Please Remember. Republicans Steal Elections.

[David Zephyr]

There's no doubt whatsoever that President Obama has the favor of the American People. The polls clearly are encouraging and hopeful across the spectrum. But we can not take anything for granted and I know that just as the GOP has stolen national elections before, they are not going to suddenly have a change of heart in 2012.

I am very concerned about the complete lack of campaigning in public by Mitt Romney. I humbly submit that others also should be concerned. I have never seen anything like it in all my years. He's behind in the polls and disappears? What does he know that we don't?

While some might read this recent Romney disappearing act as the manner of a wealthy man, and while others are saying he's a bit lazy or that he's not comfortable at campaigning in public , I am not so sure myself. I also do not buy into the fact that he took a full week off to practice debating so far before the debates.

So what's my worry. It could also be that the Corporate CEO is confident about the outcome in November already. Not the voting outcome, but the "outcome". After all, his party steals elections. It's in their DNA. Indeed, it's one of the GOP's most cherished traditions.

From Pennsylvania and Ohio to Texas and Florida, the purging of voter rolls has been going on quietly, but like a machine for over a year. Voter I.D. requirements were successfully mandated by state houses across the nation after President Obama was inaugurated. Like termites at work, the GOP and its accomplices are busy with their skulduggery doing everything in their capacity (legally or not) to make sure that the outcome tally of electoral votes is to their liking regardless of the national or state by state popular votes.

Long before a single vote had been cast in Florida in 2000, the voter rolls had been quietly purged by a Bush friendly company in Texas, the butterfly ballots had been diabolically designed, printed and the ink was dry. And George W. Bush stole the election.

The rigged election of 2004 never merited much of the media's attention as did that of 2000. Perhaps Americans were weary, but none other than Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and others have shown that what happened that November night in Ohio was the theft of the Presidency...again.

While I will go to my grave convinced that the election of 1960 was stolen in 1963 and that the election of 1980 was stolen in October of 1979, I will not go "there", but I will continue here with what there is no arguing.

After Bill Clinton was helped by the wild card candidacy of Ross Perot who took 19% of the vote in November 1992, the GOP was busy at work to make sure they had a fall-back position in 1996. The right-wing had tapped their tobacco lawyer, Ken Starr (already a friend of the court in the Paula Jones case) and had him ready to replace an existing Independent Counsel. Starr wasted no time in morphing his investigation of a real estate deal in Arkansas eons before (Whitewater) right back into...the Paula Jones case he'd been involved with earlier. As Gomer Pyle would say, "Surprise, Surprise". Their goal? The impeachment (the GOP succeeded in the House of Representatives) and the removal (they failed in the Senate) of President Clinton...in other words to overturn the election of 1996 and it was already in process before that election.

Past is prologue.


Why has Mitt Romney, behind in the polls, skipped an entire week from the campaign trail just before an election when history and common sense says he should be out there pressing the flesh instead of meeting privately with donors?

Why? Because once again they intend to steal the election for the same reason the scorpion stung the frog. It's their nature.

While the media is focused on the upcoming debates and the onslaught of television advertising and fact checking and talking heads on television...the termites are chewing away 24/7 at the upcoming election.

May God bless President Obama. And may we all help get out the vote.

And may Attorney General Eric Holder please do his part now to make certain that the American voter is not deprived of their voice this November.

[Raster]

1. Thank you, David for the heads up. I too smell a rat.

Large, rethuglican rats that steal elections and prevent lawful, legal citizens from casting their ballots and allowing their voices to be heard.

While I will go to my grave convinced that the election of 1960 was stolen in 1963 and that the election of 1980 was stolen in October of 1979, I will not go "there", but I will continue here with what there is no arguing.

How true, how true!

[David Zephyr]

4. Much appreciated, Raster. I'm bracing myself for what we will learn.

It will be ugly. We will triumph, but you summed it up writing you smell a rat. So do I.

[nanabugg]

58. Likewisw I havw been stressing this concern for months.

I hope the Obama campaign has something in mind if stuff get stinky like exit poll way out of line with vote talliesl, Voters should write down their ballot numbers for use incase there is a recount in order. Especially where Diebold machines are being used.

[questionseverything]

59. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjAk1JUWDMyRdEd0NFV5QV9DclZFTDJ3aHpqRVh4LWc#gid=20

it is not just diebold machines anymore...remember how scott walker recently "won" his recall election,supposedly he received most votes in a state that favors the dem,obama by 12 points...the link i posted is from a math guy that says SURPRISE SURPRISE that as the percentage of touchscreen votes increased the dem's vote share goes down

[Donowitz]

2. Republicans have been at this since 1960.

I've been able to examine the data from the last 5 decades and in almost every election in which Republicans won at the local, state, or federal level there has been at least some case of voter fraud that favored the rethugs.

