Regardless of your political preference, we all have to admit that the Florida 2000 recount was dubious. Bush was handed the victory in what was a statistical tie. As time went on, it looked more and more like the Supreme Court may have made the wrong call. As the New York Times reported on November 12, 2001, “An approach Mr. Gore and his lawyers rejected as impractical — a statewide recount — could have produced enough votes to tilt the election his way, no matter what standard was chosen to judge voter intent.” The study the Times quoted only concerned itself with votes that were actually cast. It doesn't even address all the people in heavily democratic areas who were simply not allowed to vote. Face the facts: Florida was stolen, and by extension Bush stole the 2000 election.
Fast forward to Bush vs. Kerry. Ohio 2004 was clearly broken, and now Robert F. Kennedy Jr's article in Rolling Stone magazine spells out GOP malfeasance in excruciating detail.
Voter fraud is nothing new in US history, but never before has it been so systematic and so extensive. The scary thing is that effectively nothing is being done to fix our voting system. It's just as broken now as it was in 2004. Before Democrats get too happy about Bush's terrible poll numbers and the prospects of the election this November they need to remember the words of Josef Stalin: "It's not who votes that counts. It's who counts the votes." It's become clear to anyone who makes the effort to look that we no longer have free and fair elections in this country. Everyone who claims to love this country should be outraged.
"My side won. What do I care?" What side is that, exactly? Aren't you on the side of democracy? Isn't that (allegedly) why we are in Iraq... to promote democracy? Isn’t the health of our republic more important than being able to say you rooted for the winner?
No, I am not wearing a tinfoil hat, but I'm not wearing blinders either. I am afraid for our Republic. Thomas Paine pointed out that voting, "is the right upon which all other rights depend." When your vote only counts if you choose the party in power, just how free are you?
ELECTION PREDICTION: The Republican Party will not only maintain control of both houses of Congress, they will expand their edge in the 2006 election.
Unless something dramatic changes, I'll be back in November to pick up my Nostradamus Award (or gladly eat crow).
2 comments:
I've been listening to NPR talk radio and everyone seems to be hosting the authors of "One Party Country", or how the Republicans got their act together and took over all three branches of the gov't. (Haven't read it yet, but what I've heard certainly doen't inspire me to bet against your election prediction). Sigh.
I need to check my blog more often...
I really hope I'm wrong. Ohio, will be an indicator. If Ken Blackwell (R), the man most responsible for the 2004 fiasco in Ohio, wins then you can pretty much assume it's still broken. Blackwell trails the Democratic candidate, Ted Strickland, in every poll that has been taken by as much as 20 points.
Thing will eventually turn around. Hopefully by the time our kids are in college...
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