# A fourth branch of government: The Tribunate

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fourth-branch-of-government-the-tribunate/253179>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 2, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fourth-branch-of-government-the-tribunate/253179 "2004-07-02T04:51:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fourth-branch-of-government-the-tribunate/253179/21 "2004-11-04T21:02:44Z")

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I decided to revive this thread because it’s timely. If a separately elected Tribunate had been running it, this election might have gone very differently. For instance, disproportionately high vote-spoilage in African-American precincts might not have happened. [http://www.tompaine.com/articles/kerry\_won.php](http://www.tompaine.com/articles/kerry_won.php)

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**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fourth-branch-of-government-the-tribunate/253179/22 "2004-11-04T21:26:40Z")

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> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> I decided to revive this thread because it’s timely.

:rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fourth-branch-of-government-the-tribunate/253179/23 "2004-11-05T05:20:31Z")

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Your well-reasoned counter-argument leaves me in awe, sir.

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**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fourth-branch-of-government-the-tribunate/253179/24 "2004-11-05T06:09:25Z")

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> [@Brutus](#):
>
> :rolleyes:

Why do you hate freedom so much? 😃

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**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fourth-branch-of-government-the-tribunate/253179/25 "2004-11-05T07:32:57Z")

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> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> [http://www.tompaine.com/articles/kerry\_won.php](http://www.tompaine.com/articles/kerry_won.php)

_WHY_ aren’t people up in arms about this? Is there any chance that these votes will be counted and the results overturned?

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**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fourth-branch-of-government-the-tribunate/253179/26 "2004-11-05T15:28:06Z")

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> [@Cisco](#):
>
> _WHY_ aren’t people up in arms about this? Is there any chance that these votes will be counted and the results overturned?

Because nobody knows about it. Which major media source is exposing it?

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fourth-branch-of-government-the-tribunate/253179/27 "2004-11-05T16:37:09Z")

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See also [http://www.blackboxvoting.org/](http://www.blackboxvoting.org/).

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**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fourth-branch-of-government-the-tribunate/253179/28 "2004-11-05T21:21:48Z")

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> [@Neurotik](#):
>
> Because nobody knows about it. Which major media source is exposing it?

:mad: Liberal media my ass. A major reason Bush got so many votes is that the mainstream media has been _terrified_ of questioning this administration for the last 3 years, and apparently still is.

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