Of course in 2000 and 2004 they just got more bold with it and made it more obvious but they've been stealing elections for decades.

[Raster]

5. No doubt about it. 2000 and 2004 were completely beyond the pale.

[jamal49]

11. Well, Not Exactly

No one is as blue a Democrat or more liberal than me. But, let us remember that in the 1960 elections, it is possible if not probable that Mayor Richard Daley pulled a few strings and handed John F. Kennedy the election (which was the closest decided election in U.S. history). Richard M. Nixon was classy enough not to challenge the results and the rest is history. But, overall, especially since 2000, the republicons have made it their bread-and-butter raison d'etre to steal and manipulate national, state-wide and local elections. Why? Because the republicons offer NOTHING to the American people and the only way they can sustain their existence is through voting fraud and manipulation. The republicon party is a dying party, soon to be irrelevant except in a handful of recalcitrant, obstreperous states, supported by increasingly seditious if not outright treasonous voters.

[Drunken Irishman]

12. Even if Nixon had won Illinois, he would've still lost the election...

It's why I never give any credence to that claim. Yes, Richard Daley delivered the Chicago region for Kennedy, but I'm guessing the Republicans were doing their best to deliver the rest of the state to Nixon.

In the end, Illinois was irrelevant. If Illinois goes Nixon, Kennedy still wins 282-247-8.

[questionseverything]

61. yes downstate was inflated and chicago minimized

now there is new danger in illinois as many counties use a foreign owned reporting company,he following is a quote from bev @ blackboxvoting.org.....WHAT'S A MIDDLEMAN AND WHY THE CONCERN?

A middleman entity is a person or system that sits in between the votes first counted and the results finally reported. For example, if you were to hand count votes at a polling place, then hand the results sheet to a courier, who then drives the results and ballots somewhere else and reports them, that courier is inserted between the original results and the reported results.

Middlemen are in a position to see the results before they are officially reported, and may be in a position to alter the results before they are reported.

Another example of a middleman is the Central Tabulator computer, which aggregates results. Whoever operates that computer is in a position for "first look" and alteration.

Another example is the company that provides the server which hosts the results when they are posted publicly. As results stream into the server, the owner of the server can get access to the results for first look or alteration.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

13. Wrong.

Kennedy would still win without Illinois in 1960.

Furthermore, there was just as much fraud by repigs in down-state/rural counties.

"Richard M. Nixon was classy"

[Raster]

15. yeah, the "nixon was classy" line got a chuckle out of me too.

[Raster]

14. welcome to DU!

[fishwax]

17. Even if Nixon had won Illinois, he would have still lost the electoral vote

No one is as blue a Democrat or more liberal than me. But, let us remember that in the 1960 elections, it is possible if not probable that Mayor Richard Daley pulled a few strings and handed John F. Kennedy the election (which was the closest decided election in U.S. history). Richard M. Nixon was classy enough not to challenge the results and the rest is history.

It isn't at all possible that Daley handed JFK the election, since even without Illinois JFK would have had 276 electoral votes. It's not even likely that Daley gave JFK Illinois, because the final vote tally remained in JFK's column despite vigorous protests of the vote by the national GOP. (Nixon's classiness in this situation is pretty specious--though he didn't publicly call for challenges to the results, his party's operatives aggressively challenged the vote in several states.) Republicans claimed that the democratic machine stole Texas as well as Illinois, and those two combined would have given Nixon the electoral vote. But there has never been much convincing evidence to support either claim.

[LaydeeBug]

91. Um...I'd like to call BULLSHIT, and say that Nixon had an awful lot of CORN HUSKS voting for him in

Southern Illinois.

An oft repeated lie will become the truth for those that don't know any better.

[David Zephyr]

36. Welcome to the DU.

Donowitz, I've lived through those 5 decades and more and your conclusion from your examinations is spot on.

I like to say this: When Republicans can't buy an election, they steal it.

[CrispyQ]

45. "When Republicans can't buy an election, they steal it."

Bumper sticker worthy!

[The Wizard]

76. The remedy

neutralize Karl Rove. He's the most dangerous man in America, maybe the world. Unscrupulous unethical criminal.

