Posted on 09/21/2009 9:11:28 AM PDT by mojito
Tony Trimble couldn't catch a break.
As one of the lead attorneys for Sen. Norm Coleman following Election Day, he hadn't stopped working in months.
And as he watched the Republican's lead over Democrat Al Franken slip steadily and then finally vanish in the largest recount in American history, he marveled at how everything seemed to be breaking Franken's way. Clerical corrections, countless one- and two-vote shifts from sloppily filled-out ballots, major judicial rulings. They all added to Franken's vote quarry.
In the closing days of the recount, Trimble watched, dumbstruck, as 933 rejected absentee ballots — once the domain of Republicans — were opened and counted. "Franken ... Franken ... Coleman ... Franken."
"I felt like I was in the middle of the desert," said Trimble, a stalwart Republican whose knowledge of election law traced to his childhood in Walker, Minn., where his parents were active in the party and his mother was an election judge during the 2008 election. A colleague concluded Trimble was "traumatized" by the event.
In truth, not every break had gone to Franken, but so many had that it made the difference.
For Marc Elias, a Franken attorney and D.C. heavyweight who had fought to get those ballots opened, what had transpired was merely the manifestation of a post-election philosophy he espouses: "The will of the electorate is going to come out one way or the other."
To Trimble and many Republicans, the Democrats had outfoxed,out-argued, and out-dataed them.
(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...
The "otherwise" refers to his chapter about Design as one of the six components of an integrated mind-set. As an example, he states that poor ballot design was the reason that Al Gore lost the 2000 election, citing the "butterfly ballot" (that supposedly gave Gore votes to Buchanan) and one other example. He brings up no examples of poor design working against Bush instead of Gore, but then he admits that he was a Gore operative.
Liberals assume that power is naturally theirs. If they don't get power, then it's Republican evil or just plain bad luck that made it so -- not their policies.
Agreed. Also, as well as your prudent reforms I'd suggest a flat rule to be implemented across the country requiring congressional constituencies to be required to comply to a single standard around density and shape to prevent or at least minimise the current gerrymandering both parties practice. No more of these farcical ones that are 25 blocks long and one block wide to avoid a clump of enemy voters!
Absolutely. I believe someone has proposed expanding the US House such that each Rep represents 500,000(?) people. I forget what the name of the plan is, but it has some good points. And I agree with you about the oddly shaped districts created by gerrymandering.
I think tour estimates a probably very conservative concerning fraud :)
Good gracious, let me try that again.
I think your estimates are probably very conservative concerning fraud :)
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