The Election Reform "Catch 22"...

The current generation of voting machines (and laws surrounding their use) leave behind no evidence.

BUT...

Nothing will change (and all opponents labeled as tinfoil hat conspiracy theorists) unless we produce evidence that an election was stolen.

It's one of the most cynical, infuriating arguments out there and I, for one, am sick of having it thrown in my face every time the issue comes up.

been working another angle - complete legal access to the machines and those who program them. I don't think it's just coincidence that Dean has been recruiting very smart, savvy candidates for Sec of State races all over the country, including Cameron Kerry in Mass.

I believe completely they KNOW the machines are rotten and want to get into them with full access and expose their vulnerabilities to easily programmed fraud.

I see the machines being exposed before 2008, and I bet that is why Diebold hired exDNC chair Joe Andrew to deflect from the barrage of criticism that will be heading their way.

Back in 2003-2004, my best friend got himself appointed to a panel that was to make suggestions as to how Pennsylvania would abide by the Help America Vote Act. He got the position because he's one of the state's leading advocates for handicapped rights.

Well, I educated him on the issue and soon the committee was strongly against voting machines with no voter verified ballot.

At that point, PA's SOS disbanded the committee and refused to officially accept it's recommendations. And now we find that PA is going touchscreen and paper trails, much less a paper ballot, are actually being prohibited by the SOS office. From two weeks ago (and remember, PA has a Democratic govenor):

the machines are part of the fraud.

In the Kerry forum, we have long known Cameron and Teresa believe in the machine fraud. Now Cam is running for Sec of State at the same time Dean is recruiting tough candidates for that position.

I think it's some of the NEW Sec of States who will lead the exposure on the machines.

On edit: Just realized that this being the plan could also be why Kerry spokesperson is downplaying what was said to Miller - maybe telegraphing about the fraud tips their hand too soon. Bottom line, I don't know, but certainly plausible.

Soon, the GOP will come right out and say, "Yeah, we cheated. But I'd like to see you prove it"

How can we call ourselves a "democracy" when we can't even guarantee an accurate vote count? Private companies with political ties should NOT be involved in the secret counting of ballots ... period.

What we have to do is force the Repugs to defend their position. In other words, why are they against doing everything that can possibly be done to ensure a fair and accurate election? If they are as patriotic as they claim to be, if they love this country and believe in our Constitution, then why don't they want to have a paper trail? Let's face it - if they were winning elections honestly, then they would WANT the public to be trust the results ... right?

There's only one reason to oppose election reform and a voter verified paper ballot - the game is rigged and they know that there's no way they could win an honest election.

The Dems need to keep asking Repugs these questions:
If you believe the integrity of the election results, then why do you oppose measures that would allow the American people to believe in the integrity of the election results? Free and fair elections are the foundation of our Democracy, so why are you so adamantly against having a paper trail that would ensure a free and fair election?

we need to reframe the argument.

Right now, we're on the defensive because we're trying to prove a "tin foil hat" theory.

We need to put the GOP on the defensive. Why are they so against something that is the foundation of democracy: a fair, honest, accurate vote count. How can they justify their position without looking "guilty" :evilgrin:

:(

Baker was quickly dispatched and soon the "recount" was limited to the undervote. They dodged a bullet and they knew it. So of course, when reform became the issue, getting rid of the pesky paper trail became the priority.

Disenfranchised voters screamed an hollered and we all pitched a fit. nothing changed the outcome of the election, but the republican controlled house & senate decided that "YES we need to DO something about how we vote".. THEY got to be in charge of the "corrections" and WHAT~A~SURPRISE ! They chose to switch to all e-voting, which favors some of their most powerful benefactors, and since most of the secretaries of state are republican (at least in the most vexing of states), THEY get to choose the machines, ballot design, and the method of counting..

NOTHING really changed at all, except to make formerly "secure" states LESS SO.. People in NY were not that unhappy with their old machines, and yet they were tossed too, in an effort to "improve, reform, modernize"..

Paper and a sharpie are still the best... a simple ballot is best...Hiring MORE PEOPLE is cheaper and nicer than dumping public funds into the bank accounts of republican donors who "give" us shifty machines in exchange...

We asked for change at a time when WE had NO CONTROL over the change.. always a dangerous move, and the republicans were only too happy to "oblige"..:(

after they witnessed the level of bullshit that was thrown then.

It was the DNC's job to ensure the integrity of every vote for every Dem candidate on every ballot.