[spanone]

3. knr

[EmeraldCityGrl]

6. Even Intrade is on an Obama high

with something like 72percent voting for an Obama win.
I'm expecting a particularly ugly media campaign in the
final days, but something else is afoot.

Unfortunately for these scum sucking reptiles, Obama
And his staff are the smartest, most prepared people
In politics. Obama is always at his best when events are
at their worst.

[99th_Monkey]

7. I TOTALLY agree. and ReThugs keep finding new ways they steal votes.

i.e. the massive voter suppression in so-called "swing states", and the
Citizens United floodgates of cash for votes has been unleashed by SCOTUS.

We cannot remind ourselves of this enough between now and Nov.

[silverweb]

8. K&R

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Absolutely correct in every particular. I just hope the Obama team is ready fight to the finish.

[Rocky2007]

95. Very true -- BUT~~

Axelrod and his gang have been doing a brilliant job this year--they have been on top of everything and seem to be conducting an extraordinary campaign. I just can't even imagine them ignoring the theft scenario that the republicans are surely going to attempt.

They have cleared their minds and are executing a total mind game/war against the Republicans and are winning hands down at this point.

I have faith in David Axelrod -- I think!

[silverweb]

97. Agreed.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Axelrod et al have been doing a spectacular job and I love them for it.

I have to believe they've thought of every contingency and are ready for anything -- I hope!

[ailsagirl]

9. Their methods are becoming more and more sophisticated and harder to detect

Let us not forget Republican operative MIKE CONNELL whom KR hired to manipulate the numbers in Ohio (2004) which threw the race to Bush a second time.
I know I keep harping on this, but I think it's vital to consider.

[KauaiK]

10. It's who COUNTS the votes....

I feel like Chicken Little. While I am encouraged by the polls, I too have noticed that the GOP does not seem worried. It's like the GOP has it in the bag and there are no worries. What is it? Voting machine software malfunctions? Blocking legitimate voters from casting a ballot? Hanging chads? Corrupt GOP Secretary's of State who will lose or toss ballots or take a bribe from any number of sources? There are a myriad of ways they could steal the vote.

Do not be complacent. It's not who votes; its who COUNTS the votes. We have to be diligent to monitor and make sure every ballot is counted.

[defacto7]

20. Welcome to DU!

I think there should be a major effort to track exit polls and keep good central records of those polls. The more evidence real time, the more we can argue and scream if necessary. We need to have a layering of polls from all over the country in the final week to make sure any discrepancy which arises wont be hard to miss.

We have technology people. Take lots of pictures, keep an eye on everything that comes and goes. Let no action go unnoticed. There's no reason we should not watch our processes.

Also, I think the recount process is probably the most vulnerable place of attack. If we can avoid unnecessary recounts it may be better than the proverbial can of worms. How? well one way could be making sure the ID laws are understood and not made to look convoluted. If there are voting reps saying that they are confused, they could confuse people and the secretary could decide that people are confused and all of a sudden, we have a recount or more on the spot vote purges and the lawsuits that come out of that... then the courts decide. Not good.

I'm just talking on top of my head.. a little brainstorming never hurt. But we need to try to protect out rights people, some way.

[Beartracks]

72. Last time, the GOPers just said, "Well, I guess the exit polls were wrong for a change."

"You can't PROVE anything. So just get over it already."

Or something like that.


=======================

[Smickey]

16. Well then Mr Zephyr

I think you make a strong enough case and you have me sufficiently scared shitless. What is the/a/any solution?

The Justice Dept? Puhlease. They are understaffed for a battle of this epic size.
The DNC maybe. Herding cats comes to mind.

[CrispyQ]

46. One idea: volunteer with your local dem headquarters!

The dems need volunteers for all kinds of things: poll watchers, drive people to the polls, make calls to dems to remind them to Get Out The Vote! When dems vote, dems win!

And don't forget, county's need election judges! It's a long day, but it's an important job to do! Some county's pay their judges, too.

There is so much all of us can do!

[defacto7]

18. This is probably the most important post I have seen in my short presence here at DU.

I have been saying this for years and subtly commenting on our election season for months about this very real danger to democracy. This is one of the most important elections in decades because it is the culmination of extreme ideologies at war within our own country. The chasm is so polarized that there is no doubt in my mind that if the GOP were to use tactics for subverting the public's will, this is the time they would do it to the point of treason.

