[Friedrich Hayek]

You honestly think Gore lost the US Presidency because of an arcane argument over an airport location? That's the most laughable thing I've ever heard.

Those of us who peruse FR on a daily basis are news junkies, but 95% of the electorate are not. The average voter had no idea that there was an airport controversy, and more importantly, they had no idea which side of the argument Al Gore stood on.

(For the record, I'm a news junkie and I never heard of this airport till today.)

There were millions of votes cast in Florida, and every voter had a different reason for casting his vote.

You don't suppose Gore's position on the Elian Gonzalez debacle, or taxes, or Social Security, or gun control, or National Defense had anything to do with his defeat do you?

[summer]

You honestly think Gore lost the US Presidency because of an arcane argument over an airport location? That's the most laughable thing I've ever heard.

Well then, ha ha ha. :)
I guess you don't live in FL. But, I do. And, I noticed FL was not in Gore's colunm after the election. So, Gore lost FL. And, in Election 2000, losing FL (and TN, and WV) certainly did cost Al Gore the election. Glad you just now woke up!

Those of us who peruse FR on a daily basis are news junkies, but 95% of the electorate are not. The average voter had no idea that there was an airport controversy, and more importantly, they had no idea which side of the argument Al Gore stood on.

Wrong that no one else knew. As I accurately stated in my editorial above, every major environmental group in the country had expressed an opinion on this issue. Clinton opposed this airport. Gore did not oppose it as a presidential candidate.

In addition, several of the 350+ FR posts on my Jan 9, 2002 FR editorial (linked above), from the average conservative voter, outside the state of FL, knew about the Homestead Airport issue -- and was following it.

Furthermore, other FR posters also claimed that on another thread I posted about this issue.

Granted, there were not a whole lot of FR posters who said that, but I was very surprised that a handful of FR posters across the country did in fact know before I told them.

(For the record, I'm a news junkie and I never heard of this airport till today.)

So, "for the record" -- you may not be the news junkie you think you are, no offense to you, or, you may have no interest or concern in the environment -- which, by the way, is NOT the case with FL voters.

BTW, I do appreciate your post, and since you claim to be a news junkie, I will post a link for you, to come, which I hope you will read -- and, check out the FR posters comments on both the link I post, and, my Jan 9th FR editorial linked above. If you bother to read everything, you may be quite surprised....

[summer]

And, "arcane" does not accruately describe the argument. According to the very in-depth and comprehensive piece written by the local jounralist in the New Miami Times, this was an on-going, heated, intense argument -- and tensions were mounting daily.

[summer]

Here's a great thread to start with:



Collision Course [The real reason Al Gore lost FL in 2000]

[summer]

An excerpt from the above article, "Collision Course":

....[FL] Environmentalists find it ironic that, with regard to this subject [the proposed airport in the Everglades], their strongest allies have often been Republicans while their fiercest opponents have been Democrats. Outgoing Republican Sen. Connie Mack, for example, opposes the development of a commercial airport at the air base. One of Mack's Republican colleagues, Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, tried to guarantee that the proposed airport would not hinder plans to restore the Everglades.

On the other hand, redeveloping the [Homestead, FL Airforce] base as a commercial airport has been supported over the years by Graham and fellow Democrats such as Penelas, Congresswoman Carrie Meek, former Gov. Lawton Chiles, Senator-elect Bill Nelson while he was state insurance commissioner, and State Sen. Daryl Jones [Note: Jones is now a Dem candidate for FL gov 2002]...

[Also, note: the USA Homestead Airport Base in FL had been devastated by Hurricane Andrew in the early 1990's.]

[summer]

You don't suppose Gore's position on the Elian Gonzalez debacle, or taxes, or Social Security, or gun control, or National Defense had anything to do with his defeat do you?

No. I don't. Not with respect to Soth FL and the FL voters in that region, located near Homestead Airforce Base and the Everglades.

BTW, I'm sure I'm not the first one to tell you this, Friedrich:

ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL.