The great Florida ballot swindle

It was beautiful and simple as all truly great swindles are," O. Henry wrote. The Bush camp is now waging an all-out legal and public relations assault against recounting the Florida misvote, perhaps sensing that a truly great swindle is imperiled. Earl Long, former governor of Louisiana, said, "When I die, I want to be buried in Louisiana so I can still be active in politics." In Florida, it seems, there is a range of voting improprieties from which to choose. Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, a Bush fundraiser, announced yesterday that she will not permit further ballot recounts in disputed, heavily Democratic counties. The legally mandated statewide recount trimmed Bush's lead over Gore to 300 votes in the state, a lead that should survive tabulation of the state's absentee ballots. However, with such widespread allegations of impropriety in Broward, Dade and Palm Beach counties, only recounts have any hope of letting in some sunlight on the election in the Sunshine State. Accusations that a recount attacks the legitimacy of voting and democracy fail to take into account the frailty of the current system. We should be working to strengthen the system against insider manipulation, not exploiting the system's weaknesses to seal the deal for your candidate. Although Bush legal adviser Howard Baker assures us this week that there has been "no fraud, I repeat, no fraud," uncovered so far, the verdict is hardly in. Attempts by the Bush camp to foil recounts and other close examinations obscure rather that reassure. According to The New York Times, 44 percent of Americans feel that the recounts can go on for as long as another month. Two thirds of Americans, according to a CNN/Time poll, feel that Gore was correct to withdraw his concession. Americans recognize that, according to Jane Ellice Hopkins, "genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains." Why not recount? Why not revote, if findings invalidate the proceedings? Who didn't raise an eyebrow when Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, with an odd confidence in America's closest presidential election, told his brother, "I will deliver Florida to you no matter what?" Whether the Electoral College survives scrutiny remains to be seen. But no one, especially not Jeb Bush, should be allowed to lean on his state's Electoral College delegation using premature ballot results declared official by a partisan secretary of state before the votes are properly counted and all allegations of impropriety dealt with. We have plenty of time before the Electoral College meets on December 18. There is no rush. But ballot recounts have the potential to blow the lid off the whole operation. We can expect anyone with sins to hide to screech in protest of ballot recounts, or any close scrutiny of county-run elections. Bush campaigners point to Nixon's graceful concession in 1968, now shown to be premature had he only called for a recount. But Nixon did not concede defeat because he was a gentleman. It is probably safe to wager that he conceded because the Nixon machine could not withstand too much daylight. History has shown that Richard Nixon never took much stock in grace to get things done. But we have reached popular critical mass. We must spearhead legislation to improve ballot clarity and access. We must also begin the lengthy process to reform or to even abolish the vestigial Electoral College, which got us into this mess in the first place. From the conservatives who bitterly opposed Motor Voter registration, we can expect hot opposition to voting simplification. It will not benefit the once and future oligarchy to fully empower the American voter by allowing him the final say. It is distressing to see Gore winning the popular vote so far, but treated as the sore loser. We are the losers if we cannot have satisfaction that our own votes are properly counted. "Injustice is relatively easy to bear," H.L. Mencken said. "What stings is justice." Voters are numb from bearing insult after insult. Ballot recount opponents, however, act as though they fear a keen and stinging exposure.

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