The big wake up call for me was the oath of office by Obama. Chief Justice Roberts misspoke the oath. Luckily, President Obama was sharp enough to wait for Roberts to repeat it a second time and then state it correctly despite Robert's deliberate misquote. It may not sound like much but it could have become a point of contention that could have been used by the Supreme Court to settle a constitutional crisis and call the election void IF they found a reason to defy the president. I have never forgotten it and I will never underestimate the powers that will control though treachery against the people of the United States.

This is a very important message. Thank you David.

I am also worried about President Obama's safety. If he wins this election, there are many who would not stop at the worst form of treason. These are extreme times, no less extreme than those of the 1960's and maybe even more so. I hope for our wonderful president to stay close to those he trusts and that those who are his protectors not let the factions of hate cause them to loose track of their oaths to the American people and their president.

[David Zephyr]

30. I have the same worries.

And as I wrote, our worries have merit. Thank you for your kind words, defacto7.

President Obama has accomplished in spite of a rebellious Congress and a fanatical right-wing filled with irrational hate. Your mentioning the swearing in by Roberts should never be forgotten. That was revealing to me, too.

President Obama has earned four more years. The American People are ready to give it to him, but the GOP does tamper with and steal elections when they can't buy them flat out.

[CrispyQ]

48. This nails it:

This is one of the most important elections in decades because it is the culmination of extreme ideologies at war within our own country.

I am also worried about the President's safety if he wins.

I will Google the Oath. I remember Robert's messed it up, but not exactly what he said that was different.

[judesedit]

19. May all talented computer geeks & hackers tune into this election & watch very closely, take shifts

if necessary. Record any and all abnormalities you come across in the easily-hackable software. Watch for switched votes, blackouts, patches, etc etc. With the Occupiers and hacktivists out there, and there are thousands, there are way enough to track these crooks. Rob-me would be a disaster for this county. Show the Koch brothers we can kick the habit.

[marions ghost]

27. And send info to Bradblog

in addition to other media.

[Stevepol]

44. This would help, but

as Steven Freeman said, these computers are "trivially easy" to hack (or patch or maliciously program).

It is also practically imipossible to prove malfeasance or fraud unless the computers are optiscans and there's paper to count in any recount.

I wish them the very best, whoever tries to monitor these machines, but it's good to keep in mind that whenever the vote is counted in total secrecy either without auditing or without the possibility of auditing (many touch screens), it's impossible to have a democracy. As Jimmy Carter remarked recently, Venezuela has made provision for auditing and their elections can be monitored and validated as fair and democratic.

The same can't be said for our elections at present.

[questionseverything]

60. here are some folks that actually have proven election theft on a 2 billion dollar bond issue

http://www.sweetremedy.tv/fatallyflawed/media/RTA_Fraud_Flyer_3_7_12.pdf

[DesertRat]

21. Thank you for this post

I've had this concern as well. If they can't win it, they will do what they can to suppress and steal it. We can't be complacent.

[David Zephyr]

37. Indeed.

I wish I lived in a battleground state. I'd be a poll watcher all day on election day. We've pretty much extinguished the Republican Party here in California...finally.

[Luminous Animal]

22. And few have done anything about except reflexively yell, "Fuck Nader".

Yay!

[mfcorey1]

23. You have effectively put into words what is constantly on my mind. It

generates a fear that I cannot shake. I would be interested to find out what Axlerod and Wasserman-Schultz have to say about this. The republicans are some of the greatest thieves that this country has ever seen. Is there no way to combat, at this late date, their OPERATION SNATCH THE ELECTION?

[David Zephyr]

31. We need to win by a very big, shaming majority and we need Eric Holder now.

I'm an old activist and I have seen a awful lot in my years through the prism of that activism (1960's) and awareness and the one thing I know (not think) is that the GOP steals elections when they can't simply buy them.

The tide in public polls is turning our way and if we continue with building the enthusiasm of our voters we can have a big enough victory to overcome their tricks. But what they are doing this cycle in voter suppression trumps anything I've ever seen before which is why I hope that Eric Holder or someone in the Justice Department reads our concerns and gets a "thumbs up" from a great many of us that they can step up to the challenge (like Bobby Kennedy would have) and declare that voter tampering and racketeering of voter suppression will be under the microscope this year. -- David

[LiberalAndProud]

24. Of course they cheat.

Randi Rhodes once said that we have to win by enough to beat the cheat. We are well on our way to that end.

Romney knows the same thing we know. When he speaks in public, he loses support. Every day he campaigns, he suffers another drop in the polls. It is better for him to stay out of sight as much as possible. The less opportunity to embarrass himself yet again, the better. He's doing the least harm to himself by doing what he's comfortable doing, schmoozing with the haves and have mores.

