Newsweek: Four More Years to Finally Get it Right

Four More Years to Finally Get It Right

In the new devices, a voter has no way of proving that his or her choice is reported in the final tally

Greg Mably for Newsweek
Election '08: 'The issue is voter confidence'
By Steven Levy

NewsweekDec. 6 issue - Almost a month after the presidential election, I'm still getting missives from people who insist that things don't smell right. They draw on a litany of irregularities that are well-circulated in the blogosphere, the Blue States and maybe even subterranean corners of the Red nation. Some are of the dead-canary-in-the-coal-mine variety, like the computer in Ohio that delivered Bush 4, 258 votes when only 638 humans actually cast ballots. Others are more sweeping, like the charges that e-voting peculiarities could have somehow lost Kerry 260,000 votes in Florida. Not all of these people charge fraud, but clearly many believe the worst. And if they go to the popular blackboxvoting.org site, a headline assures them IT'S OK TO SAY THE F-WORD.

It would be easy to dismiss this bunch as a society of paranoids. Indeed, their complaints seem beyond the pale when key e-voting critics claim that despite some problems, there's no evidence that the outcome was affected. Anyway, at this point, even pictures of Karl Rove personally hacking Diebold machines wouldn't budge the incumbent from the White House. Is it time for these folks to shut up already?

To the contrary, their curmudgeonry serves an important purpose.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6595385/site/newsweek/

"Anyway, at this point, even pictures of Karl Rove personally hacking Diebold machines wouldn't budge the incumbent from the White House. Is it time for these folks to shut up already?"

So, even if the GOP is caught red-handed fixing the election, we are supposed to just take this travesty of justice?

I don't think so. If the people don't get out and MARCH ON THIS, it's over. Our leaders have hinted at this being the only way out. We must descend on D.C. with millions to turn this around. What BushCo & Rove are betting on: that we won't. We've got to show the world that we won't take this lying down; then, maybe we'll get some help and respect.

"It's like saying that there are no stealth bombers overhead because none can be seen on the radar."

seeing as how it's the same kind of people who use both of those things. And developed them. And promoted their use.

We need to advertise.

And all the lies about 9/11 and all the lies about Iraq and most of the media's complicity in allowing our democracy to be destroyed by all this treachery!!! :nopity:

Hell yes we have plenty to protest! We should do another Woodstock--several days of Truth, Democracy and Music never heard on the Clear Channel network! :yourock:

I wish it mentioned the statistical problems with the exit polls, I wish it acknowledged the many problems with crashing computers, changing memory cards, voting for * when the Kerry button was pushed, etc., etc., etc.

BUT they did say it was ok to say the F word--even if they attributed it to the BBV site. AND they said to stop calling us paranoid.

Baby steps, people. Baby steps. :thumbsup:

:yourock:

I have long thought that part of the challenge we face is that the majority of people don't understand technology and just buy the isolated "glitch" explanations.

This writer would understand hacking, software issues and most importantly, that if the software is counting wrong in one of a certain type of machine, it is probably counting wrong in the others. I've often been frustrated by claims that "there is no evidence this happened in any of the other machines" to justify no further action when a machine fails because software is not written on each one individually. If Machine Type Y is off, smart money is that all of the Y Machines are off. In any other setting, it would be a no-brainer.

Although it doesn't dwell on too many specifics from this year.

the only way we are going to get congress to listen is to boycott the ahls that pull their strings.

Every time I read something in the MSM that makes me realize I'm NOT nuts over this, I just sort of heave a sigh of relief.

This is why Olbermann is now required viewing at my house.