Edition: U.S. / Global

In Palm Beach County, Crucible of an Election

Published: November 10, 2000

To the Editor:

The reason the popular vote is meaningless is that the candidates spend millions of dollars on advertising in those states that they have a chance to win, and thus gain the electoral votes (news articles, Nov. 9).

Both candidates knew the rules ahead of time. They knew it wasn't a ''popular'' vote, and they campaigned accordingly. It is a popular vote by state only, not the country as a whole.

If George W. Bush thought it was a popularity contest, he most certainly would have campaigned more in the East Coast states that he knew he wasn't going to win. As a matter of fact, both candidates wouldn't have wasted much time here in Minnesota during the final week, but they did.

Why? Because they were trying to win crucial electoral votes, not a popularity contest. They both knew they needed electoral votes; that's how they played the game. You can't change the rules during the game.


St. Paul, Nov. 9, 2000