[David Zephyr]

39. Randi Rhodes has it: beat the cheat. I like that.

Of course, Randi is amazing, isn't she? Beat the cheat. I like that, LiberalAndProud.

[ReasonableToo]

25. White House probably not their objective yet...

They have to keep it closer if they intend to put their thumb on the scale for Romney I'm being lazy and quoting myself from one of my other post ...

They didn't want WH in '08 and don't want it now. Hence McCain/Palin and R/R. They wrecked economy and left Obama holding the bag. It's not fixed yet so they don't want it back yet AND they are getting everything they really want from Pres Obama: Holder not going after any war criminals or wall street, we have Republican healthcare plan that gives more customers to insurers, new nafta for pacific that favors corporations over citizens, indefinate detentions, Guantanamo still open, spying on citizens, militarized police, privatized for-profit prisons, doesn't stand with unions, for-profit education, jailing whistleblowers, coup in Honduras, Xl Pipeline, state-sponsored physical assault at airports, voter suppression, still no real investigation of 911, kept Geitner and others in place, still prosecuting young adults for marijuana use - which he did when young, going after medical marijuana ...

On the plus side he's not pursuing DOMA, seems empathetic, and...

...new text now...
I'm sure they will put their thumb on the scale for MANY congressional and state races. There is no doubt that we need to get back to paper ballots and undo Citizens United but the republican primary process was a strong indication that they did not intend for any of them to win the White House.

Anything is possible but I'm less concerned about Romney as I am about the continued red takeover of the wide swath of state and local elections and therefore the continuing decline of living wages and personal privacy/freedoms.

We had better get our act together and line up some 99% candidates ASAP and build on the eye-opening lunacy of the Romney candidacy to break the spell of mainstream media.

I'm getting sick of looking like a country of idiots with madmen at the helm to the rest of the world.

[snappyturtle]

26. Yep. We're rotting from the inside out...most putrid in my book.

I completely agree with your point of view.

Welcome to DU!

[David Zephyr]

34. ReasonableToo, the GOP is not getting everything they want from President Obama.

I was one of his biggest supporters during his primary in 2008. I also was one of his biggest critics in 2009 for not taking better advantage of the Democratic Congress he had (because I knew how precious that opportunity might be), but once we lost the House in the mid-terms, it made no sense to continue to criticize President Obama when he had such monsters in the Congress that hated him, disrespected him and lied about him.

President Obama saved this country from another Great Depression. That is a fact. I am a very old guy and life-long activist and Democrat and I have lived through many recessions in my lifetime so I tell you that Bill Clinton spoke the truth: no President since Franklin Roosevelt inherited such a mess the first day as President: two wars and total economic meltdown.

The list of accomplishments by President Obama, in spite of Congress, is impressive. There's more to do. Your concern about local elections is equally important. The polls are looking very better by the day for the Senate and even for the House.

Stand with our President now. He's all that stands between us an a two-class structure and fascism. That's not hyperbole.

[ReasonableToo]

43. Pro Candidate Obama

I happily voted for candidate Obama in '08 and I'm fully aware of the mess he inherited and the gridlock in Congress. I will likely vote for him again if for no other reason than to give him back one of my fellow voter's surpressed votes (inspired by another post).

But I really cannot stomach the things that he's done that have absolutely nothing to do with congressional gridlock such as dropping bombs on women and children in Pakistan. That's a commander-in-chief decision.

Clinton was great. He had us on track to pay the deficit off in 2012 but he also signed the law that repealed Glass-Steagall. He also signed NAFTA without any arm twisting. My understanding is that he's still proud of NAFTA.

We need 99% candidates that gather people who have the smarts to bring peace and economic stability. We ARE already slipping into a fascist state with the appearance of two parties.

If we can get paper ballots back and money out then maybe we can get our party back and start improving it.

Also, Congressional obstructionism didn't make the democratic party cave to adding "god" back into the platform at the convention.

[CrispyQ]

50. I have not been a fan of this president,

but I was starting to fall for the excitement of the election, then yesterday I read this & it put it all back in perspective for me.

http://www.commondreams.org/further/2012/09/24

The Ultimate Injustice: Leaving This Life Which Is No Longer Anymore A Life

"Do whatever you wish to do, the issue is over.

I am happy to express from this darkness and draw a true picture of the condition in which I exist. I am moving towards a dark cave and a dark life in the shadow of a dark prison. This is a prison that does not know humanity, and does not know [anything] except the language of power, oppression and humiliation for whoever enters it. It does not differentiate between a criminal and the innocent, and between the right of the sick or the elderly who is weak and is unable to bear and a man who is still bearing all this from the prison administration that is evil in mercy.

