corrente

Could it be that the Florida Republicans don't care about your vote because they already have the next election wired, using their new electronic voting technology? You'd have to ask them that. Meanwbile, the tragedy of Florida 2000 is repeating itself in 2004, as farce:

Florida's patented electoral circus bounded into the realm of the surreal Friday with a messy airing of gripes and an embarrassing discovery.

Constance Kaplan, director of the largest elections office in the state, spent the day trying to explain why the 2002 election data that [Kaplan] had been telling everyone were irretrievably lost were not lost after all. In fact, the data -- audits of the troubled 2002 governor's primary and general election -- were on a computer disk in a folder among "books and bookcases and old reports" in the conference room next to her office.
(via WaPo)

You know, I have to overcome my essential sense of modesty and give myself a tip of the ol' Corrente Hat on this one. When this story first broke—when the nationwide bellylaugh began— I snarked: "Hey, maybe they'll find the votes in an "unlabelled binder" (back here, just like Bush's also mysteriously missing military records).

And lo and behold! They did! The CD with the votes was in "a folder with the old reports"... (I mean, assuming it wasn't put there as a throw down (back) by the electronic voting machine vendor, who was in the room when the CD was "found." In that case, what's snarking for me is a cover story for the Republicans, which is frightening on so many levels.)

Thank you, Republicans! You not only meet my expecations, you exceed them! Every time!

Thank you, Republicans! I'm so proud that I don't even need to cast my vote any more!