The unusual deadlock in the presidential election has momentarily overcome the people's weariness with the capitalist election process, in which only half the eligible voters participated, as usual. Millions of workers and progressive people are now feeling aroused and frustrated because, although Democratic candidate Al Gore won the popular vote by a slim margin, as of Nov. 8 he is in danger of losing in the Electoral College to Republican George W. Bush. Further aggravating the situation are charges of massive voting fraud in Florida, the state that may put Bush over the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
Corruption is part and parcel of the U.S. electoral system.
Richard Nixon lost the 1960 election to John F. Kennedy by less than one-half of 1 percent of the vote because the Democratic Party machine fixed the vote in Chicago. At the time, Nixon decided not to create a political crisis and let the election stand. In addition to corruption, the ruling class is confronted with a major political embarrassment and dilemma created by the highly undemocratic Electoral College, whose workings the masses were largely unaware of. Gore, not Nader, to blame One would think that Gore, having the advantage of belonging to an administration that for eight years enjoyed an economic expansion, would be a shoo-in. Now his spin doctors have to find someone to blame for his poor showing.