Hardship is the only language that is used here. Anybody who is able to die will be able to achieve happiness for himself, he has no other hope except that. The requirement is to announce the end, and challenge the self love for life and the soul that insists to end it all and leave this life which is no longer anymore called a life, instead it itself has become death and renewable torture. Ending it is a mercy and happiness for this soul.

~more at link

Later I was looking through a catalog with political tee shirts & saw one that read, "I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize." I will vote for this president because R will do worse. I don't know what else to do in a two party system. Also, I am in a swing state.

We need a Congress that isn't made up of millionaires. We must get money out of politics, but short of a total collapse, I don't know how. Everyone who can get it out, benefits from having it in.

[ReasonableToo]

55. Saw that too...

Correct. R would do worse and you can't waste a swing-state vote.

We can't give up. Progressivism is a good thing and there is no finish line for progressives.

[marions ghost]

28. Anyone who thinks they will NOT try to steal it

needs to look a little closer...

I suggest reading Bradblog and the DU election Reform group for background.

[questionseverything]

62. here is a lil background

http://truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/17529-will-9-gop-governors-electronically-flip-romney-into-the-white-house

[David Zephyr]

68. Welcome to the DU. Thanks for the helpful link.

[marions ghost]

69. from your link

"...as Sheila Parks puts it in her new book, which is subtitled The Perils Of Electronic Voting Machines And Democracy's Solution: Publicly Observed, Secure Hand-Counted Paper Ballots (HCPB) Elections :

"In 2010, ultra-right-wing Republican governors were elected in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. In several of these states, these governors were not part of a long line of Republican governors. In fact, in some of these states, these governors interrupted a long line of Democratic governors."

Looks like a good book about the recent history of all this...

[LibGranny]

29. Actually, I've been thinking the same thing!

Why has Mittens been so "smug" whenever he's on tv? Does he know something we don't know? He's done more fund raising than campaigning (to pay off the people hacking the voting machines?)?

[David Zephyr]

35. I knew I wasn't alone.

He's barely even campaigning. That bothers me, too, LibGranny.

[FreeBC]

32. bump and rec!

It's not enough for Obama to win. He has to have a margin big enough to make it unfixable.

[Hubert Flottz]

33. As sure as I'm typing this, the GOP are known election thieves.

It's also up to the American people, to not let thieves and criminals destroy the will of the people again, like they did in 2000 and 2004.

[David Zephyr]

82. Yep. It's one of the only things they actually do well.

They steal elections and disgrace the human race.

[benjahmeen]

38. Hmm

Here we are worried about a stolen election, yet we get up in arms when anyone suggests ways to secure the vote.

/shrug

[IDemo]

49. "Voter Fraud" is the fraud behind voter ID

It's been shown that so-called voter fraud is so exceedingly rare as to be virtually a non-factor in elections. The push for ID's is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt at suppression of those groups of voters most likely to vote Democratic.

E-voting, on the other hand, has been shown to be easily hacked, is primarily done on machines from partisan Republican owned companies, and conveniently leaves no way of verification.

If you're truly concerned about securing the vote, you'll work to get e-voting banned in your state.

[klook]

86. We?

Welcome to DU!

[Delphinus]

40. Unfortunately,

you are correct. This must be remembered - we cannot sit back and assume all will be well.

[William769]

41. Recommended.

[Gumboot]

42. I'm more convinced that the Republicans....

... don't want to steal this election outright, but will steal / suppress / disappear enough votes to give the impression that their policies are still somehow relevant to the 99%, at the final count.

That's what bothers me this time around.

Then they'll pitch Jeb Bush as a 'moderate candidate' in 2016, hoping that everyone will have forgotten about his dimwit brother.

Having lived in Florida during Jeb's reign of destruction, that bothers me a whole lot more.

[elleng]

51. I AGREE, and may WE not lie down and play dead if it happens.

I'm calling for DRAMATIC AND HUGE civil disobedience and REFUSAL TO GO ALONG WITH IT!

[Laurajr]

52. what he knows

I am very concerned about the complete lack of campaigning in public by Mitt Romney. I humbly submit that others also should be concerned. I have never seen anything like it in all my years. He's behind in the polls and disappears? What does he know that we don't?

I thought he knew what we knew that everytime he opened his mouth he stuck both feet in it....so he decided to lay low.

