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Posted by Krenim (Member # 22) on :
 
Every US President elected since 1840 has died in office, save Reagan, who almost got killed. Given the way this election is headed, I am worried that the pattern may hold true again.

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It has been brought to my attention that I need a new signature. Unfortunately, I don't happen to have a new one handy since no one's been by TrekSunday in a while to make witty or otherwise amusing comments. Don't you feel guilty now?

[This message has been edited by Krenim (edited November 09, 2000).]
 


Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
 
George Bush didn't die in office.

Richard Nixon didn't die in office.

Neither Carter nor Ford died in office (they're both still around, but Ford'll kick it soon)

I don't think Truman, Johnson, or Eisenhower died in office.

I doubt Clinton'll die before his term is over ...

Unless I'm mistaken, the last two Presidents to die in office have been FDR (of natural causes), and JFK (of a bullet or two ... or possibly three ... )

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Gore/Lieberman 2000
***
"You still don't understand, do you MacLeod? I am the End of Time!" - Kronos

"You're history!" - MacLeod
***
"I think anybody who doesn't think I'm smart enough to handle the job is underestimating." - George "Dubya" Bush


[This message has been edited by JeffKardde (edited November 09, 2000).]
 


Posted by Krenim (Member # 22) on :
 
Oops. I had rewritten that message so many times, I forgot the important part: The presidents that died were elected in a year ending with a zero.

I'm very sorry, I don't know how I managed to omit that.

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It has been brought to my attention that I need a new signature. Unfortunately, I don't happen to have a new one handy since no one's been by TrekSunday in a while to make witty or otherwise amusing comments. Don't you feel guilty now? ;)
 


Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
 
THERE WAS ONE BULLET!

*ahem*

Now that that's out of the way...

I'd personally find it grimly amusing if the "curse" fell upon Al for claiming the victory, even though Bush won.

------------------
Francesca: He was born on the tundra, that's where he belongs. You'll kill him if you take him to Toronto.
Thatcher: That's a bit drastic, don't you think?
Francesca: Look, I've been to Toronto. Trust me, nothing can survive there. - "due South"
 


Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
 
Omega,

Al hasn't claimed the victory yet. No one has, and Bush shouldn't have claimed victory either ...

Well, I should rephrase that. If Bush does win Florida, then both men can claim victory:

Gore for winning the popular vote (and I can almost guarantee he'll be back in '04 to give Bush a run for his money)

Bush for winning the Presidency by way of the Electorate College and *not* the majority vote

It would be rather impossible for Gore to "win" the curse f he should lose, unless he gets elected in '04 (I really doubt he'll die before Clinton is out of office), and *then* dies ... the whole point is that the President-elect who is elected in a year ending in '0 dies in office as President, so ...

------------------
Gore/Lieberman 2000
***
"You still don't understand, do you MacLeod? I am the End of Time!" - Kronos

"You're history!" - MacLeod
***
"I think anybody who doesn't think I'm smart enough to handle the job is underestimating." - George "Dubya" Bush


[This message has been edited by JeffKardde (edited November 09, 2000).]
 


Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
 
"Well, I should rephrase that. If Bush does win Florida, then both men can claim victory"

You liberals have an odd definition of victory. Victory is accomplishing your objectives. Gore's objective is to win the presidency. The popular vote is only prehipherally relevant to this goal.

There can be only one, you know.

As for the curse, you're taking things way to seriously. It's a JOKE.

------------------
Francesca: He was born on the tundra, that's where he belongs. You'll kill him if you take him to Toronto.
Thatcher: That's a bit drastic, don't you think?
Francesca: Look, I've been to Toronto. Trust me, nothing can survive there. - "due South"
 


Posted by Jeff Raven (Member # 20) on :
 
Actually, Gore's aides are claiming victory, saying that with all the 'irregularities' involved, Gore should be the winner.

And that ballot? If you can't understand it, then you shouldn't even be voting :P

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No my signature is not dated.
 


Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
 
Y'know Omega, almost every one of your posts recently has had the phrase "you liberals..." in it. I'm sure there's a deep-rooted psychological reason behind you constantly having to put people into catagories, almost certianly due to guns.

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"If every vampire who said he was at the Crucifixion was actually there it would've been like Woodstock. I was at Woodstock. I fed off a flower person and I spent six hours watching my hand move." - Spike, BtVS
 


Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
 
It's not the Guns, it's the bullits, lead poisoning, don't ya know!!

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All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.

Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.
Bob Dylan


 


Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
 
Kosh
I like Jimi Hendrix's better.

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I see a red door and I want it painted black



 


Posted by USS Vanguard (Member # 130) on :
 
amen to that

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"Life sucks, then you die"


 


Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
 
Omega,

Yes, there can be only one, but Duncan MacLeod isn't running for president, so ...

Gore can claim victory -- he did win the popular vote, and got more votes than any other Democratic nominee in recent history. You can bet he'll be back in 2004, and even your vote won't be enough to keep Dubya in office.

JeffR, the ballot situation is very tricky. If it was just a matter of people reading a confusing ballot, then, even I would say, tough for Gore, no revote. BUT! Here's where it gets intereasting: the Sample Ballot was *not* the same as the actual ballot; and it is possible that it is against Florida Election law to have the arrow, or dot, or whatever were you *mark* the ballot on the left side of the candidate's name, thereby making the ballot itself illegal ...

I still stand by a Federal Investigation of Florida (regardless of outcome!) ... because no one can deny that there is something *fishy* going on ... besides which, Florida itself has said (well, ok, the representatives of the state) that the election won't be certain until Sept. 17th, when the absentee ballots are counted ... this is a *very* close race, people ... I don't think it would be fair for any side to accuse the other of trying to postpone the inevitable. Although, it does make me wonder that the Governor of Florida happens to be the brother of one of the dudes who wants into the White House ... you can bet if it comes down to Bush & Gore again in '04, this'll be a major issue.

Omega, regarding the posts you made earlier: would the tie-breaking vote be cast by the *current* Vice President (Al Gore), or by the VP the Senate chooses? (Or whomever chooses them)? I don't think it was that clear.

------------------
Gore/Lieberman 2000
***
"You still don't understand, do you MacLeod? I am the End of Time!" - Kronos

"You're history!" - MacLeod
***
"I think anybody who doesn't think I'm smart enough to handle the job is underestimating." - George "Dubya" Bush

[This message has been edited by JeffKardde (edited November 09, 2000).]
 


Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
 
I believe that any election related congressional business takes place after the new Congress is convened, for obvious reasons.

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love's function is to fabricate unknownnness
--
E. E. Cummings
****
Read chapter one of "Dirk Tungsten in...The Disappearing Planet"! And party everyday.

 


Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
 
Here's a thought, back on the original topic...

This has been the closest, most drawn-out, and certainly most controversial election in quite a while. If any president is likely to be assassinated (or at least have an attempt made), it'll be whoever ends up getting it this time.

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"What he did to that walrus gentle-man was inexcusable."
-T. Herman Zweibel on "Mr. Woodrow Wood-pecker", The Onion, 7-Nov-2000
 


Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
 
Isn't the goal of an assassin usually to kill whomever wins office, thereby preventing them from doing anything with said office?

I mean, what be the point of assassinating the guy who didn't get the White House?

Sorry, but the above just kind of strikes me as a "D'uh!" statement ...

------------------
Gore/Lieberman 2000
***
"You still don't understand, do you MacLeod? I am the End of Time!" - Kronos

"You're history!" - MacLeod
***
"I think anybody who doesn't think I'm smart enough to handle the job is underestimating." - George "Dubya" Bush


 


Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
 
JK:

"Here's where it gets intereasting: the Sample Ballot was *not* the same as the actual ballot"

Well, the sample ballot I saw was different from our actual ballots, too. Should I sue?

"and it is possible that it is against Florida Election law to have the arrow, or dot, or whatever were you *mark* the ballot on the left side of the candidate's name, thereby making the ballot itself illegal ..."

No, it just requires that the mark be opposite the cantidate's name. Opposite is defined as: set over against something that is at the other end or side of an intervening line or space. The ballot fits this description.

"no one can deny that there is something *fishy* going"

Sure I can. People can deny anything that there's no evidence of.

"Florida itself has said (well, ok, the representatives of the state) that the election won't be certain until Sept. 17th, when the absentee ballots are counted"

Don't you mean November 17th? I don't want to wait THAT long.

"Omega, regarding the posts you made earlier: would the tie-breaking vote be cast by the *current* Vice President (Al Gore), or by the VP the Senate chooses?"

I assume this was meant for the other thread, but... assuming that the VP has the authority to break a tie in an appointal situation, then it'd of course be the one that was currently in office, namely Al. But then we have, what, 53 seats? Probably wouldn't be a tie.

JK2:

Did you read what TSN said? You're agreeing with him.

