I've figured out the other real reason the Rs have pushed their anti-trial lawyer message so hard during the last couple of weeks: they're very afraid of 2000 all over again. It's looking more and more like the voters are split right down the middle, and the margin of victory will be well within the margin of voter fraud, manipulation and intimidation. That will put this election in the courts, and they want the general public's reaction to be disgust. They figure that, with the way Republican State election officials have been pushing a strong agenda of rejecting doubtful voters and votes, the likliest way this will turn out is they win the first count by a teeny weeny margin, and have to defend it against litigation concerning voters scared off, sent away, provisional votes not counted, and strict interpretation of absentee ballot laws applied to everyone EXCEPT career military (who are mostly Rs). They hope to have the general public's reaction be, "I just want this over with. Dubbyah won the call on the field, I don't care to hear whining that the replay shows something else."