I’ve just finished watching the film Recount, shown on tv tonight. It’s about the 2000 US presidential election, and the shenanigans that surrounded the counting of the votes in Florida. It, I have to say, was a gripping film, despite the fact that we knew how it was going to turn out in the end!
I didn’t pay attention to it as it happened. I don’t know how I managed to miss the entire thing. I was 18, had just started in university in Trinity College, Dublin. I’ve always had an interest in politics, especially in foreign affairs. All through secondary school, it was the world news pages in the Irish Times that I would turn to first, skipping all the home news.
So, I don’t remember any of it. But I’m sure if I had been more interested at the time I would have been horrified. Just as I was horrified reading Michael Moore’s book “Stupid White Men”, a few years later. Although I know he is somewhat prone to hyperbole. And just as I am still horrified today.
It is scary to think that in, what americans consider, is the foremost democracy in the world, that this kind of manipulation of the electoral system can take place in the 21st century. That people can be struck off the electoral register without reason. That the secretary of state can make arbitrary decision regarding the acceptance of results. That the supreme court can just shut down an election count. It’s appaling.
So, considerin the fact that the 2008 presidential election takes place in about two days time, it is a timely reminder of how many things can go wrong. Or can be made go wrong.
From what I can remember, the 2004 election didn’t have the same level of jury-rigging involved. And now we have had our eight years of Bush. I think it’s time for a change.