Will the 2004 election be called off?

I'd like to see what other DU'ers think. With bu$hit screwing up everything everywhere, and it being so friggin obvious and talked about - how far will *resident Cretin Sociopath go to keep himself in power? What do DU'ers think? Is this realistic or just a bunch of tinfoil hat speculating and conspiracy theory?:
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April 6, 2004

Will the 2004 Election Be Called Off? Why Three Out of Four Experts Predict a Terrorist Attack by November

by Maureen Farrell

On Dec. 31, 2003, New York Times columnist and former Nixon speech writer William Safire offered his standard New Year’s predictions. This time, however, one item stood out. In addition to speculating on everything from which country would next "feel the force of U.S. liberation" to who would win the best picture Oscar, Safire predicted that "the 'October surprise' affecting the U.S. election" would be "a major terror attack in the United States."

While such speculation is hardly worth a trip to the duct tape store, when combined with repeated assaults to our democratic process and troublesome assertions from noteworthy sources, it warrants further investigation.

In Nov. 2003, you might recall, Gen. Tommy Franks told Cigar Aficionado magazine that a major terrorist attack (even one that occurred elsewhere in the Western world), would likely result in a suspension of the U.S. Constitution and the installation of a military form of government. " terrorist, massive, casualty-producing event somewhere in the Western world -- it may be in the United States of America -- our population to question our own Constitution and to begin to militarize our country in order to avoid a repeat of another mass, casualty-producing event," he said.


http://www.buzzflash.com/farrell/04/04/far04011.html

Didn't Hannity recently advocate suspending the elections?

Great minds think alike...or at least read the same articles at roughly the same time.

mainstream that the Bushies would be much less likely to pull a scam like this, although it's certainly not beyond possibility.

last night on Keith Olberman - said it's very very scary what could happen here - it would be the end of our democracy and don't think those cretins at the WH arent just planning something nice for October.

...they've got something (or someone - aka bin Laden) up their sleeve for October...the slimey sidewinders.

Wasn't it GeeGuhbya who said "I wouldn't put it past me."?

the bastids

I don't think this will happen, but never say never.

justification to declare marshall law. I remember hearing my right-wing cousins talk of this. They were absolutely convinced. If ANYONE is capable of doing this it's shrubco.

We're talking a whole different level of evil with bu$hit, Inc. If I was one of those Xtian folk, I'd believe bu$hit was satan himself. As is, I think he's at least as bad, lying, cheating, and murderous as any 'terrist' is. I just can't quite put it past *him* or his cabal.

right here at home. Give it your best shot george.

There won't be another attack before the election....

However, bet your bottom dollar that "homeland security" will thwart some kind of major, major attack before the election.

I don't doubt this for one second. I think the American people will NOT stand for a suspended election. Perhaps after the election, if God forbid this admin steals another, there will likely be some kind of attack which will implement martial law and their dream of a militarized, corporate-slave society.

...some sort of major attack was thwarted by bu$hit's policies. This bunch of propogandists have taken the tactics of Goebbels to new heights, after all. They (think they can) stage anything and the dumbo US voters will swallow it whole - and most of them will, unfortunately.

Do you want the red 'terra alert' pill or the blue one?

They are most likely at this very minute watching numerous plans very very closely, determining which would have the most devastating impact on us (the population) and which one suits them best politically. This is the one they will allow to grow until it is time to nip it in the bud, to be paraded in the media, analyzed for months and praised by Faux News until the election.

Chimpy will finally have something to talk about, over and over again, for the months leading to the election.

to be able to fly on a plane? Or having babies and kids strip searched?

Rather amazing what "Americans" will stand for if they believe it makes them "safer". It is easy to imagine an attack and being told we can't afford to hold elections or change administrations during "WAR". Just look what we all stood for in December of 2000 and since. "Just get over it." Times have changed, don't you know.

my cold dead hands.

A civil war, two world wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, a depression; and elections were still held. If Bushy-pooh even thinks of suspending this election, he better think again. It will be an interesting summer, to say the least.

The convergence right now of too many horrible institutions and people make this the most dangerous time in our country.

Corporations ruling and running not only our representatives, but our media.

Cold war hold-overs, anxious to not only flaunt America's firepower but actually prove it in action, now run our military.

An administration that is the most secretive and dishonest in our nations history is figureheaded by a man that is very possibly a sociopath, placated and coddled by a staff of people who get their marching orders from wealthy "think tanks".

A fundamentalist Christian movement, so extreme in is zealotry, they have no problem replacing our constitution with a biblical vision of Puritan America.

Wal-Mart, one of the worst employers in our country, is also the biggest employer. A model for the wage-slave country the radical right would love to see.

These are very dangerous times. Not at all like anything our country has ever seen.

You seem to be well-informed, as are many at DU. You've given me a lot to think about.

...only two of those events took place on U. S. soil, thus insulating the American citizenry against the kinds of pressures normally found in war-torn societies.

The two World Wars and Korea were believed by the vast majority of the American people to be necessary events to rid the world of some perceived evil...the Kaiser in WWI, the Nazis in WWII, and preventing the loss of the Korean peninsula to the advancing armies of the North Korean-Chinese coalition. Elections were never threatened during that time-frame because the continental U. S. was never threatened during those three events.

As to the two events that did take place on U. S. soil, the Civil War, and the Great Depression, only the Civil War would have created the kind of environment that could have caused elections to be cancelled in 1864. But, the Civil War was in its' final stages by late 1864, the Confederacy was completely encircled, and elections were held only in Union-controlled territory.

