A whole week has passed, and we still don't know who will be the next president of the United States.
Good.
What's the rush? Already, people are complaining about the lack of a decision and how long the process is taking. For an example of why we shouldn't rush to judgment, think back to the networks and their hasty decisions on Election Night.
This is an important decision that deserves more thought than "Big mac or quarter-pounder?"
With that said, there are a few things about the whole process that can be decided now.
First, there needs to be a revote in the county with the so-called "butterfly" ballots. No argument about this situation is valid except that it is likely many residents there did not have their vote accurately recorded-- by no fault of their own. It's like asking for a mochachino and getting an extra latte, you have the right to go back and demand an exchange.
End of discussion.
Second, voting needs to be standardized across the United States and brought into the 21st Century. If we can design computer programs to safely permit online shopping and the launch of a nuclear weapon, we can no doubt come up with something for voting, maybe even online. Imagine being able to vote from the comfort of your home or office?
Or if that is implausible, the least we can do is design software that can be distributed to polling locations and loaded on a computer there. Either way the results would come faster and, for the sake of the media, more accurately.
Third, there needs to be some serious discussion about the Electoral College and its merits over the popular vote. There is something seriously erroneous about the idea that a president could be elected by a majority of the people yet fail to win the election.
