Karl Rove very recently has stated that his intent is to see the Republican Party installed as the party of government. Not exactly a resounding endorsement of the rrue intent of democracy, I might say...

I believe that since 2002, when the R's were caught drawing up another list of 44,000 primarily African American voters in Florida, they decided to change their tactics:
Instead of disenfranchising voters directly, they made great efforts to "starve" the voting infrastructure in Deomcratic strongholds. Ohio no doubt lost a LOT of Democratic votes because of long lines. I don't doubt there was enough to change the outcome there and maybe in many other states.
Also, I remember clearly that the Republicans had "threatened" to challange voters at polling places and I believe this also helped scare away Democratic voters across the country. I know I was worried. My wife and I voted anyway.

Neither tactic appears to be quantifiable in terms of how effective they were, but I urge the Democratic party to work to investigate and compile data in order to evaluate this type of activity, to monitor it, and to counter it.
Both tactics are legal, technically, or lend themselves to confusing smoke screens and are entirely consistant with Rove's aims.
One of these days, the Teflon Republicans will slip.
The question is when...

So now voting machines discriminate. No wonder people people don't take us seriously.

It took me a matter of minutes to voe. We used chads. Of course, chads discriminate too - I'm suprised my vote counted at all.

If we want to be taken seriously as a party we need to address real issues that real people care about.

John Kerry supported NAFTA. That is why Ohioans wouldn't vote for him. During the primaries Edwards ran on the fact that he didn't support NAFTA and Kerry did. Out of work steel workers tend to remember things like that.

Additionally, the ads regarding Kerry's support of 14 year olds getting abortion withough parental consent hurt Kerry with christian democrats.

You know, the Ukraine, the Phillipines, other places where elections have been stolen, the voters didn't tremble that they would be thought of as cry babies, they didn't worry that the other side would make fun of them. Instead they went out and fought and protested and in the case of the Ukraine stopped the theft of their election, and in the Phillipines when they got rid of Marcos they prevented it.

That's what real democracies do.

The Republicans went out an protested to stop the recount, the Republican opposition for Governor in Washington kept suing after he lost until the court forced him to stop.

Did it cost the Republicans when they impeached Clinton, and his popularity shot up to 70%? No, they kept right ahead in spite of the polls, and then in 2000 they retained the House and Bush won.

Would you tell the victims in the Banana Republics that they are cry babies when their brutal regimes steal their elections? More than 1700 soldiers, and more than 100,000 Iraqis are dead because we stood by and let them steal these elections, because we're more worried about being called crybabies, or we're too lazy to fight.

I'm sorry, if the government isn't authorised by the will of the people, it has no moral authority, and if the people sit by, well they are complicit in what has happened.

This is what we should be doing:

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0310-32.htm

Here's a five-step process that Americans interested in clean elections - regardless of party affiliation - could start immediately, so it'll in place in time for the 2006 elections.

1. Organize and fund a national exit poll, using a non-partisan, professional organization like Zogby, or one built from the ground up.

2. Have detailed systems in place - using the internet and email, in particular - to release the results of those exit polls within an hour of the close of the polls on election eve in November, 2006.

3. Plan for vote fraud, and brand the plan. In the Ukraine, the slogan was "Time's up!" The logo was a ticking clock, and thousands of paper stencils were distributed so the logo could be spray-painted on sidewalks or buildings in the event evidence of vote-fraud showed up. The color was orange, and orange scarves and hats were mass purchased before election day.

4. Develop a corps of people committed to showing up and speaking out wherever the exit polls demonstrate the clear possibility of election fraud.

5. Have a relentless media strategy in place to keep the pressure on and bring people out into the streets.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1129-26.htm

Published Monday, November 29, 2004 by CommonDreams.org
How To Take Back A Stolen Election
by Thom Hartmann

You know, the Ukraine, the Phillipines, other places where elections have been stolen, the voters didn't tremble that they would be thought of as cry babies, they didn't worry that the other side would make fun of them. Instead they went out and fought and protested and in the case of the Ukraine stopped the theft of their election, and in the Phillipines when they got rid of Marcos they prevented it.

That's what real democracies do.

The Republicans went out an protested to stop the recount, the Republican opposition for Governor in Washington kept suing after he lost until the court forced him to stop.

