From: Bill Stoddard (stoddard@raleigh.ibm.com)
Date: Tue Nov 28 2000 - 06:47:59 PST
> On Mon, 27 Nov 2000, Bill Stoddard wrote:
>
> > The 'reports' say that the fl supreme court stated harris could
'optionally'
> > wait until 9:00 AM monday morning to certify the results. Seems to be a
mush
> > headed decision on part of the justices to set two "deadlines" ...
>
> The conclusion I drew from their decision[1] was that they suspected
> Harris might not accept the results if submitted on a Sunday, the office
> being technically closed.
>
> > They knew
> > with certainty when they set these two "deadlines" that the larger
counties
> > would not be able to complete handcounts. WTF.
>
> Really? I disagree, since:
>
> 1. There's nothing in the decision[1] to support that, nor was there
> anything in the hearing itself (I heard the audio stream [2]).
>
> 2. Boies's team would have complained immediately after the decision was
> announced, and they didn't[3].
>
> 3. The court could not know that a county would stop counting because of
> protesters entering the building[4], or that a county would not count on
> Thanksgiving Day and jeopardize their schedule.
It is their business to know all the 'facts'. And they certainly have the
means to collect whatever information they need to make a decision.
>
> 4. Gore and Boies had said several times that a recount could be done in
> "days, not weeks." The decision came out Tuesday night, giving up to five
> days until the deadline.
>
> 5. The court needed to split up the time between then and December 12th to
> allow time for contests and appeals. The 12/12 deadline is federal.
Good point.
>
> 6. Most important of all, you seem to imply that the whole Florida Supreme
> Court (decision was unanimous) was either incompetent or deceitful.
> That's a really big claim to make with no evidence.
>
It is a relatively simple matter to estimate how long it takes 'n' counters to
hand count 'x' votes. Perhaps the fl sc allowed enough time (on a tight
schedule) for the counties to complete the count. But the counties didn't
complete the counts (due to interference, incompenence, importance of family
over work, whatever). The fl supreme court had all the information they needed
to set a -single- deadline with sufficient time to complete the count. By
setting a single deadline, they could have taken Harris completely out of the
decision process and this mess might be over by now. But no, they left her
some 'discretion' which was like painting a target on her. The outcome was
predictable.
I don't think the fl supreme court is incompetent. I suspect they
intentionally did not use the full power of their position in order to further
their own hidden purposes (partisan, personal or both). Or maybe they are
mush headed.... I dunno.
Bill
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