If elections were held under reasonable conditions, ones which gave us a BASIS for confidence in their legitimacy, then of course counting matters. I'm saying re-counting the 2004 US presidential election shouldn't be where we hang our hats. On the one hand, it is good that such moves are keeping the whole thing at least a little bit unresolved. But in the bigger picture, like pat_k argues in
this thread:
"There is ample reason to suspect that the current "baseline" results have been corrupted. Whether the addition or subtraction of votes from an untrustworthy initial total will "change the outcome" is irrelevant. The issue is that the initial total is in doubt."
I agree with pat_k on this point though we draw different conclusions from it. I think this means that even if a re-count in every state led to a clear change in outcome, a loud and vocal group would still cry foul. It just wouldn't be our group anymore. I'm not down with that. There is no BASIS for confidence in the legitimacy of the results reported now, and/or after a series of re-counts. Hence, the counting does not matter.
My even bigger, bigger point is that a Kerry win was never in the interest of the greater good. He campaigned and voted for the war, the patriot act, consolidated media, 9/11 whitewash committee, etc. These are some of the examples I point out to portray both Kerry and the Dem party as false alternatives. carl_pwccaman asked me in
this thread:
"As for Kerry and the Democratic party being false alternatives....
Doesn't that depend on what you are seeking an alternative from, as your primary concern?"
I will cross-post this reply...that no, it does not depend. These false alternatives exist against the static determination of whether democracy in America is reality or myth. Both parties openly work very hard to preserve and perpetuate the two-party system. The two-party system stifles competition of ideas and defiles the premise of democracy. For Kerry and the Dems as a whole to NOT be false alternatives, they would have to succeed at ending the two-party system, the war, the 9/11 cover-up, and corporate control of media, government, and election administration (just for starters). Kerry and the Dems do not even consider these changes among their goals.
We are no longer in the era of Anybody But Bush. That was always a snake oil medicine pitch anyway. We're now in the era of fascism and our big picture goal has to be peaceful revolution. Smaller, more immediate steps must first emerge, of course, in order for such talk to mean anything. And this is why I encourage you all to get involved with the
No Confidence Movement.