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From: rick@svedberg.bcm.tmc.edu (Richard H. Miller)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Congress considering changes to Daylight Savings
Message-ID: <427@uni2.bcm.tmc.edu>
Date: Sat, 14-Nov-87 16:31:32 EST
Article-I.D.: uni2.427
Posted: Sat Nov 14 16:31:32 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Nov-87 19:29:31 EST
References: <7708@reed.UUCP> <21745@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
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Summary: daylight savings time

In article <21745@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>, melvin@ji.Berkeley.EDU (Steve Melvin) writes:
> 
> I find this plan utterly absurd.  The House has proposed a ridiculous
> solution to a non-problem.  First, it boggles the mind to imagine the
> confusion that would be caused in those two weeks with the east and west
> coasts only two hours apart.  And for what?  If you imagine in your wildest
> dreams that the presidential election will ever be decided on one vote
> you are a fool.  The motivation to participate in such a mass event
> transcends the desire to individually have an effect on the outcome.  We
> do it because we believe in the democratic process, because we believe that
> participation is important, etc., not because we think our individual vote
> is going to sway the election.


The problem is not with the presidential election per se. You are probably
correct that one individual vote will not effect that race (or one state). The
problem is with the local elections. In the 1980 election, when Carter
conceeded before the poll closed on the west coast, there was a significiant
drop-off when he did so as well as when the networks announced Reagan was
elected. This (as I remember) did change serveral races (at least according
to the losers). In a presidential election, the draw of the president's
election will bring people in and if they decide that they will not effect
the race, they will not vote and in this case, they will not vote for the
lower ballot as well. I am not sure that proposed plan will do what the
Congress desires, but the attempt needs to be made. In local races, one vote
can (and has) effected the outcome.

Richard H. Miller                 Email: rick@svedburg.bcm.tmc.edu
Head, System Support              Voice: (713)799-4511
Baylor College of Medicine        US Mail: One Baylor Plaza, 302H
                                           Houston, Texas 77030