Poynter Online - Forums This posting to the Poynter Forums concerns the questions over the election results and what the press should do about them. There are some wild accusations floating out there concerning the legitimacy of the election results. So far the sources of these claims seem to be somewhat short on hard evidence that can't be readily explained. The charges do continue to mount all the same and the Republicans are worthy of suspicion. And I'm also sure that a great deal of these accusations flow from sour grapes and an apparently contagious cognitive dissonance.

I don't know of any news operation capable of seriously handling this issue that would be willing to pick it up. Olbemann over at MSNBC is writing about it at the same time that the network appears to be trying to slide to the right of Fox. I'm not altogether sure what that holds in store. The Democrats aren't willing to touch it after being tarred with the obstructionist brush from the last election.

I don't think it would be wise for anyone to sit back and hope these issues fade away. A great many new voters were brought into the process in this election and they should not be left with a lingering doubt of the usefulness of their efforts. The only way to deal with this matter is to flip it from an accusatory one to an instructive one.
  ¶ 11/09/2004 04:47:00 PM