[kentuck]

53. And they have no qualms about it either...

Thanks David for the reminder.

[HockeyMom]

54. Jeb Bush was a Choir Boy

in comparison to the Fraud Governor Rick Scott. Be afraid here. Be very afraid. Now living in this state I am. We need our people at the polls WATCHING them.

I spent a long time thinking about this. It's a major reason why I decided to vote by Absentee Ballot in Florida. I don't trust the machines, especially living in the very red "hometown" of the Space Alien.

[David Zephyr]

81. I'm worried about Florida, HockeyMom.

It's a natural for President Obama this time, but your point about Scott is sobering.

Eyes wide open.

[mehrrh]

56. Republicans and elections

I couldn't agree with you more -- no matter that Obama is doing well, no matter that Democrats are doing well in critical states, we have seen it before: Republicans stop at nothing in their goal to achieve complete power, even if it means cheating, stealing and disenfranchising voters.
We must not let down our guard, we must vote and we must see that our friends and relatives are informed, and get to the polls.

[David Zephyr]

83. Welcome to the DU, mehrrh

Ever vigilant.

[CoffeeCat]

57. They'll probably try new tactics!!

Seriously. Who in the hell would have thought that their vote would switch from Kerry ---> Bush right before their eyes???

Mark my words. These mother f'ers want war with Iran. They know that Obama won't give it to them. They also know that the economy is poised to improve very soon.

They will stop at nothing to steal this election.

So--at the very least---VOTE and get others to vote as well. Drive people to the polls. Volunteer.

We should anticipate new shenanigans that are unforeseen.

I also fear that they'll try stealing and other crimes in states to which we aren't paying attention. So, we win FL and OH--but there might be voting crimes in other states that have flown under the radar, thus far.

I wouldn't put anything past these thugs.

[David Zephyr]

84. "new tactics"

Yeah, that's what keeps me up at night: wondering what in the hell they are going to do this time?

[JackHughes]

63. A strategy to prevent election theft

I wish AG Holder would publicly announce his intention for the Justice Department to randomly take electronic voting machines from random precincts in several swing states and analyze the software on election day.

I suspect we would see Republican Secretaries of State begin scrambling to re-certify all of the voting machines.

[jonpaulprime]

64. Thanks for the reminder

It is well worth remembering. However, if we take Florida and Ohio (both, or one) we should be ok.

[cbdo2007]

65. Why didn't they steal it in 2008??

I believe they can (and have) do it if the election is close.....but this election is shaping up to be an even bigger win for President Obama than in 2008.

Why would they let President Obama win in 2008 if they were just going to steal it away later?? It's got to be VERY VERY close for them to steal it, so it wouldn't make sense for Romney to not be trying for that reason. Rather, I think he is just blowing the election and they are just using it to make money for 2016 (and Romney himself probably is getting a multi-million $$$ payday behind the scenes).

[David Zephyr]

70. President Obama won by around 9 million votes.

Your second paragraph goes to the heart of my OP, cbdo2007.

We need to win big.

This is only my opinion, but I also believe that the GOP's leadership was licking their chops to run against a black man foolishly believing that our People would not elect him because of his race. They wrongly believed in the so-called "Bradley effect" and bet on the worst in America rather than on the best of America...and they lost.

Also, the financial collapse that Bush and Paulson tried to kick out beyond the November election failed and the collapse, as we all know, took place just before the election.

As you wrote, we need to win big. We have the people. We just need to drag everyone we know to the polls and drive them. I will be doing just that.

[BlueinOhio]

73. Polls

There was enough points that if they would have done it they would have been caught. To many eyes watching.

[DFW]

66. I have always said, I have no doubt that Obama will win the election.

BUT.....I do not have 100% confidence he will win the counting of the votes. I THINK he will.

If his margin of victory is too overwhelming, the Republicans will throw in the towel rather than risk looking worse on the world stage than Mugabe or AhmadiNejad.

But if the majority is NOT overwhelming, well, never EVER forget this scene from election day, 2004:

[AzDar]

67. Ooof! Have never seen that clip before...Chilling! I will NEVER forget going to bed on Election

night 2004 so relieved to be rid of Bush, only to wake up to a whole new nightmare.

Vigilance!

[KoKo]

75. Good Reminder DFW...also that some states are doing "early vote" before the First Debate..

I wondered why the campaigns didn't move at least the first Debate up in the schedule given that some states are voting so early.

