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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country
of West Texas
Opinion
Sage
Views
By Smokey Briggs
Tuesday, November 14, 2000
Thoughts on the presidential election
So your vote does not count? It's not worth the effort to vote, right?
Last week there was a column in an area newspaper stating that voting was
really just a symbolic act reaffirming your belief in democracy, or some
such garbage.
Phooey! The day we quit believing in our one little vote, democracy
is dead.
And, considering the margin in many states between Al Gore and George
W. Bush, it is glaringly apparent that each stinking little vote counts.
Sometimes it counts a lot.
***
It is interesting that going into the election last week one got a
sense from the national, talking-head media that Bush might win the popular
vote, and Gore might win the Electoral College vote.
It was almost as though we were being prepared for such an eventuality
and even Al Gore went on record saying it could happen and it wasn't a
bad thing.
What is interesting is that since the shoe is now on the other foot,
the national press has done a very neat "about face." Now they appear ready
to spearhead the drive to ditch the Electoral College as outdated and unfair
with the commiecrat camp of Al Gore in the vanguard.
***
Another interesting election trend in the media is the subject of "Mandate."
As soon as it appeared that Bush might actually win the election, talking
heads on a dozen stations started questioning his lack of a "mandate" from
the people since the voting margin was close.
Yet, when Bill Clinton was elected in the last two elections he claimed
a mandate from the people and the national media backed him.
Ironically, Gore and Bush have both managed to garner a greater percentage
of the popular vote than Clinton ever managed. Either can more rightfully
claim a mandate than Clinton ever could.
***
The commiecrats are still trying to find new and improved ways to count
the votes in Florida.
You can almost hear Gore campaign chairman Bill Daley grumbling, "If
we had known it would be this close we would have stuffed more of the ballot
boxes." Obviously he did not pay attention when his dad was teaching him
how these things are done back in Chicago.
The scary part is that every time they count the votes they seem to
find more Gore votes and fewer Bush votes. What is the statistical probability
of that?
***
As for the idiots who were too dumb to mark a ballot correctly _ good.
I consider this democratic Darwinism. If you are too dumb to punch the
right hole, you are too dumb to participate in the process.
Monday a group of third graders was given the ballot in question and
asked to vote with it. All of them managed to vote for who they thought
they were voting for.
These were third graders. Eight-year-olds. Kids just learning cursive
and their multiplication tables.
As for the people who think they voted for the wrong person - they are
not only too dumb to vote, they are too dumb to live. If they thought they
punched the wrong hole, why didn't they ask for a new ballot?
"Oh well, I'll just punch a couple of holes and they will know what
I meant."
Either they are terminally stupid or they are lying. Probably both.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Smokey Briggs is the editor and publisher of the
Pecos Enterprise whose column appears on Tuesdays. He can be e-mailed at:
smokey@pecos.net
Our View
"Al and the Electoral College," and other democrat fairy tales
Well, according to the democrat loyalists, the sky is falling. Al Gore
has won the popular vote (maybe, a bunch of states are still counting)
and he may lose the electoral vote.
Accordingly, it is time to abolish the Electoral College, or so they
say.
Reportedly, Senator-elect Hillary Clinton, has stated that one of her
first actions as a senator will be to introduce legislation to abolish
the Electoral College.
One can only hope that her intent is to start the process of amending
the Constitution, and not, as it sounded, to simply vote the electoral
college out of existence on the floors of Congress.
One must hope that she has at least this rudimentary understanding of
constitutional democracy.
Hillary has hit on a popular theme at the moment. Around the nation
and here in wee Pecos, folks are decrying the electoral system where it
is possible to loose the popular vote by a slim margin and win the electoral
vote.
A little bit of rational thought might serve us well before we toss
this system in the trashcan.
In its defense, the Electoral College has provided for 200 years of
successful presidential elections. Two hundred years with peaceful transfers
of power from one administration to the next, save for that one little
glitch in 1860.
That is an impressive record that you cannot simply ignore and believe
that the same results would have been accomplished with a simple popular
vote.
The Electoral College is the friend of the minority. It helps prevent
a few populous states from electing the president without input from all
the rest. If we had a simple popular vote system in place, Texas, New York,
California and Florida could team up and elect their own president every
year no matter what the other 46 states wanted.
Although the Electoral College does not prevent this, it does create
a roadblock to such a system.
With the electoral college system, you basically have 50 state elections
for president, and then a second election where each state casts its representative
votes.
This gives each state a more equal say in the process and helps prevent
a total disenfranchisement of a geographical region.
This is a good thing. When an entire region feels disenfranchised revolution
is around the corner. The Civil War taught us that much at least.
Your View
Show Respect!
Coaches seek support at Friday's Playoff Game
Dear Editor:
This Friday evening at 7:30 pm the Pecos Eagles Football team will
be playing at Eagle Stadium. From what I have been told this is the first
ever playoff game for the Eagles at home.
This group of young men have worked extremely hard this year. On their
undershirts, it says ATTITUDE AND RESPECT. They have persevered much this
season and each and everyday have shown a good attitude in class, to each
other, their coaches, and on the practice field.
Three overtime losses, injuries, and illness would have made it easy
for these young men to quit and play for another season. But due to good
senior leadership this never entered their minds, instead hard work and
dedication is what came out. We have enjoyed the support from the community
and our loyal following.
However, I ask one simple question. Have they earned your RESPECT? We
cannot assure victory Friday night, but if you have attended our games,
we can assure you an entertaining game. Show your respect to these young
men who deserve it and let's pack the stadium Friday night. What a great
sight for the players to turn around and see the stands packed with loyal
supporters. If there ever was a time, it's this Friday at 7:30 p.m.
COACHES;
A.D. BUBBA WILLIAMS
GARY GRUBBS
BRIAN GIBSON
ELIAS PAYAN
CHARLIE BUNCH
JUNIOR WILLIAMS
JOE FLORES
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Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Peggy McCracken, Webmaster
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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