Are they really that smart?

I have a long memory fragmented by bursts of anger when I recall the scenerio laid out by republicans over the years in Florida.   The election of Jeb Bush as governor of Florida set the stage for a major upset in the national election when he appointed a secretary of state who was so partisan that she discounted critical votes on the basis of faulty punch cards in democratic territories. Many votes were thrown out and Al Core lost Florida even though he won more popular votes than did George Bush in the national count. The state supreme court further aggrevated the democrats by a biased ruling in favor of republicans. I believe Gore surrendered too quickly by not demanding a recount of those contested ballots.

 

The result brought George Bush  to the white house, where he squandered the taxpayers' money on a fruitless war in Iraq. This country is so deeply mired in debt that we are in a recession. Those funds waisted in the middle east could have been used on badly needed construction projects in this country, adding new jobs and prosperity rather than the gloom and despair we have today.

 

Now we have a new republican scheme unfolding right before our eyes. The democrats are caught up in a primary battle for a nominee brought about by a sly republican trick that disenfranchised the Florida voters in a national election. The republican domonated state legislature passed a law over the objections of the house democrats which changed the date for Florida primaries, moving them up in violation of mandates in effect by the Democratic National Committee. Chairman Howard Dean of the democratic party was unmoved by this trick and has steadfastly held to the point that the "rules cannot be changed in th emiddle of the game". His stubborn refusal to acknowledge that it was the republicans who placed us in this bind has left Hillary Clinton without a chance to win over Barack Obama. I believe rules can be changed if the circumstances have merit....and they do.

 

Now Hillary has lost the Florida votes which are critical at this juncture. Her strength in Florida was well known by the republicans, and it was dismantled by trick. The GOP wants Obama as an opponent in the Fall election because they believe he can be beaten by John McCain....and, they have managed so far to get away with it. Are they really that smart?