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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCantor's Loss to Koch Stealth Candidate Was No "Upset": Election Rigging, Dark Money
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/24501-election-rigging-dark-money-in-cantors-upset-loss-to-koch-stealth-candidateFor decades, democracy activists have sounded the alarm on the dangerous spread of e-voting systems through dozens of books and films, and thousands of articles. The growing attention certainly has raised the risk to would-be criminals, and may have entirely thwarted some rigging attempts (in 2012, legal action and even counter-hacking was credited with preventing the stealing of the presidential race in Ohio). Unfortunately, during the quiet interim between elections, this issue falls back into obscurity.
Much of the blame falls on the media, both mainstream and alternative. When election "upsets" and anomalies occur - such as Cantor's race in Virginia - media pundits and analysts engage in whatever contortions are necessary to rationalize and explain the outcome. Rarely do they question the faulty and vulnerable technology, even in shocking turnarounds that defy polling gravity.
As noted by Election Integrity journalist, Brad Friedman: "Three days ago, The Washington Post reported that Cantor's internal polling showed him 34 points ahead of Brat. Tonight, it's a given among the pundit class, that those numbers were simply wrong, and tonight's completely unverified computer-reported results are correct, showing Cantor losing instead by more than 11 points."
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We must immediately stop using DRE voting systems that do not even afford the ability of a recount or audit. That is the very least we can do to somewhat safeguard important upcoming elections - but it is not enough. In European countries, election technology that offers no public transparency has been outlawed. A fully transparent paper-based system, counted in public on election night, is internationally considered the Gold Standard of democratic elections.
msongs
(67,395 posts)blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)frazzled
(18,402 posts)Honestly, is no conspiracy theory too extreme for DU these days?
And don't you think Eric Cantor and the Republicans of his ilk would be screaming bloody murder if they thought the election had been electronically tampered? If his 34 point lead had suddenly vanished for no reason? Why wouldn't he? I'll tell you why: because campaigns have very good counts of their supporters in the days leading up to the election, and on election day they keep close tabs on how many of these supporters have gone to the polls. And they keep calling them all day until they get to the polls.
Maybe if anyone had actually ever worked on a campaign, they'd know that "stealing" a 34-point lead in an election is not something that a candidate's staff would let slide unnoticed. This is drivel.
HomerRamone
(1,112 posts)for the history of the "Red Shift"...
frazzled
(18,402 posts)This is typical conspiracy theory, unprovable and therefore illegitimate hypothesis. Bev Harris crap from the old days.
Egnever
(21,506 posts)cause carl rove and the whole republican polling field was sure Romney was a lock.
WOO WOOO!
RandySF
(58,786 posts)The election loss can be easily explained in two sentences:
1. The Republican Party's base is even more batshit than Cantor.
2. Cantor's pollster has a history of incompetence.
DJ13
(23,671 posts)K&R
JustAnotherGen
(31,816 posts)It is filled with brief reminders - of things going wrong.
BTW - I didn't realize Alvin Greene never fessed up about where he got the 10k to file from.
newfie11
(8,159 posts)Why do we continue to use voting machine with no ability to do a recount.
This is just asking for trouble.
cali
(114,904 posts)for a guy who is purportedly anti-wall street- unless they know something we don't know about Brat.
JHB
(37,158 posts)It stems from a Koch-funded foundation to establish positions in universities to promote Randian economics and world view.
JustAnotherGen
(31,816 posts)Any article that mentions Hagel and Alvin Greene is worth reading and considering the content.
Rec
B Calm
(28,762 posts)HomerRamone
(1,112 posts)for election fraud WITHOUT A TRACE should be reduced to the minimum...