For nearly eight years, Democrats have blamed Ralph Nader for giving us President Bush. If Nader hadn't drawn 90,000 Florida votes in 2000, the reasoning goes, a handful of his supporters might have closed their eyes, swallowed hard and voted for Al Gore — probably closing the 537-vote gap by which Bush carried the state.

So now some Republicans are doing the same thing. Conservative absolutists say they just can't vote for John McCain.

That's their right. As Nader said, those votes in 2000 didn't belong to Gore if he couldn't earn them.

So maybe today's ideologically purer-than-thou conservatives won't complain when Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton picks three or four Supreme Court justices.

Not even George Wallace could say there's "not a dime's worth of difference" between the parties this year. It's the most starkly opposite choice since Nixon-McGovern in 1972.

Then, as now, an unpopular war and the economy were dominant issues. Once again, the Democrats will be the peace party while the Republicans defend their policies.

Back then, it was "Nixonomics" with wage and price controls versus McGovern's idea to just give everybody $1,000. Now it's an economic-stimulus package with tax "rebates."

You know what would make for some neat nostalgia? The Republicans could break into DNC headquarters and bug the phones. . . .

Nah, that could never happen.

Gov. Charlie Crist's well-timed endorsement of McCain raised his running-mate ratings in the GOP. And Sen. Bill Nelson, having won four times in a state with 27 electoral votes, should be on the short list of either Democrat.

Both men are scandal-free and not prone to making gaffes. They're affable and telegenic, but they have shown they can be tough, capable campaigners.

And think of the headlines: "Vice-presidential debate called more boring than Mondale-Dole '76"

Never mind the merits of the amendment itself. We'll hear plenty of argument in the next nine months.

It's the reasoning on both sides that has always seemed a little puzzling.

What do the proponents of the amendment want? They don't approve of people cruising bars or hooking up for casual contacts, but they don't want them having civil ceremonies and settling down, either. Florida passed a "defense of marriage" statute about 10 years ago, and now we have a constitutional amendment on the ballot. If we just pass enough laws, will gays suddenly smack their foreheads, say, "Oh, so that 's what I'm supposed to do!" and become heterosexual?

On the other hand, gay-marriage proponents, who have pushed this issue in the courts and legislatures from Hawaii to Massachusetts, seem startled and offended when their cause runs into resistance. Did they think the other side would not react?

"Oh, you want to change about 250 years of law and custom in this country? Sure, no biggie. Sorry we didn't think of that ourselves.. . ."

Well, Leon County has always had totally clean elections — zero defects in the recounts, readily certifiable results, relatively short lines, few if any complaints from candidates. Even in the post-presidential merriment of 2000, Ion Sancho's office stood out from the rest of Florida.

So now Sancho is investigating allegations of drinking on primary night by some of his employees. Considering how well our elections have run, maybe he ought to find out what they were drinking and send a case to colleagues in some other counties.

Nah, it could never happen.

"Great letter Gene Cox! Teach me more about our Tallahassee and F.S.U. history. TTP RATING: FIVE TRICORN HATS." Pace 

FSU's Montgomery was great example of an AD, Tallahassee Democrat, January 30, 2008 

Re: "New candidate emerges for FSU AD" (sports, Jan. 29).

With the interviews to begin in FSU's athletic-director search, did you know that the first FSU AD was a woman? Kate Montgomery organized the department of physical education in October 1918. She headed it until her death in 1958.

When Ms. Montgomery entered Florida State College for Women, she found there was no provision for recreation for women students outside of a couple of tennis courts. She had played basketball in high school. She went before the faculty and asked permission to organize two basketball teams. She met with a great deal of opposition. Some said it was not quite ladylike for women to take physical education and was a hazard to the health of women to take violent exercises. However, they did permit her to fix a basketball court.

The games were so popular that. when she graduated four years later, Joseph Conradi, who was FSCW president at the time, offered her a salaried position. The Legislature decided to build a gym. That gym was named for her (Montgomery Gym).

When FSCW became FSU and men were enrolled, a football team was organized, and of course a (male) coach was hired. But since Ms. Montgomery had a doctorate in physical education, and the coach had only a bachelor's degree, she still remained head of the department of physical education.

Good luck to the advisory search committee and President T.K. Wetherell in their selection.

GENE COX

genecox0723@embarqmail.com

"Congratulations Mark.  Again, you have the nice humerous touch.  Your "dinger" just cleared the fence.  With more work, your letter could be a teaching tool.  The lesson would show the great difference between NATURAL SELECTION-SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST and APE TO HUMAN EVOLUTION. NATURAL SELECTION, YES; SPECIES TO SPECIES EVOLUTON, NO.  You're on the right track.  See EVOLUTION.  I like the humor.  With more research, perhaps you'll eventually see that molecule to ape to human evolution is not supported by modern science. GOOD EFFORT TO BRING PEACE TO THE COLONIES."  Pace

Tallahassee Democrat, December 29, 2007

 "Nice letters.  The best group of LETTERS TO THE EDITOR during 2007.  Mary Ann Lindley wrote another good article too,  see, Maybe it's time to redefine the word 'Presidential', www.tallahassee.com.  Good writers in the Colonies today.....  TTP RATING: FIVE TRICORN HATS."  Pace 

 "No dinger here.  Kenn Klos hit this one out of the colonies.  TTP Rating: Five Tricorn Hats." Pace

"Mary Ann is a thinker.  She's right about one thing.  Our Founders agreed in the necessity of an educated electorate.  In 1647, a law required householders to teach reading, writing, ciphering, history, geography and Bible study.  Mary Ann gets a large tricorn patriotic hat for what she got right.  But, the further education gets from the householder (from the family to city to county to state to national education) the worse it gets and the more tax dollars are wasted.  We need to move away from property tax and income tax toward a sales tax based system for necessary government functions.  Parents and free enterprise will fix our educational system and save our state and nation.  Government can't do it."       Pace 

"Revolutionary thinkers.  Two great letters.  There's always something good in the Tallahassee Democrat.  TTP Rating: Four Tricorn Hats.  No dingers here.  Thanks Ben and Harry."     Pace 

"Good article Gerald Ensley.  Thanks Gerald and the Tallahassee Democrat.  To me, the artile provides revolutionary ammunition to resist spending 200 million dollars on a performing arts center.  Tax funded arts have the additional stinky & sticky problem of determining what art or performance is allowed."

TTP Rating: Three Tricorn Hats."   Pace  

Note 1:  My lib' friend, Gerald, supports tax money spent on performing arts centers and other cultural facilities.  He believes they provide a benefit to taxpayers that business cannot fill.  He opposes tax money for stadiums for professional sports, because they are businesses that should build their own facilities.   Pace

Note 2: Larger hats accommodate Barry Bonds head size.  As some readers have expressed .... Gerald's letter may have been a "dinger." He gets three patriotic hats dispite occasional five-dunce-hat articles.     Pace