The Great Depression affected rich and poor alike...great fortunes were lost during the Stock Market Crash that brought on the depression. From what my Depression-era parents told me, everyone had a sense of being in the same mess together.

The closest we came to actual civil unrest was during the Vietnam War when protestors began taking to the streets in much heavier numbers in 1968.

Today, we have a situation that involves the belief that we have been taken over by a gang of rightwing fanatics who are interested only in furthering their own agenda at the cost of anyone that gets in the way. There is also the perception of a very clear split between the "haves" and the "have-nots", and the very clear perception that the "haves" are doing very well while the "have-nots" are suffering economic woes. There is also the perception that the "haves" just don't care what happens to the common people. In order for the NeoCons to cancel the 2004 election, they will have to have some event that will trigger the ordering of martial law, to include the control of any and all information produced by the mainstream media, as well as an attempt to control the information available on the internet. Americans are already angry for a variety of reasons...implementing martial law and cancelling the 2004 elections would be the last straw, IMHO.

My depression-era parents were poor when it started and poor when it ended, so they didn't know the difference anyway.

As for the "nuts" running this country, I think it's up to you and me to kick their butts out this November. If the people who think as you and I do can't muster up the votes to get rid of the vile ones, then we deserve what we get. I think they are outnumbered this time.

You've given me a lot to think about, and I thank you.

occupied it.

Held elections even then.

It more than has reasonance.

The main point being, NEVER BEFORE IN OUR NATION'S HISTORY HAVE WE EVER CANCELED ELECTIONS. Not one single time.

There would never be justification for it - even for a nuke blast in a city - the rest of the country would vote - if no other reason than to show our resolve.

Farrell makes a good point: given how the Bush White House manages the right wing media's talking points, it's hardly coincidental that they all began talking up suspending the election at the same time.

Another attack, and it will be a certainty. And I fear most Americans will, as Franks said, welcome the decision.

The old American republic died in 2000. In 2004, you can finally bury it. Only once you've done that, can you begin the likely bloody task of making a new one.

around Christmas time,(them damn heathen Muslims),then the current administration will refuse to turn over power for "national security' reasons.
They will escalate the fear factor so that the majority of the country will not be so critical of the decision, and bu$hco will hold the reigns indefinitely.

There is no precedent. We had elections during the height of the Civil War and WWII.

I really don't think the majority would stand for it. I think the Repub power brokers are just about ready to cut their losses and realize that they must run something other than an empty suit. They made their money, they put sand in the gears of governmental success since 1990, and they got fatter and happier in 4 years. They won't allow themselves to be dragged down in the wake of a sinking ship.
The Professor

One good thing about Repubs being the greediest money-grubbers - they might take the money and run when things are tough - most crooks want easy money - a Repub might be no exception to that general rule.

...there was only one election held during the Civil War. That was in 1864 when the threat to the Union had decreased by a considerable margin, and the elections were held only in Union-controlled territory.

The Depression affected just about everyone in America...therefore, they had the overall sense that everyone was in the same boat trying to find common solutions.

You may be correct about the assumptions you made in your second paragraph, but the NeoCons think they're in control and not their corporate sponsors. That makes the NeoCons very dangerous and highly unpredictable.

Only one Presidential election, true, that of 1864. But during the spring and summer, as Union casualties mounted even Lincoln for a while seems to have doubted he would be reelected. Only the fall of Atlanta in September ensured his victory.

Congressional elections were held in 1862 at a time when the war was going badly for the North. State and local elections also took place.

It should also be remembered that the Confederate States managed to elect a president and congress, as well as conduct state elections during the war.

far they have already pushed the envelope with no repercussions other than criticism from us liberal lefties, I am really concerned they could try to pull something.

.....the Administration the Constitution on a plate.

The Presidential Emergency Powers now in force have no obvious limits as to Presidential powers.

Anyone who thinks that 'they wouldn't dare' are deluding themselves, as is anyone who thinks that 'the people won't stand for it'.

Providing such a move can be sold as 'safeguarding our wonderful nation'(and it will be), most people will wear it as necessary.

They can just steal it now, they don't have to cancel.

they call off the election, are we prepared to do civil disobedience? The Bushistas have gotten away with every scam they have pulled over the American people since the selection of 2000. Are we prepared to stage sit-ins to disrupt business as usual until this administration is sent packing? This is what we will have to do. We all know this deep down, that a revolutionary movement will have to be started to preserve our nation.

I don't mind that this question keeps coming up. What IS puzzling is how nobody's laughing at the idea anymore....

It's gonna be like this:
Osama bin-Forgotten will turn up (with some freezer burn) on Hallowe'en. Maybe Chimpy's numbers go through the roof, maybe they won't.

Karl Rove calls me to ask if I wouldn't consider voting for shrub, just to make it unanimous. I tell him to Get Bent. Karl gets nervous because he's hearing a LOT of that.

SOMETHING happens late 11-1 or early 11-2. Bomb, something. Big city, maybe West coast or midwest this time.

Tommy Timbertoes gets on the Glass Tit and informs us that we are at Condition BROWN (the Shit HAS hit the Fan!)

Chimpy gets on the horn the and informs us that since a state of National Emergency exists, he is suspending the elections TFN, and it's a tough job, but he is willing to stay on as Pretzeldent for as LONG AS IT TAKES to "Defeat Terra"...Oh, and please go shopping. It's too dangerous to go vote, but Walmart is safe.

And until we decide that "Survivor" isn't all that relevant anymore and it don't matter if they have tanks, we will never know a "president" by any name but "Bush"....

The last election was stolen. The assholes that helped steal it are still around. The machines that helped steal it are around in much greater numbers.

Does it even fucking matter?