Letters to the Editor
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The four possibilities
I make no judgment about who's right in all this, but it seems to me there are logically only four possibilities:
1. Americans intended to elect George W. Bush, and did, because they prefer the policies and the kinds of governance he represents over the alternatives.
2. Americans intended to elect John Kerry (and Al Gore before him), but instead got George W. Bush, because of election fraud -- and then acquiesced in this result.
3. Americans intended to elect George W. Bush, and did, not because they prefer his policies and so forth, but because lots of them are ill-informed and don't really understand what's happening, making them suckers for Karl Rove-style disinformation and smear tactics.
All three of those possibilities paint a grim picture of America, frankly. That leaves this fourth possibility as, amazingly, the most hopeful:
4. Americans intended to elect John Kerry (and Al Gore before him), but instead got George W. Bush, because the American electoral system -- due to incompetence, poor design, mismanagement, etc. -- is incapable (at least in close elections) of doing what such a system is supposed to do, which is accurately register the people's will. Oh, and Americans nonetheless acquiesced in the result: The presidency of a man whom less than one-third of them now believe to be doing a good job.
Is this a great country, or what?