US Poll Graffiti

Authorities in California have shut down the vote swap websites aimed at helping Green Party candidate RalphNader get his targeted five pe...

Authorities in California have shut down the vote swap websites aimed at helping Green Party candidate RalphNader get his targeted five per cent of the vote without hurting the winning chances of Democratacirc;euro;trade;s Al Gore. Under schemes promoted by nadertrader.com, voteswap2000.com, winwincampaign.com and other sites, voters in states where Al Gore was comfortably ahead could vote for Ralph Nader in exchange for votes from Nader supporters in state where Gore was behind.Winning the popular vote in a state, even by a single vote, gives the presidential candidate all the electoral votes of the state. It is the electoral vote, and not the popular vote, which counts in electing a president.

The schemes also provided an outlet for Gore supporters trapped in Bush states. They could vote for Nader without hurting Goreacirc;euro;trade;s overall chances. acirc;euro;oelig;We have just received word from the California Secretary of State that offering to quot;broker the exchange of votesquot;is a violation of California state law. Therefore we have turned our software off in order to be in compliance,acirc;euro; voteswap2000.com said in an announcement on its website.

The chicken returns. The old e-mail turkey has come back with a Presidential touch. So why did the chicken cross the road? Some sample presidential answers.

VICE PRESIDENT GORE : I fight for the chickens and I am fighting for the chickens right now. I will not give up on the chickens crossing the road! I will fight for the chickens and I will not disappoint them.

GOVERNOR GEORGE W. BUSH : I don8217;t believe we need to get the chickens across the road. I say give the road to the chickens and let them decide. The government needs to let go of strangling the chickens so they can get across the road.

SENATOR LIEBERMAN : I believe that every chicken has the right to worship their God in their own way. Crossing the road is a spiritual journey and no chicken should be denied the right to cross the road in his or her own way.

SECRETARY CHENEY: Chickens are big-time because they have wings. They could fly if they wanted to. Chickens don8217;t want to cross the road. They don8217;t need help crossing the road. In fact, I8217;m not interested in crossing the road myself.

Story continues below this ad

RALPH NADER: Chickens are misled into believing there is a road by the evil tiremakers. Chickens aren8217;t ignorant, but our society pays tiremakers to create the need for these roads and then lures chickens into believing there is an advantage to crossing them. Down with the roads, up with chickens.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal a job from a decent, hardworking American.

RONALD REAGAN: What chicken?

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What do you mean by quot;chickenquot;? Could you define quot;chickenquot; please?

While on laughs, the late night television shows, once a showcase for entertainers and bawdy jokes, has become a must-stop for politicians. Both Gore and Bush have made pit stops on David Lettermanacirc;euro;trade;s Latenight Show and Jay Lenoacirc;euro;trade;s Tonight Show to show off their lighter side. Bush came on Jay Leno bearing the November 8 front page of the Los Angeles Times. acirc;euro;oelig;Bush Winsacirc;euro; it said inbig bold typeface. Leno showed the audience several past pictures of Gore, including one that showed him talking on the telephone while dressed in the glowing green make-up of the Frankenstein monster.