------------------
Francesca: He was born on the tundra, that's where he belongs. You'll kill him if you take him to Toronto.
Thatcher: That's a bit drastic, don't you think?
Francesca: Look, I've been to Toronto. Trust me, nothing can survive there. - "due South"

 


Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :
 
1. The Republicans are not doing ANYTHING to 'drag out' this process. Only the Democrats are screaming like children who had their favorite toy taken away. True, Bush is putting together his 'transition team,' but that's an act of RERSPONSIBILITY, not arrogant presumption.

2. Last night, they gave the 'disputed' ballot to a SEVEN-year-old child. HE picked out Gore's spot IMMEDIATELY. There are frickin' ARROWS on each one, for chrissake! Only a true idiot or a blind person could have mistaken the ballot. (Of course, since these ballots were all supposedly meant for Gore... well... that would tell you something about the quality of Gore voters.)

3. The popular vote is constitutionally IRRELEVANT. GET OVER IT. If you don't like it, propose an Amendment. Nevertheless, it's too late to do anything about THIS election, legally, now.

4. After the upswing the economy's about to have under a Bush presidency, and once the truths start coming out about the real in-office history of the Clinton-Gore administration, I doubt Gore will be able to get elected DOGCATCHER anywhere, but we'll see.

5. The military absentee ballots will be for Bush, too.

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"Ed Gruberman, you fail to grasp Ty Kwan Leap. Approach me, that you might see." -- The Master



 


Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
 
When the economy DROPS under Bush, well ... we'll see.

The truth will come out ... about Republican corruption within the Florida elections. And we'll see how the voters feel when Jeb Bush comes up for re-election ...

------------------
Gore/Lieberman 2000
***
"You still don't understand, do you MacLeod? I am the End of Time!" - Kronos

"You're history!" - MacLeod
***
"I think anybody who doesn't think I'm smart enough to handle the job is underestimating." - George "Dubya" Bush


 


Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
 
Jeff: Erm... You've lost me on that response to my comment...

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"What he did to that walrus gentle-man was inexcusable."
-T. Herman Zweibel on "Mr. Woodrow Wood-pecker", The Onion, 7-Nov-2000
 


Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
Republicans: "Gore's whining & cheating! No recount! Bush won!"

Democrats: "Gore got more! The ballots were difficult to undertsand! Jeb's fixing for his brother!"

Common Sense: "Would you BOTH just shut the fuck UP, for Kaja's sake?!? JEEEsus! FLIP a fucking coin & let me get back to WORK, huh? Don't MAKE me come down there, kick ALL y'alls asses, & install MYSELf as leader..& don't think I WON'T! And if y'don't like it, you can suck my short fat hairy Kike CRANK!!"

This is why I'm SO glad I voted for John Sheridan....

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"Omigod. Singing meat. This is altogether too much."

 


Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
 
JK, once again, is making unfounded assumptions. Desperation does strange things to some people...

------------------
Francesca: He was born on the tundra, that's where he belongs. You'll kill him if you take him to Toronto.
Thatcher: That's a bit drastic, don't you think?
Francesca: Look, I've been to Toronto. Trust me, nothing can survive there. - "due South"

 


Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :
 
I feel that it is far, far more likely that, given focus on recounts, Democratic ballot stuffing and questionable behaviour will 'come out' in far more than only Florida.

New York, Iowa, Oregon, California, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania (I live here, and believe me, it's a known factor, not a supposition, here.) have yet to be looked at seriously.

I wouldn't be suprised at all if you suddenly hear some change in the voices that really means "We won't glom onto Florida anymore if you promise not to look at our activities in other states..."

Because believe me, if the Dems claim fraud to invalidate Florida, the Reps WILL start ferretting it out elsewhere.

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"Ed Gruberman, you fail to grasp Ty Kwan Leap. Approach me, that you might see." -- The Master



 


Posted by USS Vanguard (Member # 130) on :
 
First of Two, actually Senator Arlen Specter(R) of Pennsylvania has announced he plans on proposing an amendment that will call for the disbandment of the Electoral college on Monday. The electoral college was put up in the first place because during the 18th and 19th centuries, Americans were butt dumb and couldn't be counted on to vote for a competetant president. Anyway, it looks like a much-delayed piece of legislation to me.

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"Life sucks, then you die"

[This message has been edited by USS Vanguard (edited November 10, 2000).]
 


Posted by Vacuum robot lady from Spaceballs (Member # 239) on :
 
What was it, Bush & Gore visited Florida a combined 58 times? And North Dakota 0? Simply because Florida was worth more College vote-things.

