Virginia’s GOP tries to scare new voters away from the polls.
IN VIRGINIA, as in other states, loads of first-time voters are registering to cast ballots in the fall elections. Through the first six months of this year, 147,000 people, almost half under the age of 25, registered in the commonwealth, a figure that election officials say is unprecedented. As registration drives accelerate, including those run by the Barack Obama campaign and its allies, it’s no wonder that Republicans are increasingly anxious about retaining their hold on a state that GOP presidential candidates have carried since 1968. What is surprising is their utterly baseless charge of “coordinated and widespread voter fraud . . . throughout Virginia.”
That rhetorical hand grenade, lobbed the other day by the state Republican Party chairman, Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick of Prince William County, bears little relationship to the facts. Nor do Mr. Frederick’s attempts to frighten prospective voters by warning that they could be victims of identity theft if they sign up to vote in registration drives by “a whole lot of groups out there that nobody has ever heard of.” In fact, there is not even a whiff of evidence that identity theft is taking place in Virginia under the guise of registration campaigns. Mr. Frederick’s message amounts to a classic attempt to suppress votes.
The allegation of a “very serious and troubling trend” of registration fraud, identified by Mr. Frederick alone, is unsupported by election officials, police or prosecutors. It is couched in the toxic language of gauzy innuendo, insidious suggestion and simple fear. Virginians, he says, “have to wonder” about efforts to corrupt the vote in November by means of tainted registration. Anyone who signs up with a stranger to vote should “exercise extreme caution.” Asked for proof of identity theft in voter registration drives, he told us, “I bet it exists somewhere.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/03/AR2008080301430.html
The GOP hasn’t won an election honestly in eight years — why should they start now? Caging lists, electronic voting equipment with secret ‘proprietary’ software known only to the manufacturer, limiting the voting machines in Dem districts, giving people provisional ballot sand then dumping them in the trash, dismissing exit polling, and, everybody’s favorite, the late-night post-election vote recount — remember Don Siegelman — that makes a Dem winner into a Sad Sack loser — all of it will be in use this year.
Our only hope is that enough voters come out to make it close enough that it’s almost impossible for the GOP to cheat — I said, ‘almost impossible.’ There are people who spend their lives dreaming up new ways to screw the voter, so something may be on the horizon we haven’t imagined yet.
Comment by RS Janes — August 7, 2008 @ 1:07 pm
The repugs have been fighting paper ballots and paper trails from the voting machines tooth and nail this year so no doubt they have the electronic voting already fixed. The media keeps reporting that McMangy is keeping up with Obama in the polls and all but I think they are lying. Just trying to make the undecided think he is popular and winning so they will swing over to him. The poor old geezer cannot remember from one speach to the next what he is for and against. He has been butt kissing bush for so long he screws up his speaches just like dubya.
I for one am still holding my breath that we will even have an election in November.
Comment by kerry — August 7, 2008 @ 6:53 pm
I should have written that I hope it’s enough of a landslide that it will be nearly impossible for the GOP to cheat. I read that the reasons the Dem won in the special Cong. elections in IL, LA, and MS is that the GOP didn’t think it had to cheat — those were supposedly all ‘safe’ Republican districts. That gives me some hope — they can’t fix most of the districts in the nation.
At this point, I think even the middle-class and the military might revolt if Bush suspended the 2008 elections, but I’ve been wrong before.
Comment by RS Janes — August 8, 2008 @ 8:02 am
I don’t think the average ‘murkins would revolt until they personally become homeless and then it will be too late because they will have no resources to work with. I live in a repug stronghold where one dares not say anything derogatory about “he who speaks for god” or any of his henchmen/women.
One couple went absolutely rabid, called me a traitor and threatened to turn me in to the FBI for telling them the truth about dubya’s fake reasons for his repuglican oil war. Yet they all love to bitch about gas and heating oil prices and the skyrocketing cost of food and necessities. Of course they are still blaming Clinton for it all including bushies preemptive war and the national deficit. Give me strength, no wonder I have become a recluse!
Comment by kerry — August 8, 2008 @ 9:22 am
Kerry, you need to move out of Cheney’s house.
Comment by RS Janes — August 8, 2008 @ 7:25 pm
There was supposed to be a smiley face after that comment!
Comment by RS Janes — August 8, 2008 @ 7:27 pm
Kerry wrote:
” don’t think the average ‘murkins would revolt until they personally become homeless and then it will be too late because they will have no resources to work with. I live in a repug stronghold where one dares not say anything derogatory about “he who speaks for god””
I think I work with that Asswipe,Anytime someone says anything derogatory against the Bush Republicans this Youth camp minister threatens to turn them in on the TIPS line.
At least I havent been renditioned,….yet but I hear Russia is lovely.
F#ck that SOB!
On another note,: Murkins?I think its spelled mirkin.
A genital wig seems to describe them to a tee,
maybe Limpbaugh carries some of those on His GOP financed junkets to the Banana Republics in case He gets caught in a compromising position.
Dont let them silence You,its how they have taken over and taken away Our rights.
Now its time to take it back!
Comment by Rainlander — August 8, 2008 @ 10:58 pm
RS I would but that grumpy old SOB never sleeps. He runs around in his astronaut suit, spying and watching everything I do with an Uzi in one hand and shotgun in the other! ;O)
Rain, If there is any truth to the adage, “Ignorance is bliss.” one would think repugs and fundi xtians would be a whole lot happier.
About that wig thing, I think most would be more accurately described as anal appendages.
I would prefer Gitmo, the climate is better. LOL
If our elected whores in Washington did their jobs we would not have to take our rights back! We would not have lost them in the first place!
Silence me? Not as long as I can draw a breath.
Which BTW has been extremely difficult these many weeks with being halfway between the Oregon and California fires. No matter which way the wind blows we get smoked. Everything in my house is covered with fine black soot and dust from it all. Yesterday was clear for a change so I hope there are no more fires.
Comment by kerry — August 9, 2008 @ 8:31 am