Did it cost the Republicans when they impeached Clinton, and his popularity shot up to 70%? No, they kept right ahead in spite of the polls, and then in 2000 they retained the House and Bush won.

Would you tell the victims in the Banana Republics that they are cry babies when their brutal regimes steal their elections? More than 1700 soldiers, and more than 100,000 Iraqis are dead because we stood by and let them steal these elections, because we're more worried about being called crybabies, or we're too lazy to fight.

I'm sorry, if the government isn't authorised by the will of the people, it has no moral authority, and if the people sit by, well they are complicit in what has happened.

This is what we should be doing:

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0310-32.htm

Here's a five-step process that Americans interested in clean elections - regardless of party affiliation - could start immediately, so it'll in place in time for the 2006 elections.

1. Organize and fund a national exit poll, using a non-partisan, professional organization like Zogby, or one built from the ground up.

2. Have detailed systems in place - using the internet and email, in particular - to release the results of those exit polls within an hour of the close of the polls on election eve in November, 2006.

3. Plan for vote fraud, and brand the plan. In the Ukraine, the slogan was "Time's up!" The logo was a ticking clock, and thousands of paper stencils were distributed so the logo could be spray-painted on sidewalks or buildings in the event evidence of vote-fraud showed up. The color was orange, and orange scarves and hats were mass purchased before election day.

4. Develop a corps of people committed to showing up and speaking out wherever the exit polls demonstrate the clear possibility of election fraud.

5. Have a relentless media strategy in place to keep the pressure on and bring people out into the streets.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1129-26.htm

Published Monday, November 29, 2004 by CommonDreams.org
How To Take Back A Stolen Election
by Thom Hartmann

The Republicans understand the people but have no program. The Democrats have a program but are unprincipled and vacillating. The American people see and understand this and until the Democrats stop their weak, unprincipled vacillations the defeats will continue.

The question in front of the Democratic Party is how to regain the faith and trust of the American people. This is the central problem.
It is neither about framing issues nor stating core values. It's about stating a program and sticking with it and regaining the trust of the American people.

Nor is it about salesmanship nor who can hire the slickest consultants.

Regaining the trust of the American people also means fighting the Republicans not only about program, but when they try to steal your votes.

If the Democrats continue their policy of "gentleman's agreement", they will continue their losing streak going further and further to the right pandering to the people who will continue to view the Democrats with disgust. This is what has been happening in the last several elections. Soon there will be no viable Democratic Party left if this has not already happened.

The Democratic Party has become a collection of unprincipled opportunists with unbridled opportunism who keep selling out the grassroots Democrats.

Soon there will be nothing left for people to do except vote for the Greens. They will be the only other alternative to the Republican Party.

INTERESTING INFO RE: SOCIAL SECURITY

WHY WAIT UNTIL 2008? THERE IS AN ELECTION IN 2006. I HEREWITH FIRMLY STATE THAT I WILL NOT VOTE FOR ANY POLITICIAN, REGARDLESS OF THE OTHER ISSUES, IF HE DOES NOT SPONSOR AND SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION. THAT INCLUDES EVERYONE STANDING FOR ELECTION IN 2006.

LET US SHOW OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON "PEOPLE POWER"AND THE POWER OF THE INTERNET. LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE WITH ME ON THIS BY REPLYING AND FORWARDING TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT!
KEEP IT GOING!!!!
2008 Election Issue!!
GET A BILL STARTED TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOC. SEC.
This must be an issue in "2008" Please! Keep it going.

SOCIAL SECURITY:
(This is worth reading. It is short and to the point.)
Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.
Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.
You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society.They felt they should have aspecial plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in theirown benefit plan.
In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan.
For all practical purposes their plan works like this:
When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die.
Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments..
For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives.
T his is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries.
Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.
Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA....ZILCH....
This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds;
"OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK"! From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into,-every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer)-we can expect to get an average of $1,000 per monthafter retirement. Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator! Bill Bradley's benefits!
Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.
That change would be to:
Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us
then sit back.....
and see how fast they would fix it.
If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve.
How many people CAN you send this to?
Better yet..... How many people WILL you send this to ?

INTERESTING INFO RE: SOCIAL SECURITY