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Indecision 2000: Palindrome Contest Winners!

Timothy Noah
Posted Thursday, Nov. 30, 2000, at 7:11 PM ET

Chatterbox challenged readers to submit palindromes about the post-election mayhem. He received many superb entries--even without the participation of Benjamin Zimmer, who placed first, third, and fourth in Chatterbox's earlier Super Tuesday palindrome contest. Here are the winners:

Tenth-best Indecision 2000 Palindrome:

Dubya won? No way, bud! (submitted, independently, by Stephen Roche, George Kopp, and Johnny Fitchen)

Ninth-best Indecision 2000 Palindrome:

Wonk! I won! Now I know! (Tom Tegtmeyer)

Note: This is a condensed version of a longer palindrome penned four years ago by Tegtmeyer and Paul Loomis. Click here and scroll to Item 69 to read the original.

Eighth-best Indecision 2000 Palindrome:

Say, bud: Is revote bet over? Si, Dubya's. (Scott Douglas)

Seventh-best Indecision 2000 Palindrome:

Evil Halliburton yen, eh? Cheney no trub. "I'll, ah ..., live." (Frederick H. Alexander)

Sixth-best Indecision 2000 Palindrome:

Loss? Alas! S.O.L. (Justin Pittas-Giroux)

Fifth-best Indecision 2000 Palindrome:

Dog 'em? Still at. I, wonk, stiff (fits), know-it-all. It's me, God. (Stephen Roche)

Fourth-best Indecision 2000 Palindrome:

Miami-Dade illusory: T. DeLay's apes abase.
Pa's Yaled tyro, sullied a dim aim. (Matt Franklin)

Third-best Indecision 2000 Palindrome:

Law evil.
A name not set.
No contest.
One man alive.
W.? Al? (Jonathan M. Siegel)

Second-best Indecision 2000 Palindrome:

Fla.! Al: "F---!" (Justin Pittas-Giroux)

... and the best Indecision 2000 Palindrome is:

To recap:
W.: "Gypp in sun? Na-nah!"
Cub Bush: "O! you fans! Egad!"--loser!--"Pa, Ma--I won!"--W.
Dubya men owe Nader.
"O, Gees. Draw." Al: "F---! I'm a ... I'm axed."
Dems: "I care!"
Jesse J.: "O, not I! Revote!"
Glad Yale duo: "You delay'd, Al. Get over it!"
"O, no," Jesse J.: "Eracism!"
Ed (D): "Ex a Miami, Fla., ward, see?"
Gore (D): "A new one may bud."
W: "Now I am a pres.!"
Old-age SNAFU? "Oy! Oh! Sub Buchanan?! Nu."
Snippy G.W.--Pace.
(Rot!) (Justin Pittas-Giroux)

Honorable Mention:

Live war hero given no ID!"--Jeb (E.J. Dionne vigor, eh?) "Raw evil!" (Tom Tegtmeyer)

Diary: Me Rogue! I, Dad, as was. On top. Pot? No! Saw sad, adieu,
Gore! My raid. (Jonathan I. Lessner)

Emit, gong, Geo? No way, sue U.S., ya won! O eggnog time! (Frederick H. Alexander)

Harris, K., bush sub k-sirrah (Jeff Hagan)

Ya, Demos! Nod, nab a ballot, revote. Be "big time."
 Snip & spin, Asa. W. on E!, Kat Harris on ten, Mary M ...
Elian's mom?!? 684, ur, wise (nut) pensioners.
Ay, bud. Dubya's Reno is Neptune.
Si, W., RU 486? ... moms nail @e-my-ram.net.
"NO-SIR-RAH! TAKE NO W.!"
Asa nips & pins. Emit gibe, bet over. Toll?
Ab--abandon. Someday. (Jennifer Leigh Hughes)

270? 1600? O, no: .0061072% ... (Justin Pittas-Giroux)

Was Al a TN pres.? Wha? No?
Nah--W = serp'nt.
Alas! Aw ... (Justin Pittas-Giroux)

'Won' apt? Si! To Penn Ave, do! (rode van); Nepotist Pa? Now! (Stephen Roche)

I maim Miami. (Tim Weiner)

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Timothy Noah is a senior writer at Slate.
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