Bush Won 2000 Fair and Square

[SkyhookJackson]

There was an interesting piece on the PBS show NOW this week that dealt with voter caging in the 2004 election. It appears disenfranchised voters included military people serving in Iraq. What has put this particular instance of voter caging in the spotlight is that it focused on a specific group of people who the Republicans deemed likely to vote Democratic (people of color). Investigation is ongoing.

Also a note about a previous post on New Hampshire. We went blue last election. Very blue. In fact, Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, a Democrat, won her seat solely with grassroots support. She was such a long shot the national party pretty much ignored her. The governor's a Democrat, the state legislature is Democratic, and my Congressman, Paul Hodes, won a previously-held Repbublican seat. Of course, we've still got some time left on the clock for our Republican Senators, but it's not looking very good for Sununu, who's up in 2008. The last poll I saw was something like 70-30 in favor of former Democratic Governor Jean Shaheen, should she be his opponent.

[bush_cheney2004]

Well, good things come to those who wait. Right? Any you know that paper ballots are a lot more tamper proof than any electronic voting system. Electronic voting makes it easier for results to be manipulated.

Other things Americans want instant gratification that comes back to haunt them, McDonalds, Walmart. They want instant gratification, but are told to have patience when they are frustrated with the current progress in Iraq. Seems like a 'Do as I do, and not as I say', type of thing.

Nonsense.....paper ballots are more easily manipulated and have been many times around the world for many years. No need to hack source code, tables, or firmware. Americans want what they want when they want it and will do as they damn well please when it comes to choices. Because they have more of 'em, including not choosing at all.

[jbg]

Either way, electronic voting is not as secure as good ol paper ballots. Just because the Dems brought it in, blame both the dems and the repubs for actually using and implementing them.

One of the differences is that when Canadians vote, there is only the federal, or the provincial, or the civic race on the ballot. In the US Election Day collects the Presidential race, Congressional race, (2/3 of the time) the Senate race, and various state and local races. In the areas that use paper balloting the sheer length and complexity of the ballot is similar to a posting page at freerepublic.

My own favorite is what New York uses, early 1960's vintage "voting machines" where each race contains a separate line of levers. I assume that when you pull the crank on the curtain that enables you to exit the voting booth, a paper ballot is created, though I'm not sure on that. Unfortunately, these tried and true machines are about to become a casualty of the post-2000 "reforms".

[bush_cheney2004]

My own favorite is what New York uses, early 1960's vintage "voting machines" where each race contains a separate line of levers. I assume that when you pull the crank on the curtain that enables you to exit the voting booth, a paper ballot is created, though I'm not sure on that. Unfortunately, these tried and true machines are about to become a casualty of the post-2000 "reforms".

Correct...electromechanical voting machines were designed to eliminate the burden of lengthy paper balloting by voters. One version was famously involved in the "stolen" election of 1960 (Kennedy - Nixon) when Chicago gave Illinois to JFK instead of Tricky Dick.