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1. Is it a coincidence that the only state in which this election crisis happened is the one governed by Bush's brother?
2. Is it a coincidence that the exit polls called the election correctly everywhere in the country - except for Florida?
3. Is it a coincidence that shortly after Florida was called for Gore, Bush made an urgent call to his brother the governor, and shortly thereafter the call for Gore was recalled by all networks?
4. Is it a coincidence that soon thereafter the election was incorrectly called for Bush by his own cousin at Fox (creating the lasting myth that Bush won)?
5. Is it a coincidence that all pre-election polls had Gore leading in Florida the night of Nov. 6 -- a lead that mysteriously evaporated by next day?
6. Is it a coincidence that the votes lost by Gore in various "irregularities" in Florida could well account for just that missing lead?
7. Is it a coincidence that pre-election polls (e.g. Zogby/Reuters) correctly called all states except for … Florida?
8. Is it a coincidence that conservative counties used high-accuracy Optical Scan systems while heavily Democratic counties used antiquated punch-cards?
9. Is it a coincidence that the Miami-Dade Canvassing Board decided to abruptly stop the hand count after mobs of Republicans paid for by Bush and other GOP campaigns stormed their building?
10. Is it a coincidence that prior to certifying the election, the Florida Secretary of State chose to toss out hand-counts in Democratic counties (Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Nassau) but accepted 418 hand-counted votes for Bush from heavily Republican counties (Franklin, Hamilton, Taylor, Washington, Lafayette and Seminole)?
11. Is it a coincidence that the aforementioned Secretary of State is a Bush family friend, delegate, and campaign activist?
12. Is it a coincidence that with her deciding which votes count and which do not, Bush managed to hold onto just enough of a lead for her to certify the election?
13. Is it a coincidence that the official willing to sign legislation to appoint a Republican slate of electors and overrule the will of the people is … Bush's brother?
14. Is it a coincidence that prior to the election -- when Bush was leading in the polls -- the national "liberal" media was awash in stories of a possible popular-electoral vote split, but largely ignored this historic occurrence after Gore, not Bush, won the popular vote?
15. And is it a coincidence that the anointed Republican standard-bearer, a candidate not fit to be dog catcher, just happens to be the son of a former President and head of the CIA?
Let the Coke Machines Decide?
Bush's lawyer, James Baker, the former secretary of state, argues that a hand count requires officials to divine the intent of the voter.
Nonsense. Any American who has tried to put a dollar bill into a Coke machine knows that machines reject dollar bills or ballots regularly. It doesn't take a mind reader to know that it is a good dollar bill or a well-marked ballot. It may be bent a little or folded or torn or too stiff or too flexible. The hole could be too big or too small. But it will be clear to the human eye. The Bush campaign, which had no objections to hand counts where they might help its vote total, simply doesn't want an honest count in Florida. -- JESSE JACKSON
NEXT: THE SOUTH'S GONNA DO IT AGAIN
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