With the DNC and Pres. Jimmy Carter, demanding that foreign observers be dispatched to our polls on election day, citing the 1965 Voting Rights Act; and with the Justice Dept. sending over 1000 election monitors nationwide, I expect November 3rd to be a contentious day in America, thanks to the unresolved issues over provisional ballots and computerized voting. I took a look at provisional voting earlier in the week, here are some news articles that discuss the issues surrounding these machines: FoxNews, Christian Science Monitor,
What do you envision on Nov. 3rd?
If it's not close, they can't cheat.
It won't be close. I'm not worried. 2000 was a freak-show statistical outlier voting event. Statewide elections being within 1000 votes are as unusual at when they split 60-40. Nothing this close had happened before in this country's history, and I don't expect to see anything that close again in my lifetime.
Posted by: Harvey at October 16, 2004 02:54 PMI think there are a lot of precincts in the country where the races is sufficiently close than turnout dictates the outcomes. If it rains in Newark, look out. If it rains late in the day in Newark, really look out.
I'm quite certain that we're going to hear some people on November 3 claiming that because one guy in Boise had a flat tire on the way to the polling place, the entire election is a sham. What I'm not sure of is whether these people will be ignored by the overwhelming majority of the country — as in Afghanistan last week — or whether they'll remain a part of the public conscious for yet another four years.
Honestly? I'm starting to think that we're looking at a generational problem here. The people who insist that Bush stole the election — and who will undoubtedly insist that Bush stole this election, too — are never going to change their minds. They're never going to shut up about it, no matter how many times we sit them down and calmly and slowly explain the facts.
We're just going to have to wait for them all to grow old and die.
Then again, sometimes I tend toward the pessimistic. I usually get over it.
Posted by: Jeff Harrell at October 16, 2004 03:16 PMI think it's going to be very close, again. I know here in Florida the crap is already starting to fly. I am just hoping that we surprise everyone.
Funny enough - they are saying the biggest question mark down here is the I4 corridor. Hmmmm...that's ME!! I called to verify that my registration went through (since I moved) and to double check where I need to vote - I kept saying, this is important, this is important.
Lady laughed at me and said - Sweetie, you Republicans have really pulled together lately.
I'm hoping that means my little community - and the rest of the corridor are voting GWB.
Yeah, I'm cutting my day short so that I can be glued in front of the TV for the results. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think it's going to be pretty.
Posted by: Tammi at October 16, 2004 04:28 PMIf Bush wins narrowly, we can expect many lawsuits and hypocritical charges of fraud, intimidation, etc. But have we considered the possibility that Kerry will win narrowly? If Kerry wins several swing states by narrow margins, we will know that voter fraud is at the heart of the victory margin. What will we do about it? The RNC better be prepared to file its own lawsuits.
Posted by: salt1907 at October 17, 2004 11:08 AM