Tuned In, TV Blog, Television Reviews, James Poniewozik, TIME

May 9, 2008 10:27

Dead Tree Alert: Florida Forever

Posted by James Poniewozik | Comments (3) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This

In the paper version of Time magazine this week, my column looks at the upcoming HBO movie Recount, and how the 2000 electoral circus in Florida still looms over the psychology of politics—especially in a certain party that has a lot of members cheesed off about enfranchisement and Florida:

After George W. Bush won Florida in 2000--O.K., I apologize to my Democrat readers for legitimizing Bush by using the word won. Also, I apologize to the Republicans for delegitimizing Bush by apologizing to the Democrats ...

This is what Florida has done to us. Nearly eight years after Bush--um, "became President"? Can we agree on that?--the Florida recount still grips our politics, down to its semantics. To choose a verb is to take sides. Florida is not just a state but a state of mind: the widely held attitude that the game is rigged (by the courts, the media, the voting machines ...) and that any close election is suspect. Florida looms over politics like the Alamo, the Maine and the grassy knoll all rolled into one.

The potential for half the Democratic Party to feel like it's been re-Florida'ed is there, I point out, no matter which way the superdelegates go. Since Tuned In is not known for its political prognostications, I didn't really feel like declaring a winner in the primary. The cover of Time, you'll note, is not so shy.

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Reader Comments (3)

DM:

I liked the column. I kind of wonder if the character of elections changed post-Florida, because 2000 was the first election I was old enough to really understand/pay attention to, so I don't have much by way of comparison.

Of course, I still think the whole problem would be solved if we just threw out the electoral college, but there you are.

Posted by DM | May 9, 2008 2:11 PM

Anon:

"My Democrat (sic) readers"

Et tu, James?

Posted by Anon | May 9, 2008 8:38 PM

James Poniewozik:

@Anon: no dog whistle meant, at least on my part. It was an editing change, I assume either for house style reasons, or possibly to ensure that the paragraph fit without a line turning over, not sure which. Though honestly, being registered as a Democrat (sic) voter in the state of New York, I don't get especially exercised about the issue.

Posted by James Poniewozik | May 10, 2008 9:26 AM

About Tuned In

James Poniewozik writes TIME magazine's Tuned In column, about pop culture and society. Tuned In, the blog version, is about the stuff we used to call "TV," whether it's in your living room, on your computer or--once the networks figure out the technology and line up the advertisers--in your dreams themselves.