"There is a 97.5% chance that Al Gore was short-changed at least 2,008 votes...."

Many found it confusing because Gore's name was placed 2nd from the top on the left, and Bush's name was at the top, when the 2nd hole from the top was actually for Pat Buchanan....

But what if that was reversed? What if it was Gore at the top, and Bush below him....

Would someone different then be elected?

Should the choice for the US President come down to *where* they were placed on the ballot? That seems to be what it *could* boil down to....

I realize this is an important issue for some.... (Since I'm not really a Bush or Gore supporter, I'm not too partial here....)

But what if it happened that Gore was on top, and Bush was below? Would the situation be reversed?

Is that what the Presidential election should boil down to -- blind chance as to *where* you were on the ballot paper?

I'm just thinking about hypotheticals, and playing "devil's advocate".... I don't mean to rile anyone up....

Dien Rice

P.S. Bringing this back to marketing, here's something I remember reading.... (Unfortunately, I don't fully remember where I read it....)

Someone wanted to do a test a year or two ago about the importance of *secure* order forms. So they put two links, one for the *secure* order form, and one for the normal (unsecure) order form....

They stuck the links one above the other. The person could order via either link....

They did a test. For half the people, they saw the secure order link on top, and the unsecure order link below it....

The other half saw them in the reverse order, with the unsecure link on top.

Which did most people pick?

They found that, most people picked the *top* link -- no matter what it was!

I find this result interesting.... There's a lot more that could be relevant in a ballot paper -- or in an order form -- than might first meet the eye....

P.P.S. Let's be careful we don't get too heated on these political topics (since that could be a danger)....