时政漫画家汤姆·托尔斯：佛州人可知天意？

　　Traditionally people thought of the weather as God's work. Weather disasters -- lightning strikes, blizzards, floods, drought, great sandstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes -- were (and still very often are) regarded as divine visitations, God's intervention in the world to warn or punish sinners. So what to make of Florida's turbulent summer? Certainly hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan have been scary enough to suggest the wrath of God directed against some crying iniquity.

　　WashingtonPost editorial cartoonist Tom Toles humorously interprets the three hurricanes that have buffeted Florida as just such a visitation. Have Floridians gotten the message? Do they understand their "iniquity", why they have been blasted by three titanic hurricanes and sustained over 20 billion dollars' worth of damage just as the November election approaches?

　　Four years ago old voting machines -- a suspiciously large number of them in areas with many Democratic voters -- functioned badly. In a tight presidential race the Florida Election Commission declared thousands of ballots unreadable and invalid. This gave rise to a furious challenge from the Gore camp. Since the outcome of the election was so close nationwide, the entire race hinged on the results in Florida. Weeks passed, lawyers haggled and courts were appealed to, before the US Supreme Court in effect declared George W. Bush the winner.

　　Many Democrats have never reconciled themselves to the result: George Bush, they claim, stole the election by fancy legal chicanery. Was Heaven pleased? If we judgejust by Toles' cartoon, apparently not.

　　Now, four years later, another close election is upon us. It is quite possible that the results in Florida will once again be crucial. The politicians in Florida have of course sorted out the problems with the voting machines, right?

　　Not necessarily. Reports out of Florida hint at some very strange goings-on in a state presided over by George W. Bush's brother Jeb. It isn't at all clear that the Florida Election Commission has "gotten the message" and rectified the situation that led to the balloting mess in 2000.(听英文53587)