making the votes of all Floridians count, the Democrats are pursuing a strategy whose only possible purpose is to make the votes of no Floridians count! Now they are trying to steal Florida from Bush by artificially and arbitrarily boosting their vote in four heavily Democratic counties out of sixty-seven. And they say with a straight face that this is a fair way to select a President. Clinton has taught them well.
What do we do if the election is stolen from Bush? Personally, I would be mad as hell and I voted for Harry Browne. I can only assume that people who voted for Bush would feel the same way. If you Bush people are not ready to fight when the Constitution has been stomped on, what would you fight for? Violence is not necessary, however. I read a novel once that has given me an idea. I would call my idea, "The Heartland Shrugged." Bush people and Buchanan people and Browne people should simply, in Randian or Gandhian fashion, go on strike. Let's see how long this country operates without the vast majority of its most productive citizens. I would estimate about one week. After that, the people who cannot read an election ballot or punch a hole in a card would be begging the B-people to go back to work and turn the water and the electricity and the Internet back on. Sure, we'll go back to work when "W" moves into the White House.
What if Bush wins and the Gore people go on strike? But do I repeat myself? Many Democrats already refuse to work. The reason they vote Democratic in the first place is so they can live off the hard work of others. Other Gore people are doing "work" we could surely live without: tax collecting, drug warring, foreign adventuring, business pestering, producing clueless public school graduates, and so on. Gore people on strike? Go ahead, make my century!
November 13, 2000
James Ostrowski is an attorney practicing at 984 Ellicott Square, Buffalo, New York 14203; (716) 854-1440; FAX 853-1303. See his website at http://jamesostrowski.com.
