Election 2006 - How long will this drag out?

Several analysts (from both the left and right) are predicting lawsuits and court challenges in several states. Settling elections in court is more disturbing to me than the dearth of quality people running for office.

Is there any way to keep the losers from filing suit just because they lost?

 

First off, lets remember that the same was predicted in 2004 and did not come to pass.

Other than Florida in 2000, please name for me another disputed election that went to court. I can't think of one and I follow politics pretty closely. Most Senate/Rep elections aren't so close that a recount can effect it. Lets say that McCaskill beats Talent by 2,500 votes, which would be less than a 1% difference. Talent isn't going to find 2,500 votes to flip, even if he empties out every ballot box in Missorah. I would say that a Senate election would have to be under a 1,000 vote difference and a House election would need to be under 300 to have a reasonable chance of a recount/court battle making a difference. And even when it does get that close -- like John Thune losing by 527 votes in 2002 and with reported shenanigans in Indian reservation voting -- most losers decide to bow out gracefully and not challenge the result. That isn't a slam against Gore -- he had every right to ask for a recount -- but he was the exception and not the rule.

This court talk is fueled by two things: 1. Both parties have lawyers waiting as a contigency and 2. It's a scare tactic by implication: get out and vote or have the courts pick the winner. I'd be pretty surprised if even one Senate/Rep/Gov race ends in court.

 

Good question. Ask Howard Dean, algore or Jesse Jackson. They'll be the ones up late night with their legal team.

 

Who is "algore"? Is he a late entrant to a Congressional race? Is he any relation to former Vice President Al Gore?

 

If the public gets riled up about possible irregularities with electronic voting, I think we might see a little more action in court this time around than we did last. They're just now catching on to how porous the whole system is.

 

The great Rush-bo called him algore.

 

* Narrator: So they took their friend Christopher's advice and went to see Algore the Donkey, who lived on the very next page.
Pinky: When does this scene start to animate, Brainie?
Brain: It already has, Pinklet. The question is, when does Algore start to animate?

 

Pope, I freely admit I don't follow politics as closely as you do. But I'm seeing and hearing so many people discussing the possibilities of lawsuits and challenges, it makes me wonder.

I certainly hope every race (no matter who wins) is decided by a large enough margin that lawsuits aren't considered.

 

Brain: "algore, the inventor of the Internet and the man who is going to keep this forest green."
All the animals cheer in unison with Bill Gates trailing them.

 

What's worse: The endless stream of political ads on TV, or Mellencamp's "This Is Our Country" ads during the baseball postseason?

 

Mellancamp. No question.

At least the political ads end tomorrow night. We'll be subjected to Mellancamp's crap for the forseeable future.

 

Yeah, run the polls the American way, even if you don't like the color of someone else's skin or the likelihood of their casting their votes for a certain party.