An Argument for International Monitoring of our Elections

[chknltl]

(I posted this earlier in the election reform forum as well)

I believe that the citizenry of America and the citizenry of our world should appeal to the United Nations to send in non-partisan INTERNATIONAL election monitors to monitor America's elections. I suggest this because the nations of our planet have a MAJOR stake in those elections. I also say this because Americans should be fully willing to back the results of how their vote impacts the citizens of our world. If America wants to retain the mantle of the world's cop then that same world deserves to know who is accountable for America's actions.

There are no doubts that the nations of this planet would have fared far differently with Al Gore as POTUS from 2000-2004 and/or with John Kerry from 2004-2008. There are no doubts that BOTH elections were manipulated by supporters of the neo-con agendas and it is obvious that similar shenanigans are again in play for the 2008 elections.

It is not even questionable that the bush administration has perpetrated War Crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq. Senator McCain is willing to continue with some of those War Crimes and speaks openly about further aggression against the citizens of Iran. Were those war crimes the direct will of the citizenry or were those War Crimes the will of an out of control government? If International election monitoring is used for our elections THIS TIME, the world will know if the will of America's citizens is being carried out.

Please remember how the citizens of Germany were made to face the horrors committed by the NAZI Party, (their out of control government), after WWII was over. As an American citizen I want the world to know HOW citizens of America have actually voted! I want the world to know that We The People ARE or ARE NOT directly responsible for the criminal activities of our Government.

I don't want to see for instance, America's children and elderly be made to clean up depleted uranium oxide, the remnants of the Clinton and Bush administration's criminal use of a known WMD over in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. I don't want to see the citizens of America be forced to labor in reconstruction camps rebuilding the infrastructure our out of control government destroyed in foreign lands. I don't want to see the aftermath of WWIII-a distinct possibility if the government of the mightiest war machine this planet has ever seen is truly out of control of it's citizenry.

If our democracy is still functioning then it is the will of the citizens as to what course our future government charts. America's citizens could and should be held accountable for the actions of our government IF that government is actually representing it's citizenry. If our democracy is not functioning, if massive election fraud is going to take place AGAIN then the citizens of America are NOT RESPONSIBLE for the actions of our out of control government. Instead members of our government would be directly accountable. (Do you think a future administration would be strongly desirous of war for profit if the world knew who was and who was NOT backing that war? Do you think impeachment would be off the table if this were the case?)

This information is important to every single citizen of this planet. Knowing who to blame for America's foreign policy should be number 1 on our agenda right now. The knowing that our votes have worldwide implications will directly influence how each American votes. It also would directly influence how that world treats America's citizenry and our government. It is time for the entire world to look behind the curtain to see who is directly responsible for the ghastly heinous crimes committed by America's government. International monitoring would pull back that curtain.

[ColbertWatcher]

1. Kick and rec for more attention. n/t

[glinda]

2. Agreed

Yes. We need help.

[magellan]

3. Tried in 2004 -- they just barred them from crucial polling stations

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=22&art_id=qw1099435860260U213

Copenhagen - Some observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), a Europe-wide security and rights forum, were barred from entering some polling stations in the United States on Tuesday, one of them said.

"We were not allowed to enter polling stations," said Soeren Soendergaard, a Danish parliamentary deputy.

"Although we were officially invited to follow the (US presidential) election, the message was not passed on to the polling stations," he told the Danish news agency Ritzau.

He said he had been personally refused admission at three out of four polling stations in Columbus, Ohio.

"It's the limit of arrogance," complained the left-wing deputy, representing the 55-nation OSCE, a pan-European body of which the US is a member and whose duties include monitoring elections to ensure fair play.

[trudyco]

5. Who was they? Why can't the Dem governors make sure every

polling place has a spot for the international observers? Though I'm not sure how they verify electronic voting.

