Some may have thought my football analogies a bit odd, but is this contest now being decided with time expired? It freaks me out that my gut told me this would happen, even though it was expressed in a football analogy.

Now I guess we find out if gore finds lieberman in the end zone, or, as Lars stated, he gets sacked and fumbles.

This election was held during a mercury retrograde; astrologically, this is just the type of thing one would expect, as mercury is the planet of communication. All of these declarations, and then retractions, are classical manifestations of the confused communication that comes along with a retrograde.

Mercury is also consider the "mischievous" one-check into the mythology. There will be, in my prediction, demands for recounts in more than one place and accusations of voting improprieties in others. This thing may NOT be settled today. If Bush wins by one electoral vote I would not consider this over:

There have been several instances in american history where a pledged electoral voter did not cast the vote that way. With the election taking place on a retrograde, something like this could happen

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), November 08, 2000

Answers

Mercury in retrograde? Well, it makes as much sense as anything else does to explain last night.

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), November 08, 2000.

And did anybody say gore would win the popular vote and bush the electoral? Nope. And THAT might just happen.

Very strange.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), November 08, 2000.

Actually FS, I believe Anita predicted just the opposite, here last week.

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), November 08, 2000.

Bush winning the electoral with Gore winning the popular? It may well work out that way. Regardless, I don't see the next president (whoever it may be) owning what might be called a Clear Mandate From The People [tm].

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), November 08, 2000.

Hey Bee! have the day off or haven't left for work yet this morning? I think I got all of 4 hours sleep last night. Walked to 7-11 this morning for coffee, hoping that might help..but no..I'm still a zombie. Now I first have to get around to all the housework I neglected this week while driving around for GW. Need Much Caffeine!

(sorry FS...not trying to turn your thoughtful thread into a "ladies morning chat")

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), November 08, 2000.

Bee:

I didn't say anything about the popular vote except to say that I don't even look at it. I think I did pretty good on my electoral college predictions. I got Arkansas wrong, Missouri wrong, New Hampshire wrong, and Tennessee wrong. Depending on how Florida goes, I predicted 45-46 of 50 correctly. Think there's job potential there?

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), November 08, 2000.

Anita, I'd elect you President, but of course, then we would have to pad the White House walls. (not an insanity reference..a first family of klutz's reference)

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), November 08, 2000.

I predicted a narrow victory for Bush. I thought he had the final momentum. Oh well I had the right idea, wrong horse. It must have been the Mercury thing, or the Loki thing. I did raise the question of electoral vote contradicting the popular vote. Brian haughtily dismissed this notion. Brian, that will be the last time I offer to let you hold the money.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), November 08, 2000.

CNN now reporting that this will not be called until tomorrow, as the recount will not be done in Florida until the end of the business day then.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), November 08, 2000.

>> Brian haughtily dismissed this notion. <<

Citation?

What I remember is that you suggested that the Supreme Court might be able to award the election to the winner of the popular vote, even if his opponent won the electoral college vote. That is the notion I dismissed. I did so because, like it or not, this election was conducted under a well-defined set of rules, set out in the US constitution, and for the SC to make such a decision under the current constitution would be blatantly, irreparably unconstitutional.

Supporters of the electoral college winner would be outraged (rightly so) and the country would be several giant steps closer to a civil war the day the SC announced their verdict.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), November 08, 2000.

Anita, Its better than my prediction on how close the election would be, by far, lol. What a close election -"the election of the century." I will wait for the Florida vote recount now, and glad I didn't quite my day job to be a pollster.....

-- David (David@bzn.com), November 08, 2000.