Well put lifesaver,
My grandfather fits this scenario well...he was brought up Republican, but all that changed in the depression...he's been a FDR democrat ever since. In fact, he did consider voting for Nader, but, he did his homework first, and stuck with Gore (I tried and tried to get him to go for Bush, but he's still mad over the depression. 60 year old memories die hard).
Why not Nader? It wasn't the person...it was the party platform that scared him. He said that the Green Party's platform actually called for the total disarmament of the military - that is truly a scary direction to go in. With the current global situation, we need a strong, ready military. I feel Nader could have had a stronger showing had he addressed some of the truly radical platform ideas. Buchanan? He dug his own grave at the Reform party convention...with his poor showing, I think he ran that party out of existence. Too bad, I liked Perot's tact.
You're right...we might possibly see a major political shift away from one if not both parties. If the FL vote ends up Bush, and Gore keeps on with the lawsuits, it'll derail the democratic party's credibility for future leadership. However, should the vote turn Gore's way, and if the Bush campaign goes to the courts, the same thing could happen with the republicans. I think the democrats are at greater risk...Bush would concede and get it over with if the vote turns. Gore won't. He's even quoted as saying such in the current issue of Newsweek. In his own words (and I might be paraphrasing this just a bit, I left the magazine at work) "If Bush loses, life will go on for him. Me, I'll do anything to win." He said "we ain't seen nothing yet" and I truly believe it, though it's not in the context I wish it were.
Either way, just like I posted back somewhere on the first page of this string, it has been an exciting part of history to live through, and to explain to my two sons how the whole system works. My oldest son, after I explained the EC, popular vote, and the current FL situation (this was just after the FIRST recount, with Bush still ahead), he asked "If he (Gore) lost, why doesn't he quit? It's stupid." Gee, if only I had Gore's home number for my son to call...the innocence of youth!
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