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Communism. The most socialist of all the 'ism's. It's in you to vote.

Please vote for the Communist Party of Canada This November 27th.
 


Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
As nice as it would be to do away with the Electoral College...do realize what that would have meant in this case? It wouldn't have been just Florida that was recounted...it would've been the ENTIRE FRAGGIN' NATION.

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"Omigod. Singing meat. This is altogether too much."

 


Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
 
Well, one reason for the electoral college is that there's no such thing as a federal election. It's just a way to combine a bunch of little state elections.

------------------
Francesca: He was born on the tundra, that's where he belongs. You'll kill him if you take him to Toronto.
Thatcher: That's a bit drastic, don't you think?
Francesca: Look, I've been to Toronto. Trust me, nothing can survive there. - "due South"

 


Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :
 
We have an electoral college for the same reason we have a House of Representatives AND a Senate.

To keep the large populous states from completely overwhelming the smaller, less populous states. The "tyranny of the majority," as Jefferson put it.

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"Ed Gruberman, you fail to grasp Ty Kwan Leap. Approach me, that you might see." -- The Master



 


Posted by USS Vanguard (Member # 130) on :
 
Really, I always thought the Electoral college was actually a concession to the conservative aristocracy of Early America so that democracy wouldnt run wild in the "mobocracy" of the masses. Although I guess it also keeps states from overwhelming eachother in a way.

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"Life sucks, then you die"


 


Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
 
But that doesn't help. In fact, it makes things worse.

Personally, I think another reason for it was that it would have been flat-out impossible to count every single vote with the speed of communications in the eighteenth century.

I think the system needs an overhaul, but I also think that the popular vote is not the way to go. How 'bout something like the congress?

*thinks*

Say we have two electoral colleges. In one, each state gets, say, five electoral votes. The other is run exactly the way is is now. Whichever cantidate wins BOTH colleges wins. If you get a split, whoever got the higher popular vote wins, unless it's within, say, 1%. Then it goes to the congress like it does now.

Sound good?

------------------
Francesca: He was born on the tundra, that's where he belongs. You'll kill him if you take him to Toronto.
Thatcher: That's a bit drastic, don't you think?
Francesca: Look, I've been to Toronto. Trust me, nothing can survive there. - "due South"

 


Posted by USS Vanguard (Member # 130) on :
 
Why not have a system sort of like Maine or Nebraska where they actually do the electoral votes county by county.

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"Life sucks, then you die"


 


Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
 
Omega, why is going by popular vote not right, other than when we have a close election such as this. Once every 2 generations that have to recount close calls isn't to bad.
After all, a popular vote would actually elect the team in to office that the people vote for.
The county by county EC would work also.
Also, the EC doesn't stop the bigger states from over whelming the smaller ones, Florida with 25 EC votes, and Nevada(?) with 4? Not 4 each, or 25 each. No difference.

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I see a red door and I want it painted black



 


Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
 
Yes, but what's to stop a particular state from subdividing itself into myriad counties, and thus getting more votes? What about that one state that just has three REAL big counties (somewhere in the NE, IIRC)? That's not quite fair, either. The states themselves should be represented somehow, just not the way they are now.

How 'bout THIS: say that each state gets whatever number of electoral votes it gets now. When election time comes around, say one cantidate gets 55% of the vote, the other 45%. The first would get 55% of the electoral votes, the second 45%, with any fractional votes going to the winner, for obvious reasons. This system would be relatively easy to modify for third party cantidates.

This way, the states still get representation as entities, but the popular vote becomes much more important. Sound good?

------------------
Francesca: He was born on the tundra, that's where he belongs. You'll kill him if you take him to Toronto.
Thatcher: That's a bit drastic, don't you think?
Francesca: Look, I've been to Toronto. Trust me, nothing can survive there. - "due South"

 


Posted by Vacuum robot lady from Spaceballs (Member # 239) on :
 
With that, why have Electoral College at all?

I say just do away with it, and let the popular vote actually vote in the President.

It'd also be interesting to be able to vote on VP seperately, so you could end up with two different parties as POTUS, and VP. I don't know if that would actually do anything, but it might be cool.

------------------
Communism. Who wouldn't like their neighbour thrown into a goulag?

Please vote for the Communist Party of Canada This November 27th.

 


Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
 
"The electoral college was put up in the first place because during the 18th and 19th centuries, Americans were butt dumb and couldn't be counted on to vote for a competetant president."

