The North Coast times-eagle., July 01, 2001, Page 2, Image 2

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WHAT IS A VOTE?
INTERVIEWS BY MICHAEL McCUSKER
"These American Presidential elections are
extraordinary games in which the greatest zest and
party bitterness the whole nation takes part, although
there is no real difference between the parties except
that of ins and outs.
-WINSTON CHURCHILL (1928)
Once again the NCTE asks the questions of coastal
citizens:
Do you think the extraordinary election of 2000 was
legitimate and fair?
What do you think might be the consequences of
the election?
Although a few dismissed the questions as of little
use but historical curiosity almost everyone else asked
emphasized the need for intense and long-term scrutiny of
the election.There is no doubt the election will be disputed
until the end of U.S. history; some fear it portends a begin­
ning of the end of our history as a democracy.
Asked about England's recent elections for Prime
Minister, a British actor said to an American, "Unlike your
country's election process, in England the candidate who
receives the most votes wins."
And so, indeed, the major question: What is a vote?
MORIN
CAROLYN DUNN
(She is a poet living in Astoria; she is also a librarian.)
In more than forty years of voting I have never had the
sorrow of witnessing such sleazy, blatant disenfranchisement
in this country Oh sure, a few southern states might be a little
slippery in their procedures, but it was just one of those "family”
things, nationally, that had to be endured until the offenders
died off, or came to their ethical senses. We have in the 2000
election (bestowing?) learned that waiting won't work when it
comes to defending and practicing democratic principles.
When argument is silenced and there is total distrust
of "the people" (1 citizen/1 vote), democracy has perished.
When there is a Presidency not even by aging movie stars but
by ethically-arrested, power-hungry oil men, the management
(not leadership but management) is top-down instead of
bottom-up, and democracy has failed.
In this last "election" we were told who would be our
President It was decided for us. The devil take who could not
vote, who ’vas intimidated, who was fooled into thinking they'd
voted for their choice when in actuality they had not, or whose
vote was never (never!) counted We were, it seems, as the
nation's people, not "able," not to be trusted, not worthy of
our own governing principles and procedures. And who took
this decision upon themselves? VVhy, our highest court of law.
The third leg of our democratic stool — the one leg which our
nation's founders designated as exempt from partisan politics,
and therefore a strong safeguard against the chicanery and
errors of such politics. That leg groaned, cracked, splintered,
gave way, fell to the ground.
If we can keep the stool up while we get that leg
restored and in place, and go ahead and repair the other
two with real campaign finance reform and 1 person/1 vote
legitimization, we just may have a solid structure on which
to seat a true, working, arguing, bottom-up democracy.
JOHN GOODENBERGER
(He is an historic building consultant, teaches archi­
tecture to 5th through 7th grades at Astor, Lewis & Clark and
Astoria Middle Schools, and coaches track and long distance
running at Astoria High School)
My feelings about the 2000 election are, of course,
disappointment, especially the way it was handled by the
Supreme Court It is difficult to believe the decision was not
biased
On a personal level, to a large extent my life is no
different I carry it on whether there is a President I support or
don't support
On a national and international level, George Bush is
an embarrassment.
A friend of mine was going to keep a scrapbook of all
the stupid things Bush says and does, but it became a full time
job and he had to quit to get on with his life.
I think that's what we all must do — get on with our
lives. Not that we ignore Bush or forget the circumstances of
his election. But we must get on and continue to fight for the
things we believe in.
MASON MEYER
(He is a movie theater employee)
I think the 2000 election was illegal. The illegal ballots
in Florida should have been thrown out.The people who wanted
a recount so their votes would count should have got it. The
whole state should have revoted and the Feds should have
made sure everybody's vote counted.
The Supreme Court betrayed the country. Scalia in
particular should have recused himself for conflict of interest
with his lawyer son representing Bush's campaign. Scalia
is Bush Sr.'s product because he appointed him to the Court.
The other four Supreme Court Justices just basically went
along with Scalia.
I think the way the Supreme Court voted was an act
of treachery. Anybody on the Court who believes the people's
vote doesn't count is a traitor.
The people of this country were denied their right to
elect their President.
ANNE MacGREGOR
(She is a sandwich maker and "produce doodadder" at
Astoria's Community Store, as well as a storyteller on KM UN.)
I was one of those people who voted for Ralph Nader,
so I have a little response for the people who say we cost Gore
the 2000 election: I say the same as Ralph that if Gore had
mounted any kind of campaign he might be President.
We don't have an elected President. What does that
mean as far as setting precedent? That's the main thing Now
anybody can be President without being elected. So what does
that mean legally?
With Bush as the first example, will it matter any more
who is President? He is just a mouthpiece, and if we can get
a President without electing him, what does that mean for the
future Does an election mean anything anymore? Are we even
going to have another election?
I think we're at a crossroads. I would like to know what it
really means for the future.
AGNES FIELD
(She is an artist, poet and chairwoman of the North
Coast Women's Political Caucus.)
First of all I think it will always be debated if George
Bush won the election. I don't think he did, but the fact is, he is
in the White House. I feel strongly that he is in the White House
because a lot of working people voted for him — 60% of non­
college working white men voted for Bush. And the reason they
voted for him was primarily because he kept repeating simple
phrases over and over again, as if they were mantras:
"Less government in your life!"
"Less taxes!"
"Family values!"
And he constantly stressed "Education."
These are the issues that appeal to warking people and
these are what helped make him President.
I think it was an election of values and styles rather than
substance Gore came across as an intellectual bureaucrat.
There were many other issues that hurt Gore, such as
Clinton's behavior in the White House.
For me personally, George Bush in the White House
has galvanized me. I have not been involved in politics for
about ten years. Like many people I have been wrapped in
my life, my family, my art. There have been many strong
issues but not enough to get me out and do something until
now.
When you take a look at where we are and vtfiat is
happening in this country: — We have 11,000,000 people with
no health insurance; 500,000 homeless people; 1 in 5 children
still live in poverty; and the income polarities in Oregon alone,
& BREW PUB, CANNON BEACH
DEMOCRACY WRACKED
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One has the uneasy feeling that what will intrigue future
historians most about the American republic is how easily it fell.
Consider that day last November when a mob of Republican
congressional aides and hired operatives stormed a municipal
building in Miami, Florida, and halted a court-ordered ballot
count — thereby effectively deciding a Presidential election
The obscure New York congressman in charge of this pocket
coup picked up a phone, spoke the words "Shut it down," and
the vtfiole structure of American democracy collapsed like the
empire of the Incas when confronted by Pizarro and his band of
freebooters. What happened? How had the vital center been so
hollowed out?
To be sure, our idea of the Supreme Court as a bastion
of sacrosanct constitutional authority, had long been whittled
back down to our acceptance of it as a gang of shoddy political
hacks. Yet this still begs the question. For all the rabbity 'We
will survive" pronouncements of the news media, most of the
American public had already moved on — the whole election
no more than an episode in the endless circus of spectacular
murders, trials, sex scandals Within weeks, jokes about chads
were imbedded in our potato chip commercials How was it that
Americans so readily surrendered the faith of their fathers? How
is it that we now seem quite willing as a people to as soon
accept, say, Singapore's "Asian model" of democracy (save
for its curbs on automatic weapons)?
We sit amid the wreckage of a political system crushed
by money, smothered in cynicism, mediocnty, sheer animosity
-KEVIN BAKER (HARPER'S, MAY 2001)
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