Bush Watch...for Greg Palast

stories... issues... bushreport... comedy... site map... contact...

posted at Bush Watch (www.bushwatch.com) 10/22/01

Politex,

On 15 February, for BBC TV, I reported that inside information from the news Consortium (National Opinion Research Center) showed Gore picking up about 20,000 votes.

NORC COUNT - TO ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS

1. Norc did not allow its workers to designate a ballot as 'Gore' or 'Bush.' Rather each of 5 workers independently described the physical ballot ('circled Gore and checked box; double-hanging chad etc.')

2. Because of this, no one, not even Norc, has a 'tally' of 'votes.'

3. Each member of the consortium may analyze the descriptive data as they wish.

4. As a result, it is unlikely they will come to any agreed conclusion as to their findings. 5. Norc reviewed 180,000 ballots uncounted by florida.

6. Based on a 'loose' interpretation of data as leaked to me, that is, based on voter intent regardless of marking errors, Gore would pick up about 20k votes. I reported that in February, and there's no reason to believe much has changed. But caution: this is leaked stuff and could be biased by the limit of data known to any one person.

7. Due to the excessive number of 'spoiled' ballots in minority counties, it's a no-brainer that the 180k uncounted ballots will showed more uncounted ‘Gore' votes (i.e. discernable intent to vote Gore.)

8. However, anyone who says they have Norc's final tabulation of who 'won' is off the wall- because Norc has made no such tabulation and will not.

9. I believe the consortium will eventually release data - and it will seem conflicting and useless. The Norc work was set up to fail, so the delay in its release means nothing.

10. As the chairwoman of the Civil Rights Commission said, it wasn't the count, but the 'no count,' the pre-vote disenfranchisement, which settled the election.

I hope that helps.
Greg Palast,
The Observer, London
Reporter for "What Really Happened in Florida" BBC Television