[magellan]

6. Blackwell (R) was governor of Ohio in 2004 n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

9. Wasn't Blackwell the Sec of State of Ohio? n/t

[chknltl]

10. You are correct,+ an interesting story in Rolling Stone regarding Ohio

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the_2004_election_stolen

[ColbertWatcher]

11. I went out and bought it when it came out! n/t

[magellan]

12. Oh I'm daft -- Bob Taft (R) was governor

Thanks.

[ColbertWatcher]

14. They're both GOP, what's the difference? n/t

[magellan]

15. Trudyco asked why DEM governors don't

..."make sure every polling place has a spot for the international observers? Though I'm not sure how they verify electronic voting."

I was pointing out that OH was not in Dem control.

[ColbertWatcher]

17. It seems like the GOP controls all of America's votes. n/t

[magellan]

18. They appear to

And the Dems appear to not want to do much about it, which I find endlessly puzzling.

But then, they managed to take Congress in '06.

I honestly don't know what to think about our elections anymore, except that I'm sure they're neither transparent nor completely representative of the will of the people of this country.

[ColbertWatcher]

21. I'm hoping the GOP didn't see 2006 as "losing a pawn".

Because we all remember what they're capable of when they want to steal something.

[chknltl]

25. I have utterly no evidence to back this up but:

I believe that they are on the ropes. Sure this election can go either way but I think they were wounded in '06 and their attempts to salvage out a win in 08 feels...well desperate. IMO the right push might catastrophically topple this house of cards. My sense is that the dam is leaky and overfull quite near to the point of bursting. Perhaps if we add just a little more water....
Again I have no evidence of this, it is just a feeling.

[ColbertWatcher]

30. I hope you're right, but I see them as desperate, with their backs against the proverbial wall ...

... which is the scariest type of animal. Wounded and with nothing to lose.

[chknltl]

7. Perhaps if the candidates called for this.

If Senator Obama called for this and publicly challenged Senator McCain to join in, McCain would be forced into a corner. He would either have to publicly comply or publicly say why he was not for such monitoring.

Depending on how Senator Obama challenged Senator McCain, McCain might be forced into going along with the plan. As a for instance, if at the first debate Senator Obama went off script and asked McCain if he would join in and lay to rest the rumor of stolen elections and election fraud by allowing an international election monitoring, McCain would be forced into a corner indeed. If he disagreed it would cost him and if he agreed it would also cost him. Just saying "Let me get back to you on that" would even cost him because most of the electorate is aware to some degree that there may actually have been election fraud.

I was unaware of the problems that the monitoring agency had in '04 BUT we shouldn't throw the baby out with the hand-basket just yet, there is time to insure that compliance is mandatory IF it was agreed upon by the candidates.

[magellan]

13. Oh, I'm totally for int'l monitoring

We act like a dictatorship, we need to be treated like one! And I like your idea re Obama and McCain. I just don't trust a Repub to keep his/her word. They'd always find some way around int'l monitors. Bribes, phony terror lockdowns, etc ad nauseam....

[chknltl]

19. I don't trust the repugs either BUT

If for instance Jimmy Carter ran a nationwide ad, (T-Boone Pickens is doing just that), calling on BOTH candidates for International Election Monitoring and IF Senator Obama immediately responded with a "Yes" ad of his own, McCain and the repukes would be stuck! The MSM would be equally stuck reporting on the ads.

If mCcain agreed or said no, the MSM would have no choice but to report on this. Should mCcain agree and the repukes pull shenanigans then the MSM would have no choice but to report those shenanigans to America. If mCcain said NO to the Carter Ad this too would be reported in the MSM-to the mCcain campaign detriment! I am trying to think up a way to pull back the curtain, not just with the repugs who prefer to hide in the shadows but also with the MSM who are good at not lighting up those shadows.

[magellan]

20. I don't think McCain would be stuck at all

He'd only have to say once "Look, we run the most honest, fair elections in the world. The idea that we need int'l monitoring is nothing but whining from the liberals in a preemptive attempt to cover up their failure to get out the votes."

