A joke on Iraq elections, or maybe not?

[BlueInRed]

This was forwarded to me, and I'm posting it to see if anyone has info.

I am definitely assuming it is a joke, but then the person who sent it to me didn't know for sure, so I'm posting it for both laughs and possible confirmation:

Text of email I received:

Funny, unless it is true.


--------Original Message---------
Allegedly, this is from the Drudge Report, but I can't confirm that:

--------Original Message---------
"Because of the estimated fourteen days required to count votes due to the unexpectedly high voter turnout in this weekend's Iraqi elections, computerless voting stations in Iraq were provided 415 vote-counting machines from Diebold Election Systems. The so-called "black box" machines are considered by some to be unreliable because they do not leave a paper trail.

In an unexpected development, George W. Bush was determined to have won precincts in the predominantly Sunni Anbar province of western Iraq, the Saladin district of east Baghdad and the Shiite cities of Qadasiya and Amara. Diebold CEO Walden O'Dell could not be reached for comment, but Mark Radke, the company's Director of Marketing, suggested that while it was possible many Iraqis had written in the name of the U.S. President, who is not a candidate for the Iraqi parliament, it was more likely that some machines had not been reprogrammed following the 2004 American presidential election."

[Harsh630]

1. Local Radio had the same thing

They read it like it was really serious but at the end said it was a joke.

[BlueInRed]

3. That's what I figured! Thanks :)

[bryant69]

2. That would be a smoking gun if true

But i have to assume it is a joke.

If wishing were horses this phrase would make no sense.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Mabus]

4. Found it on Vox Popoli (credited to Drudge)

http://voxday.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Iraqi election shocker

From the Drudge Report:


Because of the estimated fourteen days required to count votes due to the unexpectedly high voter turnout in this weekend's Iraqi elections, computerless voting stations in Iraq were provided 415 vote-counting machines from Diebold Election Systems. The so-called "black box" machines are considered by some to be unreliable because they do not leave a paper trail.

In an unexpected development, George W. Bush was determined to have won precincts in the predominantly Sunni Anbar province of western Iraq, the Saladin district of east Baghdad and the Shiite cities of Qadasiya and Amara. Diebold CEO Walden O'Dell could not be reached for comment, but Mark Radke, the company's Director of Marketing, suggested that while it was possible many Iraqis had written in the name of the U.S. President, who is not a candidate for the Iraqi parliament, it was more likely that some machines had not been reprogrammed following the 2004 American presidential election.


Well, isn't that intriguing....
Comment (0)

posted by Vox @ Wednesday, February 02, 2005

on edit (direct link to Wed. 2/2/05) http://voxday.blogspot.com/2005/02/iraqi-election-shocker.html