NOVEMBER 16, 2000

Full News Archive

• Headline: Zimmer Challenges Coercion of Mental Patients' Votes. Impact: If only Zimmer had taken a different path, we might have ended up with a political landscape where mental patients were empowered rather than toyed with. But instead, we got an entire generation of politicians who still can't figure out how to treat mental health like a real issue.. Fact: Did you know that in some states, mental patients can vote unless they're deemed 'not mentally competent'? That's right, someone could have a better chance of voting than getting a decent cup of coffee in a hospital..
• Headline: Gore and Bush Discuss Florida Recounts. Impact: This moment was the beginning of the modern-day political circus. Had Gore and Bush decided to count those votes by hand, we could have avoided the entire 'hanging chad' debacle, and perhaps even the reality show presidency. Imagine a world where we didn't have to hear about Florida at every election.. Fact: Fun fact: The term 'hanging chad' was so iconic that it almost got its own sitcom. Spoiler: It was canceled after one episode..
• Headline: FLORIDA SAYS NO TO FURTHER RECOUNTS AS BUSH DISMISSES OVERTURE FROM GORE. Impact: Katherine Harris's refusal to recount votes may have saved time, but it also paved the way for future politicians to ignore democratic processes when it suits them. The butterfly effect here is that it set a precedent for political stubbornness that we still see today—a real gift that keeps on giving.. Fact: In Florida, 'no further recounts' is just a fancy way of saying, 'We'd rather argue about this for the next twenty years.'.