For the first time in our nation's history we will have an International team to monitor presidential election. Do you think this is necessary? Why or why not? Have we ever had free and fair elections? Is it possible to have them?
I rather like the idea of having an international team come in to monitor this year?s presidential elections ? especially after what happened in Florida in 2000. Many of the elderly in Florida protested that their ballots were counted incorrectly. They said they didn?t understand how the ballot worked. I think there was a hearing to let them re-vote which was denied and their votes were left to stand. Democrats afraid of this happening again, wrote to the UN and asked for the team.
From what I can understand of the article, the U.S. signed an agreement with the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) about 10 years ago. They?ve come in to monitor other elections but never one at the presidential level. They have sent a committee of members to other countries to observe their elections. For instance, they monitored Spain?s elections this year.
The UN denied the Democrats? request because it didn?t come from this administration. Hmmm? well how to do that? I can?t imagine President Bush jumping up and down with this enthusiastically. Why should he? He benefited from the confusion in Florida last election. The Democrats asked Secretary of State Colin Powell for help. Powell is one of the very few in this administration I trust even a little bit.
Now the committee is coming here for our election in November.
At another earlier time, it would have been great to have the OSCE monitoring our presidential elections if only to prove that they are fair. It would be a good example to the world that we practice what we preach. I think almost all of our elections have been fair in that the person winning the popular vote also won all the electoral votes.
In 2000, there was controversy over the votes in Florida. How many people really voted for President Bush? It went to the Supreme Court. I wasn?t surprised when the judges, most appointed by Presidents Bush Sr. & Reagan, ruled in favor of Bush Jr. I believe that Al Gore was robbed of the election.
Can the elections be fair again? I don?t know. Lately, none of the candidates has made a strong impression on me. I?m sorry Al Gore didn?t run again. I would have preferred John Edwards or Howard Dean over John Kerry but ? oh, well, it?s another election in which I will vote for the lesser of two evils.
10 Favorite Olympic Moments
Watching:
the US hockey team win their match against the Soviet Union (1980)
Mark Spitz win 7 gold medals for swimming (1972)
Olga Korbut's beautiful smile during her gymnastic events (1972)
Nadia Comaneci winng a perfect 10 in gymnastics but she showed almost no emotion!(1976)
Watching Greg Louganis high dive
watching gymnasts compete against each other
watching skating pairs like Torvill & Dean
Watching Elise Ray compete in 2000. Her mother, Ellen, was the midwife who helped deliver Billy, Heidi & Kristin
Dan Jansen was heart breaking to watch in 1994. He learned his sister died and fell in his races. It was so sad.
opening ceremony in LA ... I think that is when Muhammed Ali lit the flame on the Olympic torch?
You are correct about Muhammed Ali, who was an Olympian. My sister was the first American woman to cross the women's marathon finish line in 1988. Go Nance!
Equestrian Olympians: Women and men began cometing in the the same events in 1952; Denmark's Lis Hartel won a silver medal at the Helsinki Games that year despite being paralysed below the knees by polio, and repeated the feat four years later.
By its nature, equestrianism allows Olympians to enjoy a longer career than those in other more physical sports.
Italian brothers Raimondo and Piero D'Inzeo became the first Olympians to represent their country eight times - competing in every Games between 1948 and 1976. Both won six showjumping medals - Raimondo one gold, two silver, and three bronze and Piero won two silver and four bronze.
The German, Reiner Klimke is the most successful ever Olympic rider, in two events, first in three day eventing and then in dressage.
He made his Olympic debut in 1960 and won six gold and two bronze medals in individual and team events between 1964 and 1988.
Tribute:
http://www.joyofhorses.com/jan00/reiner-klimke-2.htm
He carried the flag for the German team in the Opening Events in Seoul and you should have seen his look of price and honor. I was stuck at home (couldn't fly, too pregnant) and I cried watching on TV.
:34: The last part of your post "the lesser of 2 evils" reminded me of a joke I think you sent me a whike back:
2 WEEVILS:
Two boll weevils grew up in South Carolina. One went to Hollywood and became a famous actor. The other stayed behind in the cotton fields and never amounted to much. The second one, naturally, became known as the lesser of two weevils.
I'm going to have to do that too, darn it! :17: