THE BALLOT or THE BULLET
What will the regressive republicans choose?

I feel this may be the biggest problem the Democratic Party will have to watch out for!The repubs zero in on the big swing states and go to work on what they need to do to steal the election.We as a party can`t sit by and allow this another time.Also,they are very adept at adapting different ways of doing it.Rest assured they will play this as dirty as they have to in order to win.It should be our job to keep them on their defensive.The repubs will use every bit of their majority at this time in the government to their own advantage.

"Republican controlled Congress"

says it all. besides controlling the airwaves thru rove-fox media soundbytes, adding congressional resolutions to muzzle the media, why not control voting the citizen's voting rights as well? if it isn't redistricting TX then it's pawns in florida to decide the fate of electing this guy as president that didn't have the popular vote in 2000.

expect roves puppets in congress to fall in line. kudos to Donna Brazile...she's got her work cut out and then some.

We must immediately introduce legislation to repair flaws in electronic voting machines and that demands a paper trail.

I am convinced that republican corruption is so bad that they cannot risk any democratic control in congress. If we get subpoena power, the facts that will be uncovered could bring down the government as we know it. Its not a matter of if they will cheat but how. We must use strong language that brands any elected official as a traitor if they do not support us on this initiative. Its a Rovian tactic and it will work if we are smart enough to react to the urgency of the matter. We can position ourselves as the protecters of honest democracy. Its indefensible. If the bill passes, they cannot tamper with the voting machines. If it fails, we can use the fear tactic to rouse our base and rightfully scare the hell out of them with the fact that our country is headed for a dictatorship if we cannot even confirm the validity of our elections. This is the most important election of our generation. We cannot let the Republicans steal it. We must remember that the rights we take for granted are so fragile. A half a century ago, African Americans were referred to as negros and were only 3/5 citizens with no voting rights. Right in our country, in our democracy, black people were hanged from trees when they annoyed a bunch of racist white people. There were no abortion rights and forget about what happened to the indians in the 19th century when we embarked upon an agenda playfully called "the manifest destiny" that was arguably fascist imperialism when seen from another point of view. We like to romanticize the past however, the same racist people who were in power 2 generations ago have their grandchildren who would like to see things return to the way they "use to be"...
I am so afraid of what will happen if we do not secure a majority in November. If we fail to have a sense of urgency, what will we tell our grandchildren when asked why we failed?

I've signed about six different petitions on this.Congress better get a clue.They can't lie and say they didin't know the American people were so very concerned about it either because,like I said,I signed about six from totally different organizations.

But it isnt simply just petitions or the democrats bringing it before congress. It is the language and the battle of words that will take place in the media. This election will be won or lost there. For example, Kerry did not handle the Bush attacks appropriately and subsequently, he lost (aided by a little bit of cheating from rove and co.)...Whether we like it or not, this will be decided by who can more eloquently and decicively outcriticize the other. I was serious about branding opponents as traitors. The language is the key to making this work. It will start a war of words and then the media will pay attention because it will get ratings. We still havent figured out the word game in this party. Rove knows to keep it simple and direct and he knows that the concentration and comprehension level of his average follower is short and narrow. Calling our opponents traitors will get national attention and it will force a vote that will be poltically motivated.
I can help this party win this elecion.

Guys,

Let's be quite honest about this. The reason republicans are winning elections is because they're being rigged. It isn't because of the democrat's failure to get our message out or the republican's success in doing so. I never hear anything about this issue from democrats in the media. We need to be shaming them on this. The repubicans need to know they're killing our democracy. They're needs to be litigation. Awww poor little republicans can't win an election fairly. Bah, where has their integrity gone. Democracy will only work if both sides can trust eachother and believe in the core values of our forefathers.

God help us all,
Randy

They are rigged randy and that is my point. However, a solid, solid majority is the only defense in this case. I suspect that in Italy, Berlusconi tried to cheat but, they underestimated Prodi's popularity and didn't rig it enough. Cheating can only go so far. The exit polls cannot be so far off the tally. As for the media, I am talking about shock. Its needed and its been done for so long, Americans are accostomed to it. It isnt that we arent getting our message out however, on this one issue, we should go for the jugular. If we play it right, it will get attention. From there, we win either way. Either the bill gets passed and they cant cheat or if it fails, we can use it as evidense to accuse the republicans of destroying our democracy. It will enable us to use the fear factor to mobilize our base to vote in our favor. Rove has won 3 elections this way. I think its time we were due.

I can help this party win this election.

Siren- your last post was intriguing, please expand on your comment. Thanks.

thank you notsold. This is the basis of exactly how Rove rauses the fundamentalist right. Rove knows that their loyalty to their god is stronger than their loyalty to their country. He introduces these amendments like flag burning or gay marriage,,,knowing they wont pass. After they dont pass, it fuels the fire of the fundamentalist base that fears that the devil will crawl out of cracks in the earth any day if they dont mobilize and get more republicans elected to get these bills passed. They fear that by allowing these social abominations, they risk being condemned by their god for not taking action. This is what we are dealing with: a voting block with a totally irrational and supernatural relationship between cause and effect. Rove plays this like a juke box. This is why gay marriage is more important than the war and I have just explained to you how they sell it. I happen to be a devout liberal raised by a mother who is a born again. I know how they think. I know how Republicans think which is why I am trying to break into Dem circles for a chance to work as a strategist. I would love to go head to head with Rove. It would be delightful.
Anyway,,,,,What I am suggesting is that we use this voting machine issue in the same way. The Republicans wont back us and the amendment will fail. We will then be able to brand them as unamerican and as threats to the very fabric of our democracy. We will then use the scare tactic to get the word out that pseudo-fascists are taking over the government and that its a matter of life and death. The radical liberal base will react to this the same way the fundamentalist christians react to gay marriage. Furthermore, the center that until recently has voted to the right will have yet another reason to vote with us. They will hear the type of language that they have wanted to hear from the dems, strong and confrontational language. From how they and myself see it, the republicans sling mud about baseless things. We have a million reasons of our own to sling mud and we dont. It is seen as a weakness and until we can have some tough talk of our own, we wont be seen as strong. Americans like brashness. It worked for Reagan and now it works for Bush. The weakness issue has been one of our greatest detriments in the last 3 decades.
In any case, the key to preventing the republicans from trying to steal this election is this issue. If a voting machine bill passes they cannot cheat and if it fails, we can influence a stronger majority which will also counteract foul play. If we come out unified, with shocking language, it will get ratings, force a dialoge about an issue that will win for us either way.
I used the italy example because I dont need an investigation to deductively deduce what was so obvious. My wife is Italian and I have been there 5 times, I speak the language and I can tell you that nobody I knew liked Berlusconi very much and yet, in the genaral elections, the left won by only 1/10 of 1%. Funny enough, the same politic body passed the referendum endorsed by Prodi by a 2/3 majority. The right tried stuffing ballot boxes, releasing misleading polls in the all but one networks owned by Silvio Berlusconi however, he was so unpopular that even cheating didn't save him and why, Prodi had too much support. The same thing needs to happen here. If we cannot get the voting machines fixed, we will play politics as I have suggested and assure a decisive enough majority that is indisputable. They cannot risk exit polls that give us a 10% victory when the real count gives our opponent a victory by 5%. Its just too much.
I hope this sums things up. I got a hundred ideas where that one came from. I only hope I can find somebody who will listen.

The Democrats need to get their teeth into this issue and shake it until it's a furry ball at their feet. There are so many areas in this voting issue on which to attack that you would need an army to go after it. Voting is probably the one most important aspect of our freedom. It should be protected at all costs.

But, this still all comes under the Republican Heading of "Keep Everyone Distracted" [while they slip in biased bills under the cover of darkness]. What we need in the Democratic party is someone who can think like a college dropout.

Would a college dropout come up with the idea that the only way to win an election is to rig the voting machines? Yes.

Would a college dropout come up with the idea that the only way to find out what people are doing is to spy on them? Yes.

And so forth. You have to think like a gutter rat. And with the Republicans embracing this individual, pretty soon they become like this individual. They embrace mediocrity, they become mediocre. They embrace criminality, they become a criminal. They embrace dishonesty, they become dishonest. They embrace deceit, they become deceitful. They embrace low lives, they ...

I just wanted to say Siren I think your dead on. I just hope the leadership is listening. Indeed it seems like a no-brainer to attack the republicans hard on the core issue that lets them win elections (ie electronic vote rigging, voter disenfranchisement, secretaries of state expunging votes from elections from people sharing the last names of felons which turned out to be completely inaccurate). I'm actually surprised the democratic leadership hasn't realized this sooner. Maybe they're afraid the republicans will call them a bunch of sore losers and whiners for complaining about election results. I say if the shoe fits then wear it (or however that analogy goes, lol) We're not asking for wins but for a fair playing field. In any event I hope you get your wish Siren of becoming part of the solution. All I can think to do is rant and rave on this blog. But alas it does make me feel better.

Cheers,
Randy

well all right you guys! happy 4th and many more and rest assured that I will be here ranting with you. My name is siren because I really feel like I gotta scream as loud as I can. If we scream together, sooner or later, they will hear us.
Cheers to you too,
Matt

Furthermore,,, we wont sound whiney or like sore losers if the tone and the message are well crafted. Just this week an article appeared on Reuters (cannot remember name and its late) that said that investigations are showing that these voting machines are tamperable, hackable and more simply, vulnerable. If the party can move quickly on this, get a prominent senior member to hold a press conference about it using the language I have recommended then we have a shot. Once the cat is out of the bag we can politicize the hell out of this. The whole plan needs to be executed precisely or it wont work. The key elements are the timing, the wording and I stress using words like traitor etc. We have to make anybody who would not vote for a bill to secure our elections as totally untrustworthy and we need to be vicious. This is the only way it will get the ratings to impact the headlines appropriately. I hope somebody is listening.
I served over 2 years on the executive board of student goverment in college, wrote editorials, organized strikes and always faught for what I believed in. I also have a degree in fine arts and was two class short of a minor in philosophy. I love politics and because of my art background, I understand it aesthetically. For example, I think this administration would be more successful as an advertising agency than as a presidency. Their catchy phrases and tacky design coordinations remind me of a sophomore marketing class. Whats worse is that people follow it.
sigh,,,,dats all for now, good night all.