Hanging Chads : The Inside Story of the 2000 Presidential Recount in Florida

What's the real story behind the 2000 presidential election fiasco? Until now, there have only been biased accounts from both sides. Hanging Chads presents candid and insightful interviews with eleven of the key figures in the post-election recount in Florida, which decided whether Al Gore or George W. Bush would win the closest presidential contest ever. The book features an introduction that clearly explains the often complex and convoluted legal maneuvering that occurred during those tense thirty-six days of the recount, a timeline laying out the sequence of events, a cast of characters that identifies the key players on both sides, and a glossary of the court cases and legal terminology that came into play. Pleasants interviews the two main Florida lawyers, Dexter Douglass for Gore and Barry Richard for Bush, and discusses the decision-making process with three judges involved in key cases. The book includes the viewpoint of the press and key political players like Tom Feeney, the Florida legislature's Speaker of the House, and Mac Stipanovich, a key political advisor to Katherine Harris. In addition, Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore explains why she chose the infamous butterfly ballot that sent the whole process into motion.

Julian Pleasants has given us the definitive book on the disputed presidential election of 2000. Hanging Chads reveals how a badly flawed Florida ballot and the denial of a recount awarded the presidency to a candidate who lost by half a million votes in the popular count.—George McGovern, former U.S. Senator and 1972 Democratic Presidential Candidate

Julian Pleasants has provided readers with a very valuable, well researched, and dispassionate story of the very controversial presidential election of 2000 in Florida. Combining an extended introduction with informative interviews with all of the key people involved in the disputed election, Pleasants allows readers to see for themselves how events transpired in 2000. His introduction alone is worth the price of this book. Anyone interested in his fascinating story of perhaps the closest election in American history must read this book.—Reubin O'D. Askew, Governor of Florida, 1971-1979

Library Journal

This book is essentially a collection of interviews conducted by the author (history, Univ. of Florida) with 11 people involved in the 2000 presidential election, its recount, and the litigation that followed. A lengthy, detailed introduction chronicles the entire saga, from the adoption of the butterfly ballot to the Supreme Court's decision; also included are a table with Florida's vote totals at the county level, a complete cast of characters, summaries of the many court cases spawned by the election and recount, and definitions of legal terms. But the interviews are the heart of the book, and they mostly make for interesting if not necessarily compelling reading. Among those interviewed are lawyers, judges, local politicians, and media representatives, and they share their respective insights, sometimes tinged with partisanship, though the book itself has no thesis or point of view. A primer on the Florida election, this book offers source materials that would allow readers to draw their own conclusions. Recommended for academic libraries, especially those with collections on contemporary American history and politics. Thomas J. Baldino, Wilkes Univ., Wilkes-Barre, PA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

What's the real story behind the 2000 presidential election fiasco? Hanging Chads presents candid and insightful interviews with key figures in the post-election recount in Florida, which decided whether Al Gore or George W. Bush would win the closest presidential contest ever. The book features an introduction that clearly explains the often complex and convoluted legal manoeuvering that occurred during those tense thirty-six days of the recount, a timeline laying out the sequence of events, a cast of characters that identifies the key players on both sides, and a glossary of the court cases and legal terminology that came into play. Pleasants interviews the two main Florida lawyers, Dexter Douglass for Gore and Barry Richard for Bush, and discusses the decision-making process with three judges involved in key cases. The book includes the viewpoint of the press and key political players like Tom Feeney, the Florida legislature's Speaker of the House, and Mac Stipanovich, a key political advisor to Katherine Harris. In addition, Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore explains why she chose the infamous butterfly ballot that sent the whole process into motion. Providing a unique and balanced insiders' view of one of the most important events in recent history, Hanging Chads is a must-have for students and historians of American politics. "Hanging Chads presents interviews with eleven of the key figures in the post-election recount in Florida, which decided whether Al Gore or George W. Bush would win the closest presidential contest ever. The book features an introduction that clearly explains the often complex and convoluted legal maneuvering that occurred during those tense thirty-six days of the recount, a timeline laying out the sequence of events, a cast of characters that identifies the key figures on both sides, and a glossary of the court cases and legal terminology that came into play."--BOOK JACKET. Front Matter....Pages i-vii Introduction....Pages 1-32 County-by-County Votes in Florida....Pages 33-34 Cast of Characters....Pages 35-42 Court Cases and Legal Terms....Pages 43-58 Interviews: Palm Beach County Canvassing Board....Pages 59-90 Interviews: Media and Public Information....Pages 91-121 Interviews: Politicians....Pages 123-173 Interviews: Judiciary....Pages 175-227 Interviews: Attorneys....Pages 229-286 Back Matter....Pages 287-293 Pleasants interviews the two main Florida lawyers, Dexter Douglass for Gore and Barry Richard for Bush, and discusses the decision- making process with three judges involved in key cases