Election 2008: Forget Hallowe'en -- Beware November 4!
53A Quick Warning
I'm forgoing my usual verbosity in order to share something short but not sweet. This goes out to concerned U.S. voters and the planet that worries about them: The fix may already be in. Here's what can be done about that.
Will Your Vote (Or Anyone Else's) Count?
Last week I heard a troubling report on voting rights and 2004 Presidential Election irregularities on Making Contact, a program broadcast on KPFA, our Pacifica Radio outlet.
This week, I read a Rolling Stone article by Greg Palast and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., "Is It Already Stolen?" exposing efforts to fix the 2008 Presidential Election.
The video on the right sketches out some of that information, and Willie Nelson offers a bit of advice.
Some additional advice: Take your cell phone to the polls. If you don't have it with you, there is supposed to be a phone available at the polling stations, but don't count on that too much. If you run into a problem at the polls, or see anything going on that shouldn't be, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) -- right on the spot.
Good luck to the U.S., and to the world.
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Sounds like a smoother, sneakier version of the Robert Mugabe election campaign. How low will these guys stoop?
How many elections have to be stolen before we do something about it? If they steal this one, too, I hope we at least take them to court!
Take them to court? I'm an inch away from taking to the streets! (Not really. I hate physical pain and violence, but I'm pretty honked off.)
Seriously William, we need to see some heads roll over this one.
Many thanks, all!
I humbly suggest that if the What Should Be Unthinkable happens, and Congress dithers for even a nanomoment, we clog their e-mail and snail-mail In-Boxes, their answering machines, and (peacefully, with singing) the streets of Washington D.C., while shouting for backup from the ACLU and Amnesty International.
With equal humility, I would strongly urge the international community to make themselves heard, via (peaceful, with singing) street protest, and via the U.N. and E. U. and any other global organization that is concerned about the implications of a fascist U.S.
One can only hope the vote will be so lopsided in Obama's favor that stealing it away will be arithmetically impossible. Still, I don't put anything past "them." Disenfranchising members of the armed forces -- that is BEYOND despicable. But such practices don't only affect the prsidential election, there are ballot measures, congressional and local elections everywhere that hang in the balance.
Damn them -- no, damn US if we let it happen again!
Thanks for this, Marian.
pgrundy, I saw that same report. I have been aware of it, as well as being aware of judges who order polling places closed even when there are still people in line waiting to vote.
The tricks being used are all there to disenfranchise voters. As a veterean I went into the military to fight for the right of all eleigible people to vote, and I am not going to stand by while charlatains and aparachiks steal that right from anyone!
Didn't we fight an entire, long, bloody revolution to allow representation? Didn't we fight an entire, long and bloody Civil War to free people to vote? Are we going to allow anyone, and I do mean anyone, to steal it from us?
If so, then take down your flag and scrape off the bumper sticker praising the U.S.A. and never - NEVER - let me hear you join in the chant "U.S.A.!" ever again!
Great Hub!
Cheers!
Chef Jeff
Hello Marian,
I does cause you to stop and wonder.
Our polling place still operates the simple, old fashion way - the paper ballot then drop it into the collection box. We assume that the ballots all get counted at the end of the day but ....
It's amazing, that here we are in the 21st Century and up to our necks and technology yet the voting issues still persist.
Thanks again for the heads-up,
We can talk about taking to the streets, pgrundy, or fighting bloody revolutions, Chef Jeff, but what did we do when the Supreme Court gave the election to Bush, and what did we do when the voting machines performed miracles for the GOP in Ohio and elsewhere, taking the election away from Kerry? Where the demonstrations against an unnecessary war and unwise occupation of Iraw? How have we reacted to the robber barons who have destroyed our financial system at the expense of middle class mortgage holders and the investment incomes of our retirees? Where are the college students who, in the past, have always led the way in seeking justice and wisdom in Washington -- whichever political party was in power? I don't see large numbers of Americans speaking out or taking any action whatsoever.
Yes, Bill, we have grown complacent and are too focused on TV and computer games, it seems! However, I have seen the beginings of protests where I live, (Chicago) and today there was a protest about Wall Street bailouts.
One can only hope!
Cheers!
Chef Jeff
Bill, actually there have been protests, lots of them, but remember, we have corporately-owned media now. We also have a government that paid states well to keep protesters at the recent conventions sequestered far from the actual convention activities. Also, much of the anti-terrorism funding under Bush has gone to suppressing protest of any kind.
While these protests received little coverage, if you look for them online you will find that the Green Party was subjected to fairly violent harrassment just for existing, and others endured strip searchs and intimidation even though they were harmless and far away from the action.
ACORN, which has been demonized by the McCain campaign recently, has been holding public protests in front of banks in Cleveland in other parts of the country hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, but we don't see those in the news either. I know for a fact they happen regularly from working at a bank that was heavily targeted.
If McCain should steal this election, it will get ugly, you watch.
I saw on C-SPAN this morning that Bush has asked that Mukasey review the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the RNC's attempt to strike those 200,000+ voters from the voter registration rolls---The President of the US is actually looking into overturning a Supreme Court decision to disallow interference in Ohio's voting procedures 10 days away from the election. Unbelievable.
I'm with Marian on this one. We can be peaceful about it, but I'll be there. I think lots of people will be there. God, this isn't Zimbabwe. At least, I didn't think it was. I could be wrong on that.
Pam's right. The media has not been friendly to protesters. The 'Net, however, can be a powerful tool.
On the brighter side, we didn't have this kind of discussion in 2004. Nor did we have any mass media coverage on election fraud as it was happening. I hope that makes a difference.
But no matter who wins, we'll need to strive for honest elections.
pgrundy says:
14 months ago
This is excellent Marian. I saw Robert Kennedy Jr. on Rachel Maddow last night talking about this, but I was already aware of it from the flap recently in OH where the RNC got over 225,000 votes blocked by a state court but then that was overturned by the Supreme Court when the Ohio election commissioner refused to comply on the ground that a federal law making it illegal to take such action so close to an election superceded the local law they were using to do it. The voters they wanted stricken had their names in unrelated databases with different information. So, say you moved recently and you have a credit card that you haven't corrected your address on yet, but your driver's license and voter registration are correct and up to date---the RNC wanted that voter purged from the list. Ohio is of course a swing state, critical to the election.
I anticipate ugliness on November 4th. I hope it goes by without a hitch, but I think it could be bad. Here in Michigan, in the city where I live, we are expected a 75% turnout this year. I am writing down the phone number and I will take it with me, and I'm sending this URL to my family and friends.
Thank you. Let's hope our guy gets in without drama.