Taylor-Shuler: a scenario

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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This is not the official Ashvegas election predictions. Those will be coming next weekend. No, this is not what will happen. This is what might happen. A scenario.

It’s election night in Western North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District. For U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor and challenger Health Shuler, the thousands of hours and millions of dollars all come down to this.

There have been election snafus. Some of the new voting machines don’t work properly. People don’t get to vote, or think their vote hasn’t been registered properly They’re pissed. They’ll file complaints.

Across the 15 counties of the district, there’s also a question or two or three of election fraud. People voting early and often. These are minor, but they get magnified because of all the attention on the Taylor-Shuler race.

By 1 or 2 a.m., it’s clear that the race will be decided by fewer than 4,000 votes, perhaps fewer than 2,000 votes. The candidate on the losing end immediately calls for a recount. Remember the presidential election of 2000? It’s 2000 all over again.

Meantime, across the nation we see that 14 Democrats have beaten out Republicans for U.S. House seats to bring Democrats within one seat of taking control of the House for the first time since 1994. All eyes turn to WNC’s 11th Congressional District, where the recounting and canvassing takes days.

O, the angst, agony.

Just one scenario, folks…