Some people are saying Americans have spoken their will through the popular vote and are calling for an end to the Electoral College. These people should have their citizenship revoked and be deported to Kosovo. OK just kidding but the United States is a republic not a democracy! That is one of the reasons why we have the Electoral College.

Imagine the clarity of this election if counties in Florida were divided up electorally. We would not be having a Florida judge deciding who will be our next President.

Please don’t be fooled and do not let your friends be fooled by Gore’s campaign people claiming that every vote matters, and they are seeking out the truth as to the will of the people. They did not seek out the will of those voters in New Mexico who could not get out to the polls due to the snow storm. This is a political strategy to win the White House and nothing else. Al Gore is just as heartless as any other politician. The only difference is that Gore does not have the class to back down for the good of the people. Nixon backed down in ’60 even among allegations of fraud in Chicago where deceased people voted for Kennedy. If Gore drags this through court he is showing no respect for the office for which he is running.

The people of Palm Beach County made some errors in their voting — 19,000 of them. This is something that should be addressed — in elections to come. Their confusion should not be exploited to determine the outcome of a significant national election. Ballots are tossed out all over this country. In fact, 15,000 were thrown out in Palm Beach County in ’96. The issue is not whether you can relate to their confusion but rather the rules of the election. Two candidates were checked for president on 19,000 ballots rendering them null. The will of a single individual making this mistake may have been to vote for Al Gore but the same person also willfully punched a second hole for another candidate. This is ambiguous, and it poses serious questions.

Who was the other candidate they voted for and for what elected office did they believe he was running? Most people would agree that we should not be marking votes for people until we know both of those facts. If there is some confusion there are people there for the sole purpose of answering questions. There is no excuse for walking out of the polls still confused.

Finally, on the revote. If this happens there will be a political civil war in this country. This could potentially destroy the integrity of our system that has worked for over 200 years because of strict interpretation of the Constitution. This is not to be taken lightly. Irregularities occur everywhere. Can you imagine election after election being disputed and votes being retaken? This is an endless downward spiral. Imperfections will always exist. We are imperfect people. Revotes will only confirm the will of the people is constantly changing. The election is a snapshot, and the Constitution says the snapshot is taken the first Tuesday after the second Monday of November. If we join in a crusade to rid the system of fraud and errors after the elections, we will see the demise of a strong system. Instead we need to act preventitively and commit ourselves to minimizing errors each and every time we vote.

The world is watching to see how the United States will handle this. If we act swiftly with loyal submission and adhere to the Constitution, our system will continue. If not, we may see election results tied in the court system long enough to bring about confusion as to who the real leaders are in this country.

Al Gore has the ability to stop this before it starts and set a precedent that will allow the system to gain strength and allow our citizens to have confidence that it will last.

Gore could set his legacy in American politics by making a decision that is honored and respected for years to come. The question is — does Gore have the dignity and foresight to make such a decision?

Jason McLatchie

Alumnus

Ames