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That's just a straw man. But anyway, it's interesting that there's this feeling that the only way people will be able to get enthused to defend their democracy is if there's not any real threat and if it's not that bad.... On the other hand, if it IS that bad, then we'll all be too depressed to do anything, supposedly... This is interesting logic to say the least.
Point by point:
1) Not every state and every Republican is corrupt in the Bob Ney/Jack Cunningham/Jack Abramoff sense. Many will do whatever they can to win, but do it in a reasonably fair and honorable weay. That doesn't include commiting crimes. These people are not part of the Republican Syndicate that exists at a uber-national level. They are our friends and neighbors who believe in democratic elections, just like we do.
RESPONSE: Most fraud has nothing to do with campaigns or Rove, etc. Every voter who casts a vote and every corporation with contracts before the government has an incentive to cheat. We all know who what when where and why of the fraud because we know who our favoriate candidate is, we know what they need which is ballots, we know when which is 11-7-06, we know where which is the announced polling places and central tabulators, and we know why (to win elections). We know all of this without a single communication from a single campaign. So, all somebody needs is opportunity to "help" and then we have our election fraud... In that light, we all stuff the online ballot boxes of polls by notifying our like minded friends, so with stakes a little higher, like say control of the congress of the world's richest nation and sole superpower, MIGHT THERE BE A TINY LITTLE INCENTIVE TO STUFF THE BALLOT BOX THERE, TOO?
2) Conditions in 2000 / 2002 /2004 showed a more more evenly divided electorate. The Red vs. Blue State divide did exist and was exploited, no question. Those conditions allowed the Republicans to focus their energies in Florida and Ohio to do their dirty work. Since 2004, the erosion in Bush and Republican popularity has been steadily in decline. They are now fighting to maintain their base...and losing. They cannot focus on one state and certain precincts to pull an elaborate election heist that will flip the results....where would they even start today?
RESPONSE While truly large margin advantages can not CREDIBLY be stolen, any election can be as a technical matter, and leads do not affect the ease of the actual heist AT ALL. As far as whether the upcoming elections can be credibly stolen goes, they are now reporting on CNN that the advantage of the dems has dropped from 16% in terms of preference for Congress down to 4% (pew) or 5-6% (JeffGreenfield on Wolf Blitzer's election show at 250 PST today)
3) We are far more activated in this election. Not just DU, but the whole Party. Everyone is getting educated and cognizant about the threat to fraud....there will be literally millions of eyeballs watching the poll watchers.
RESPONSE: THe majority of each election system is INVISIBLE (located on hard drives, etc.) Eyeballs watching pollworkers are still needed, but this reassurance is misleading because so much of the elections systems can not be seen.
4) The media has come around to the threat of election fraud.
RESPONSE: A little bit, not all that much considering the actual situation with regard to totally secret vote counting throughout 80% of the US via electronic voting, etc.
5) consensus that the Democrats will be in control of the House. The actual #s are unknown, but it is a foregone conclusion. Would you want to risk a prison term trying to game an election, knowing this fact? ... There are a lot of Democratic lawyers ready...
RESPONSE: I'd like to know the names of these lawyers. I've litigated a congressional election contest in CA's 50th Cong. Dist. and I've not heard from a single one. Have any names?
That is the real threat, creating a sense of hopelessness....don't let 'em psych you out.
RESPONSE: Hopelessness is an issue, but the type of optimism that involves the denial of actual facts is not really hopeful in the short or long run...
The Republicans will likely file more election contests than Dems, because incumbents can only be replaced through valid elections. Think about the perverse incentives here when you contemplate the passage of HAVA by ney, abramoff and friends.
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