We're going to have 2 international organizations monitor our election!

From http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24540-2004Sep15.html?nav=rss_politics
(Scroll about halfway down)

I didn't know this, apologies if this is old news....I didn't post it on LBN because the headline of this article is misleading (it's a blurb tacked on) and I don't know if it's been posted there or not.

Thoughts?

International Monitors Have Landed Here

The Bush-Kerry race might not, at first glance, seem to have much in common with tumultuous past elections in places such as Haiti, Nicaragua and East Timor. But come Nov. 3, the United States will share a distinction with those countries: It will join the ranks of nations whose elections were overseen by international monitors.

Responding to the 2000 presidential deadlock, at least two international groups plan to monitor the Nov. 2 U.S. elections.

A delegation for Global Exchange, a San Francisco-based nongovernmental organization that has monitored elections in 10 countries, arrived here this week. The group will fan out to several swing states to investigate what spokesman Jason Mark said were serious and deepening concerns about minority disenfranchisement, the integrity of electronic voting machines and other issues that have "undermined confidence" in U.S. elections. Mark called the effort "unprecedented."

The group's 20-person team includes: Brigalia Bam, chairwoman of the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa; Damaso Guerrero Magbual, who heads the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections, the oldest election monitoring group in Asia; and Caerwyn Dwyfor Jones, a county election official in Wales who helped supervise Cambodia's first free elections as well as elections in other countries.

For the first time, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe also plans to observe the U.S. elections.

I'd feel better if Gabriel, Michael, or Christ would do the vote counts. Katherine Harris and James Baker are no doubt rekindling their hot relationship. O8)

And to think how quickly it happened.

there's no way they can monitor the workings of touch-screen voting machines, or assess whether the results reported in any way reflect the actual votes cast . . . too little, too late . . .

that WE have to have international monitors watching our election. I didn't say they'd stop any dirty business!

the shining light of freedom for the rest of the world, now can't hold a freaking election without being monitored by an international agency! As if we were ruled by some despotic tin-pot dictator!

Oh, wait....

I don't understand the enthusiasm of this post. Wanting a fair election is one thing but control over transfer of power is an internal affair. How could this have changed the Florida fiasco?

Then we would no longer be viewed as a democracy - that would have a big big impact.

This is important for Kerry because it shows the Europeans that we will not let our government become the target of a 'hostile takover' and muck up things on their side of the pond.

I think Kerry should meet with some of the groups and talk about ways to make sure EVERY VOTE GETS COUNTED this time.

I just posted it, that's all.