If at first you don't win......

[CCTAU 3,355]

Is this what we have to look forward to in the future. At least sKerry had the decency to say no in Ohio.

Keep counting till you win election

By DAVID E. JOHNSON

GUEST COLUMNIST

If you don't win the election on the first count -- demand a recount and litigate until you get the result you want (or the U.S. Supreme Court says enough of this foolishness).

That has become the Democrats new mantra as seen in the past week's certification of Christine Gregoire as governor of Washington following three counts of the ballot; two of which she lost.

The third, a manual recount with dubious ballots suddenly discovered in heavily Democratic King County that were not counted previously gave her the election Now we must stop counting ballots or contesting irregularities, cry the Democrats because they might lose again.

It was Al Gore's strategy in Florida in 2000 until the U.S. Supreme Court quashed the madness. John Edwards and the trial lawyers wanted to pursue this strategy in Ohio until John Kerry, to his credit, overruled them and said this is not the American tradition.

Having lost two presidential elections, the Senate and the House of Representatives, Democrats suddenly have discovered that values matter to Americans. But they have overlooked the fact that Americans don't like sore losers or attempts to change the rules after the game has been played. Democrats in 2000, cried that President Bush was an illegitimate president who stole the election and they would avenge their loss in 2002 and 2004. In both elections, Bush and the Republicans scored resounding successes comparable to only one other president -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Democrats still can't understand how this happened.

Overlooked in this is that Americans expect their political leaders and parties to be as graceful in defeat as they are magnanimous in victory. The greatest example of this was Richard Nixon. In 1960, there was widespread voter fraud in the election in Texas, Missouri and Illinois that tipped the election in John F. Kennedy's favor. Leaders from Dwight Eisenhower to Everett Dirksen urged Nixon to contest the election. Nixon refused. In 2000, Republicans had ample evidence to contest the results in Wisconsin, Iowa and New Mexico, yet refused to do so.

In Washington, it has gone beyond just contesting an election. Democrats are overturning the election results to install their candidate as governor. Their argument is that a manual count that included ballots that had not been counted and mysteriously appeared after the election became in doubt are an accurate reflection of the voters' will. All evidence shows that manual recounts are not as accurate as machine counts (both of which showed the Republican nominee Dino Rossi winning). No matter, argue the Democrats, this last count that shows them winning is all that matters and it's time to move on. Does anyone believe if Rossi had won the manual recount, the Democrats would be willing to concede the election?

Gregoire may well be sworn in as the next governor of Washington, but at a very high price -- not for herself but for the Democratic Party. Her election under such dubious circumstances reinforces the belief of many Americans that Democrats will do anything to win an election -- even steal it.

For a political party already suffering from the perception that it is out of touch with American values, this new perception could be deadly. Most Americans fear that lawsuits over election results will become the norm in national politics and want this stopped -- indeed the Washington theft reinforces the idea.

If Democrats are perceived as the cause for these lawsuits, could further electoral punishment be in their future? In 2006, if they lose more Senate seats and governorships, they might begin to get the message, or, perhaps, they might sue voters. In 2008 they could then nominate Gregoire with the slogan "If at first you don't win, try, try, try again until you get the result you want."

LINK

[Auburn85 434]

Did anyone see Barbara Boxer of California, crying after Bush was officially declared the winner?

She and someone from Ohio tried to contest the results.

Other states had closer results for both Kerry and Bush, but they keep on Ohio.

[Auburn85 434]

She was dis- satisfied with the original results, then the first recount, but when she finally was declared the winner, she was happy with the results.

Why not recount them again?

But wait, she'll assure the public theat they were counted the right way this time

[AURaptor 1,128]

Did anyone see Barbara Boxer of California, crying after Bush was officially declared the winner?

She and someone from Ohio tried to contest the results.

Other states had closer results for both Kerry and Bush, but they keep on Ohio.

137487[/snapback]

I am totally bewildered as to why John Conyers ,Barbara Boxer et al chose Ohio as the hill they wanted to die on. I guess it comes down to giving Kerry the # of Electoral votes to win the White House, and screw the rest of those states that might have a legitimate case - except I doubt there are any such cases.

Listening to Air(I HATE)America Radio, one female host flatly comes out and says that the GOP has stolen the last 2 ( Presidential ) elections. She completely ignores fact and logic and instead tries to instill the most absurd and convaluted reasons for her position. In short, she's just a ignorant, hysterical feminazi whining cause she didn't get her way. She conviently ignores the tiny facts, such as how Bush and the GOP won more seats in the 2002 election, the 1st time the White House has gained seats in an mid-term election. Bush WON with more people going to the polls in a national election than ever, debunking the long held belief that if more people came out ot vote, that would favor the Dem candidates. It didn't . Also , Bush won the meaningless 'popular' vote by over 3 million. Every possible , relevent way of looking at it, Bush and the GOP not only win, but they win going away and putting more distance between them and the Dems. This despite the extreme far Left wing's attempt to misuse Holllywood and the national media as a campaign tool.

Oh yeah, I missed seeing her cry her crocadile tears. I would love to see that though, if only for the comedic appeal.

[Piglet 0]

My understanding is, the Washinton ballots weren't suddenly "discovered", they were wrongly rejected by machine error.

Gotta love the partisans. Depending on who you listen to, you should either accept Ohio without question and re-do Washington, or accept Washington and re-do Ohio, even though it's the same thing in both states. Everyone wants to give the elections to their own party no matter what. What a bunch of hypocrites.

We can do over all the close elections until the cows come home, or we can settle down with the hand we've dealt and get back to giving America a better future.

[Auburn85 434]

The Wahington election was only a difference of about 150 votes.

Ohio was a difference of nearly 100,000

Other states had closer results in favor of both Bush and Kerry

They shouldn't just count Ohio. I don't understand why they are picking on Ohio?

Had Ohio gone to Kerry in the first place, would the Dems say it was ligit?

[Auburn85 434]

It seems that dead people were voting in the Wahington state governor's race

As well as, more votes in counties than number of people living in those counties

[Piglet 0]

Yeah, but the dead people voted for the Republican. This wasn't Chicago, after all...

[mcgufcm 4,107]

it also seems to me that all gregoire did was take the election recounts as far as the law would allow. she asks for three recounts b/c by washington law that's how long it takes to get to the hand count. when they did the hand count, they found out she won. contesting the election after the final recount would not only be ridiculous, but it would also be illegal as the laws are currently constructed. if at first you don't win, push the system as far as the law allows and find the true winner.

[Auburn85 434]

Did yall hear that? Bush didn't steal the election in 2000

[mcgufcm 4,107]

no, he won the electoral college and lost the popular vote. i thought it was dumb for people to ask "how are you going to do your job when you don't have a mandate from the people?" then, and i still find that question ignorant now. you know how gregoire is going to do her job without a clear mandate? she'll show up to work.