People in the blogosphere, the media, and frankly, on the many voting integrity lists I belong to are saying something smells rotten in NH.
While I think there’s a great argument to be made that Edwards or Kucinich or Ron Paul should ask for a recount, the choice is really obvious, if you think about it.
It should be Hillary Clinton.
She is the only one to whom no “sour grapes” charge could be leveled.
She has the least to lose if she’s wrong.
In addition, she’s put herself on the record regarding voting reform. She’s co-sponsored a bill, albeit a weak one, proposing measures to ensure our votes are counted as cast.
If the vote comes out in her favor, she nearly doubles her win, because she had the integrity to ask it to be doublechecked.
If she loses in the recount, she still wins, because she did the most noble, most selfless thing any candidate can do: question the legitimacy of their own victory.
If I were her campaign manager, here’s what I’d do.
I’d say, look, we’ll put up half the money for the recount. If enough other people in this country want to contribute to make up there rest of the recount cost, we’ll press forward. It’s the right thing to do. We just really think we won, and don’t want to have to spend money to prove we are right. But there is a question, and we’ll match all donations up to the point needed to prove who really won.
Can you imagine her credibility boost? She can’t lose, in that scenario.
Her biggest negative, to me, is trustworthiness. She seems very much the political animal, who will say or do anything to get elected.
This is her biggest chance to prove me wrong, to show herself a true leader in the cause of Democracy in this country.
Who’s with me in thinking Hillary should ask for a recount?