And that would be that. Oh, Obama and McCain would doubtless argue it back and forth throughout the remainder of the campaign...but Obama would end up on the losing side, through media bias toward the "USA is number 1" crowd.

[chknltl]

23. Even that would bring it to media attention!

That's the very opening I am hoping for! The evidence for election tampering is clear-check out you tube-Election Tampering: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJopOtIa5Xo there are tons of vids like this out there. The curtain is open a crack with items like this! If McCain did as you say talking heads in the MSM would be talking about his response in greater detail than the repugs would like! They would be hard pressed to ignore the can of worms!

The Obama campaign could easily fuel this! If McCain did indeed respond as you say it could and would blow up in his face!

Here, let me for a minute be Senator Obama and respond accordingly: "Senator McCain, you say we have the most honest fair elections in the world and yet you choose to keep our election process secret and hidden from world view! If our election process is as you say you should have nothing to fear from international scrutiny. As a matter of fact if we are to be that pillar of democracy doesn't it make sense that we should actually WANT to showcase this honest and fair process?"

That combined with the MSM's extra attention...well I stand by what I say, McCain would be stuck!

[diva77]

4. I'd like to see Jimmy Carter spearhead the effort

[chknltl]

8. A great suggestion!

Perhaps Carter could get Senator Obama to go along with him on this plan. Senator McCain would be stuck, either he went along with it or looked the fraud that he is by coming up with a lame reason for not going along with it. I say make a BIG media stink about this which could force compliance by all. Those places that didn't allow the monitors prior to or during the election would come under the scruitiny of America-the fraud would be exposed, not hidden in the shadows as it was in '00 and '04!

If We The People are truly for change, if the majority of the electorate is truly for Obama over mCcain, they will be onboard!

[azul]

16. Carter has the standing and authority to question the security of the election.

Maybe a 527 funded effort starring Carter to get this real important issue thrown in front of the election-stealing bus. Make a big show that gets people talking and shames both parties and both candidates to call for public ownership of a verifiable election. Like how an open government owned by the people should be operating.

All these vote-integrity organizations could organize and support such a thing?

[chknltl]

33. I like it-perhaps the best way to go about this actually.

So can we pitch this to someone? If so who? I've no shame, I'll pitch this wherever I can!

[CitizenPatriot]

22. why can't we the people ask for their help?

I've been wanting them to get it for years....and this is the perfect way.

TELEGRAM TO OUR ALLIES:

Hi, we are American citizens

Please send babysitter pronto to USA

Govt out of control

Interfering with democracy -- stealing votes, denying right to vote to certain people

EMERGENCY

STOP

In all seriousness, I support this 100%.

[chknltl]

24. Thanks (LOL) nt

[farmboxer]

26. Republicans are crooks

Rove makes me puke!

[chknltl]

27. OK...and now for something completely different: a pig with lipstick

[Kitty Herder]

28. I think that would be a great idea.

I just don't believe it could ever actually happen.

I think it is up to we, the citizens of this nation to demand fair elections. Until we raise a fuss, the international community sure as hell won't do anything.

[chknltl]

31. I am not writing off the notion-but you are quite likely right:

It should require quite the fuss by the American public, I am doing as much fuss raising as I can actually. This OP was sent out to the Kucinich forum, The Ed Shultz Show forum, Thom Hartman's forum, Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Jim Mcdermott, the U.N., the Obama Campaign and I cross posted here in the DU. I frankly don't know what else I can do with this. Maybe someone who can do something with this who thinks as we do will run with it- or think it silly. I am not under any illusions though.

[orleans]

29. we need it badly. but another poster here said we were stopping

monitors from doing their jobs.

ugh.

[chknltl]

32. Yes, it is true, that poster was accurate BUT...

...that doesn't mean that the notion is useless because the repukes blocked those international monitors back in '04. There may be ways to counter what the repukes did too, we discussed this a little within subsequent subthread....

[intheflow]

34. I've been saying this since 2000.

We need international poll watchers, and foreign press allowed into polling stations as well.