Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer Elections

I know that this way off topic, but what does everyone think about the recount in Florida and that stuff?!

(I don't mind stuff off the topic. If off-topic stuff grows, we'll set up a special Forum for it. We have unlimited disk space. Off-topic conversation might lead to useful insights. I'm also curious whether folks on our Forum voted Bush or Gore. And for the non-Americans it would be interesting to get their perspectives.)

Well Pete, since you opened the can of worms ... I believe Canadians hope Bush wins!!!

At least that's the word from my father in law who has followed Politics almost 60+ years.

There is a wide differing opinion on who Canadians hope for(Although Canada tends to be more left wing so that may favour Gore).

It doesn't really bother me either way although Bush might be able to reform your social security system. Set up a system like ours where you get tax credits for investing in the stock market. People can save for retirement so when the time comes that the baby boomers crash the pension system us younger folk will have our own retirement storehouse to fall back upon.

Although I think Gore is more articulate and would be a better spokesperson abroad. Bush doesn't seem as worldly.

I had never even heard of a 'chad' before that whole Florida mess.

That was probably the most "looked up" word in dictionaries these past couple of weeks. I had no idea either.

chad: small pieces of paper or cardboard produced in punching paper tape or data cards

Maybe I'm just being obtuse, but did anyone notice that Gore won in all the more technicaly advanced and educated states, whereas Bush won in the farming / oil areas.

(Don't take this as a denigration of Bush or the Republican party. I happen to be an ardent Republican, but sometimes you have to wonder...)

My fear is that we have opened Pandora's Box and the process of contesting votes that have been cast will become a normal/accepted part of the strategy. At that point, what becomes of the "Will of the people?"

I believe Jean Chretien would fare well down in the US!

Either way, whatever the outcome ... does it really change 'your' life that dramatically?

Oh, and just in case I've offended anyone ... the three things one should never talk about are sex, politics and religion.

I'm sticking to PR where no harm can come to me!!

Michael Saikali

I much prefer Bush. I have observed both candidates behaviour through this mess in Florida and came to realize that Gore's remindes me of a spoiled kid at christmas time in a toy store.

If the events in Florida indicate what the character of the candidates are like, I think that Bush is way ahead of Gore. It's a crying shame the extent to which the Dems are going to try to get Gore into the office. They seem to want to keep counting and re-counting until they can "find" enough votes to announce that Gore won. I hope this doesn't set a template for future elections.

Gore may be more articulate. He also invented the internet, found the Love Canal polution, helped create the national strategic oil reserve, thinks Clinton is the best president this country ever had, has said in his book that he wants to eliminate the internal combustion engine and $2 or $3 a gallon gasoline, and has voted for increased taxes every chance he got. If Gore gets into the White House, he won't do any of us any favors.

Gore won the popular vote in the more heavily populated areas of this country because those areas tend to be more liberal (not neccessarily more inteligent) than the country folks. This is why we have the electoral college. If the president was elected by straight popular vote, all a candidate would have to do is to campaign in the most heavily populated areas (New York City, Southern Ca., Southern Fl., Boston, Seattle, etc...) and ignore the majority of states (Mt, Id, Wy, Or, Nv, Nm, etc...). Thus the potential for mob rule will be in place.

Thats my opinion about the candidates.

As an observer from the UK I find the whole thing quite bizarre. Ignoring my preferences I feel the shambolic and confusing affair has cast a dark shadow over the US electoral process. How can the US ever speak with any authority about the way other counties conduct elections when they cannot even agree how their's can and should be concluded? It is said the laws in the UK are way out of date but the court process seen recently in Florida makes us look efficient.

Politics is not my favourite subject as I feel it is rather a waste of time and effort and culminates in a lot of arguments and few decisions. Perhaps these people would more usefully employed improving their education - maybe even using PhotoReading. It's frightening that a lot of people on this discussion group are probably far more intelligent than either of the candidates for what is considered to be the most powerful political position in the world!

Gareth