Do I even need to say what I think about this...? :-)

"To keep the large populous states from completely overwhelming the smaller, less populous states."

To stop it?! That's exactly what it does! I mean, look at Florida! If 50.000000001% of the population votes for one candidate, he/she/it gets all 25 electoral votes. Now, let's say there's a smaller state where the entire population votes for the opposing candidate, and their population is the same as that 50.000000001% of Florida. Candidate A gets 25 electoral votes from Florida, and Candidate B only gets half as many from the other state, even though he/she/it got the same number of votes.

"What about that one state that just has three REAL big counties (somewhere in the NE, IIRC)?"

Er... Rhode Island has five counties. But then, some states have single counties that are larger than Rhode Island in its entirety. Aside from that, I don't know what you're talking about...

------------------
"What he did to that walrus gentle-man was inexcusable."
-T. Herman Zweibel on "Mr. Woodrow Wood-pecker", The Onion, 7-Nov-2000

[This message has been edited by TSN (edited November 11, 2000).]
 


Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
 
He refers to Delaware, which has 3 counties: Kent, New Castle, & Sussex.

As I remember, my state of Connecticut is the only one in the Union that has no county-level government. Sherriffs are appointees & are actually being abolished. There's 8 counties here (Litchfield, Fairfield, Tolland, Middlesex, New Haven, New London, Windham & Hartford), but most people would be hard-pressed to name them all. They might get 3, possibly 4.

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"Omigod. Singing meat. This is altogether too much."

 


Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
 
The only Maryland counties I know are ...

Prince Georges
Montgomery
Howard
Baltimore (which is the county where I live)
Harford
Cecil
Ann Arundel

Er ... I think we've got 25 total, maybe 13, hell, I just don't know! The eastern shore is a mystery, as is Western and Southern Maryland ...

------------------
Gore/Lieberman 2000
***
"You still don't understand, do you MacLeod? I am the End of Time!" - Kronos

"You're history!" - MacLeod
***
"I think anybody who doesn't think I'm smart enough to handle the job is underestimating." - George "Dubya" Bush


 


Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
 
I still like my idea.

------------------
Francesca: He was born on the tundra, that's where he belongs. You'll kill him if you take him to Toronto.
Thatcher: That's a bit drastic, don't you think?
Francesca: Look, I've been to Toronto. Trust me, nothing can survive there. - "due South"

 


Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
 
Okay, so Delaware does only have three. I missed that when I flipped through the atlas, since Delaware and Maryland are combined into one map.

But, still... Delaware isn't exactly the largest state around, either... :-)

------------------
"What he did to that walrus gentle-man was inexcusable."
-T. Herman Zweibel on "Mr. Woodrow Wood-pecker", The Onion, 7-Nov-2000
 


Posted by USS Vanguard (Member # 130) on :
 
Actually, few people realize that Delaware is preparing invasion army's for the surrounding states so that by March, 2001, Delaware will be the largest state in the union.

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"Life sucks, then you die"


 


Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
 
Delaware will never take Maryland.

We've got the Naval Academy =)

We'll call in some airstrikes and blow Delaware to pieces.

But, I forget myself, Delaware doesn't really exist and is actually a government conspiracy ...

------------------
Gore/Lieberman 2000
***
"You still don't understand, do you MacLeod? I am the End of Time!" - Kronos

"You're history!" - MacLeod
***
"I think anybody who doesn't think I'm smart enough to handle the job is underestimating." - George "Dubya" Bush


 


Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
 
What am I saying? There's no TAX in Delaware, they can't *afford* to invade us!

(Well, no sales tax, anyway...)

------------------
Gore/Lieberman 2000
***
"You still don't understand, do you MacLeod? I am the End of Time!" - Kronos

"You're history!" - MacLeod
***
"I think anybody who doesn't think I'm smart enough to handle the job is underestimating." - George "Dubya" Bush


 


Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
 
I thought it was Wyoming doesn't exist.

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"I do prefer the arse, but you can't dismiss the leg. They're joined at the hip, so to speak."

- Liam Kavanagh

 


Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
 
According to that Garfield Special a few years back it doesn't.

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I am going to Japanese cars from now on, because the auto workers got the day off to vote and the state went to Gore.
From The Port Huron Times-Herald talk back section.



 


Posted by USS Vanguard (Member # 130) on :
 
Don't you see, the government is trying to blind us. Wyoming is just a secret code for the US's alien landing base. and who knows what's going on in Delaware...

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"Life sucks, then you die"


 




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