Did Bush steal the 2000 election?
An oft-repeated tale of woe is that Bush and the Republicans "stole" the 2000 Election.
While researching this, I came across a fairly simple breakdown of points and counter points, obviously conservative by author...but is he wrong?
SUMMARY OF ELECTION 2000 ISSUES
Florida was split Northern Counties (Republican) and Southern Counties (Democrat). The Florida Legislature was Republican-dominated and the Florida Supreme Court Democrat-dominated. The Governor was Bush’s brother. The US Supreme Court was Republican-dominated, 5-4. Bush is criticized for not campaigning hard in Florida.
QUESTIONABLE ACTIONS BY REPUBLICANS:
Barring Felons from Voting (Claims of Disenfranchising Black Votes):
The Republicans maneuvered before the election to bar felons from voting, and did not request additional verification services, which resulted in mistakes and which barred people at random, meaning Republicans, Independents, and Democrats alike, and groups like the NAACP claim mostly blacks and Democrats are felons. Then the list comes out with the names of the felons who were not allowed to vote; there are roughly 24,000 whites, 22,000 blacks, and only 63 Hispanics, among handfuls of others. (Now who's Law-abiding?)
Voter Obstruction (Claim of Disenfranchising Black Voters):
NAACP points to a vehicle check point as an example of obstructing Blacks from voting. Of the 13 drivers cited at the checkpoint for equipment violations, eight were black and five were white. The officers claim they picked the checkpoint at random. There are also claims of polling places closing early, names not being on voting lists, and the like, all of which would have affected voters of all persuasions, not just Blacks and Democrats.
Absentee Ballots Issue (Claim of Throwing Out Gore Votes):
There were 25,000 absentee ballots. Democrats cried foul when Republican recounters in two Northern Florida counties filled in information on Republican ballots not related to the marked vote, such as voter ID number, while throwing out the same type of ballots for Gore.
QUESTIONABLE ACTIONS BY DEMOCRATS:
Discounting Overseas Votes (Claims of Democrats Disenfranchising Military Votes):
The Democrats maneuvered to disallow overseas military votes that had no postmark. Meanwhile Democrats vote against polling places on military installations which would make it easier for servicemen to vote.
Gore’s Delaying Strategy:
Gore’s strategy eventually became stalling the entire Florida election process so as to go past the Dec. 12 deadline, thereby nullify the 25 Florida electoral votes, and thus win the election.
Gore’s Recount Circus:
Gore wanted and got recounts in 3 South Florida counties (heavily Democratic), counties with a history of recount fraud, and the liberal Florida Supreme Court allowed it. The liberal Court also extended the deadline for this, Gore’s first recount, illegally changing the Florida election rules during an election, to suit Gore.
The recount began, with Democrat recounters allegedly punching Gore votes in unmarked ballots during their recount, and left the chads on the floor. After the ensuing uproar, they simple ate the chads to hide the evidence, again allegedly. Bumps and dimples were also hotly argued over.
Meanwhile Bush refrained from demanding recounts in other Northern Republican Florida counties, and several other States that had extremely close elections going for Gore. A few states conducted recounts according to their rules, as did a few Northern Florida counties.
Gore lost again, and wanted another recount. The liberal Florida Supreme Court allowed it again, AND extended the deadline even further. The US Supreme Court finally stepped in and put their foot down, vacating the Florida Supreme Court’s decision.
Gore lost again, so he demanded an entire Florida reelection, which could never have been achieved by the Florida deadline to get their electoral votes in. The liberal Florida Supreme Court allowed it, the Conservative US Supreme Court disallowed it. (in effect, the Conservatives were preventing the Democrats from stealing the election).
Voter Intent:
Democratic voters came forward and said they mistakenly voted for Patrick Buchanan, when it was their ‘intent’ to vote for Gore. Jesse Jackson goes to Florida to play this up.
Meanwhile second graders voted for their favorite Disney characters using the same technology. There were no mistakes. (In the lingo of the NAACP- the Republicans would ask, “Wat’s up wit dat?”)
Changing Election Rules to Suit Gore:
The liberal Florida Supreme Court gets a special place here for changing election rules during an election to suit one party over another. (See ‘recounts’ above.)
Major Media’s Premature “Calling” of the Florida Election
The major media was unabashedly and blatantly pro-Gore and anti-Bush.
The major media also ‘called’ the Florida election for Gore prematurely, by questioning exiting pollers (‘exit polls’), hurting Bush’s popular vote, some say stealing it from Bush, as Republicans around the nation going to vote turned around and went home after hearing it.
OTHER ACTIONS:
The Republican-Dominated Florida Legislature:
The Republican-dominated Florida State Legislature convened to elect an alternate 25 delegates, as the Florida Constitution dictated, if there was a possibility of no decision by Dec. 12, which would in all practical purposes give the election to Bush. Bush meanwhile decided not to pursue recounts in several other close states that still could go either way with recounts.
Jeb Bush and the US House of Representatives in Washington DC:
Bush's brother Jeb Bush, Governor of Florida, sat on the sidelines, but could have hypothetically picked the President in certain circumstances, The US House of Representatives in Washington DC could have picked the President in other certain circumstances. The House Majority Speaker also could have become President in certain circumstances, none of which came to pass.
Strong-Arm Tactics:
Jesse Jackson promised civil unrest in the streets if Bush stole the election. Meanwhile outraged Conservative groups say the same if Gore stole the election.
NAACP Sees Money-Grab Opportunity and Takes It:
NAACP gets out-of-court settlement from Florida (which includes Republican North and Democratic South counties) for a voting irregularities suit it filed, and now makes bogus claim that it proves only blacks were intentionally denied the right to vote.
Media Coverage:
The major networks refused to air Bush’s acceptance speech after winning, and instead aired Gore’s protest speech. The major media has continued to be anti-Bush to this day.
Bush's motorcade in DC got one egg thrown at it. Michael Moore played it up in Fahrenheit 9/11.
Conclusions:
So this is why they say “politics is dirty”.
The Democrats are not by any stretch of the imagination the innocent victims they claim to be, engaging in more than their fair share of dirty politics.
Lawsuits flew on both sides.
The Florida courts made several arbitrary decisions that were purely partisan, and the major media played it up for Gore.
After losing his bid for a third recount, and seesaw battles over absentee and military ballots being decided in courts (which could have thrown the election one way or the other), Bush was still ahead. Gore calls for complete re-voting in his three Democratic counties. He is denied in court. Gore finally conceded.
Both Republicans and Democrats engaged in election tricks across the nation, the Democrats equally if not more so in Florida.
Since then, liberals continue to make bogus claims that Bush stole the election, a claim conservatives would equally have made had Gore won.
Clinton states on NPR's Fresh Air interview "You say what you have to say, whether it's true or not.”