(December 1, 2000) Everything in the Florida debate revolved around ballots where the voter failed to follow directions and leave a clear indication of his intent. Machines couldn't figure it out by objective means during the election date count, so Gore thought members of his party should be authorized to divine the voter will by other means (not the least of which is by declaring what that person ought to have intended.) Bush's position was that asking a Gore official to interpret voter intent is like asking a barber if you need a haircut. [Our position is that each election board ought to have used Clinton administration standards. Bill pioneered the view that "if there was no penetration, there was no sex." Seems clear to us that if there was no penetration on a ballot, then there was no vote. Gore saw each ballot as a tarot card that his crack team of mystics could interpret, when not channeling for Elvis anyway.]

With all the hoopla about electile dysfunction in Florida, 'reform' is now the hot bandwagon to ride in other state legislatures, and Maryland is no exception. Parris Glendening has formed a new commission to clean up problems we didn't know we had here, with the goal of proposing legislation for the coming session. Hmm, let's think about this for a second: Parris Glendening, Kathleen Kennedy, election reform, Parris, Kathleen, reform. Am I the only one who thinks these words don't fit together in any sensible way? Such career politicians represent in-your-face big government. They know what's good for us better than we do ourselves. They provide us with leaders we are supposed to elect (and in Florida litigated to ensure the outcome we should have wanted.) All that's left for Parris' commission is to eliminate the voters, as inefficient middlemen who don't always follow instructions correctly.

The election commission of Glendening and Kennedy reminds us of Josef Stalin's astute observation: "Those who cast votes decide nothing. Those who count votes decide everything." This new 'reform' bears close watching.