I mentioned black people (among others) because there is a bad history of black voter disenfranchisement in Florida. One that black people in Florida have every right to be bitter about. Do you remember the 2000 election?

Not to mention the fact that this is a historic election with a black candidate on the ballot. Imagine that the first year that you could vote for a serious contender for President who is also your race, and you are told not to vote, but then you find out that your neighbors who own their house instead of renting it did vote, and then later on, it turns out that their vote counts after all. Do you think a voter like this is going to LOVE the Democratic party in the future?

Just saying.

This is really not about Obama. He just happens to be at the right time and the right place and has benefitted greatly from an outpouring of bringing the country back to its promise.

I couldn't agree more. I remember I happened to be in La Paz, Mexico on the day that Bush was re-inaugurated...I remember comforting myself that there was peace at least in the name of the city where I was standing. But many of us were so disgusted with our fellow citizens that day. My best friend hasn't ever gotten over it. She couldn't believe that Bush, after being so bad for four years, could actually win. There could have been voter tampering. I'm not positive what happened.

But what appeals to me about Obama is his grassroots outreach, and his inclusiveness. I think we need a movement that's bigger than a Clinton Restoration, that much is clear. But also bigger than Obama. I hope that this is what's happening. I hope that neither of these two thinks of this contest as (only) ego...when there are life and death issues on the line.

I'm sure you can find more facts about this as easily as I can. I didn't claim that black people were specifically targeted in this instance, but rather that they may be suffering more if they missed a historic opportunity to vote for a person of the same race. Women were told not to vote as well, or told that their votes would not count, so they might have missed a historic opportunity as well--but I was thinking of the black people disenfranchised and turned away in huge numbers, thrown off the voting rolls for being criminals or future criminals in the year 2000.

In fact, if you want to be specific, lower income people in Florida may be the disenfranchised ones since there was a property bill on the ballot, and those who showed up to vote on the property bill voted for President as well (or this is what accounts for a larger than normal amount of people voting in an election where their vote was supposed to "not count." You can look this up as easily as I can.

I think a do-over is fair, but it concerns me that Clinton has said no to a do-over. Maybe she will change her mind in the end. But the Florida Democratic Party also seems to be saying no. To not even consider letting others vote seems unfair. Maybe it depends on one's temperament. If I thought that my vote wouldn't count, I probably wouldn't have taken time out of my busy day to vote. Well, since I'm a political junkie I might have...but usually if someone tells me my vote won't count, I believe them and act accordingly. Call me a rule follower.

But I'm also concerned that if the Democratic Party changes its mind, there will be a backlash. Maybe not a big one, but even a few disgusted voters turning to Nader in protest could cost them the election. Finding a fair solution is going to be a challenge I suppose. I haven't read down in the posts if you wrote earlier today--are you against a do-over?

Just wondering. Also, what would you think of a joint ticket....I'm just starting to wonder about this since both of them have or seem to have such devoted supporters....

AKA I need to get some sleep before my uninspiring job tomorrow, unfortunately, but I do want to know @ your opinion of a joint ticket and/or where you stand on the do-over story. I'll look for you tomorrow night.