Then aside from the Computer Voting....there's the fact that Romney is looking like such a "crash cart" that the PTB already decided that Obama would be better for their aims ....since he's pretty much trashed the Left to Center of the Dem Party with his policies about Indefinite Detention, support for Drones in the ME and Southern Africa..and the other stuff we here on the left keep trying to push back on.

I've wondered why the Repugs could have picked someone like that who is falling all over himself with bumbles and mistakes. I thought that about Dukakis, Kerry, Chimpy and McCain Palin...and even George I with his idiot VP seemed kind of a stretch...but, then the Right PTB managed to pull that one across to establish the Bush Dynasty.

I've wondered why Obama didn't address the voting problems early on...or send Holder out to do something about these documented computer voting anomalies.

But, then....it's entirely possible that PTB would be fine with Obama as long as the election is so close that it looks like Romney could have won and that will move Obama more to the Right when he is re-elected. Which I believe he will be. The Mittster is just too much of a fool with a clueless campaign ....for it not to be a set up to drive Obama ever Rightward...(which in a way seems to be his natural inclination).

Yes...the voting machines are long past due for clean up...but our Dems never got onboard with it.

[DFW]

92. For the record

Although it is being done under the radar of headlines, and not to the wide extent that some of us (including me) would like, Holder is not completely ignoring the voter disenfranchisement issue--not by a long shot.

I trust my source on this one.

[KoKo]

93. That is indeed good news....

The redistricting that the Repugs did in many states will be a big hurt, though. And, I'd hoped there would be more push back on that. There were petitions to Holder about it but, he never really answered. Here in NC we lost a couple who were real Democrats due to the gerrymandering of districts. It will hurt us. NC traditionally Red went Blue for Obama. We needed more help from the Dem Party and Holder here.

If he's finally onto the voting machines and irregularities in states where they regularly occur then that is good. Thanks!

[David Zephyr]

80. Chilling video.

Thanks, DFW for posting it. It is sobering.

[Blue Owl]

71. Yes those motherfuckers do indeed steal elections

[valerief]

74. Elections, souls, silverware, pensions, jewelry, china. You name it.

They steal it.

[riqster]

77. VOTE A PAPER BALLOT

That is the only way your vote can be recounted. If you vote on a touch-screen device, your vote is whatever the software says it is.

Most states allow for a paper ballot at the polling place. If your state does not, vote absentee.

Paper ballots make it harder to steal elections. Do it.

[yends21012]

85. Thanks.

We need to fight Voter intimidation and Voter ID (the real fraud) using these and any other technique that ensures we are able to vote and when we do our vote is counted AND verifiable.

Thanks again.

[Skee]

90. What Vote?

Even if you use a paper ballot, it's 'counted' by a blackbox central tabulator.

[riqster]

96. True, but

A paper ballot CAN be recounted and verified by a human being. An electronic ballot cannot be. A crucial difference.

[Tippy]

78. They are good at stealing that you can take to the bank

Volunteer as poll watchers...is one thing we can do....I remember when Kerry was ahead when suddenly he was dropping like a rock...the fix was in in Ohio....A young man who was behind this lost his life in a plane crash right after he agreed to talk....

[silvershadow]

79. and, therefore, our democracy itself. n/t

[Jakes Progress]

87. That the administration has ignored this is not good.

The election will be stolen. We have not seen the turmoil that will touch this country after this election.

Holder is derelict in his duty to the American public for letting the reported and obvious machinations of the rich go after this. Unless the exit polls show a large double digit lead for Obama, the republicans have already laid the groundwork for stealing this election.

[ThatsMyBarack]

88. This scares me all the time.

I plan to do the early-voting thing in late October and completely avoid the Returns on Election Night!

[Skee]

89. You Have No Vote

The blackbox central tabulators will determine the outcome.

[ThatsMyBarack]

94. That's why we donate $ and phone bank like crazy.

That should save us, right? Right?

(Or rather: Left? Left?)

[ellisonz]

98. Thieves!

[VOX]

99. Great post. Also include the 1972 break-in and wiretapping of the DNC HQ at the Watergate Hotel...

in Washington, D.C. Mercifully, these crimes ultimately resulted in Richard Nixon's resignation, and jail stretches for several high-level conspirators.

But this sorry and cautionary chapter of American history was brought about by the same Republican hubris and prevailing attitude of "it's not illegal if we do it" that are on display today. Too many of these people are zealous enough to actually delude themselves into believing that they're doing right.

The leopard cannot change its spots, and I wouldn't trust ANY gung-ho Republican to be honest come election time (or any other time).