Winning Brings Respect
Our hard-fought victory is winning us respect.
For example, here's today's NY Times:
The election in Ohio, one of the most fiercely contested states, has been seized on by the Green Party, liberal Democrats and advocates of changing the voting system because of its long lines, lack of uniform policies on provisional ballots and the allocation of voting machines.
In many ways, the debate came about because of the relentless efforts of a small group of third-party activists, liberal lawyers, Internet muckrakers and civil rights groups, who have been arguing since Election Day that the Ohio vote was rigged for Mr. Bush.
In the weeks since, those groups have organized rallies and public hearings in Ohio protesting the vote, filed lawsuits contesting Mr. Bush's victory and demanded a statewide recount that resulted in Mr. Bush's margin of victory shrinking by 300 votes, to about 118,450. They also protested in Washington on Thursday.
"I think we're seeing a political realignment going on," David Cobb, the Green presidential candidate, said at a rally across the street from the White House. "The rank and file of the Democratic Party are far more progressive than the corporatist leaders of the party."
Before yesterday's victory, an article like this would have been impossible.
Michael North sent this Google link to help us count the number of stories - 983 as of 7 a.m. Friday.
And the voters are overwhelmingly on our side! CNN is running a poll asking "Should Congress look into the validity of the presidential election results in Ohio?" As of 7 a.m., the results were Yes=66% No=34% with nearly 30,000 votes.
Meanwhile, Bush is losing respect - his disapproval rating of 49% equals his approval rating, by far the worst rating for any incumbent on the eve of his second inauguration.
- Bob Fertik's blog
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Two things...
1. I wonder where the "Stolen Election" update for today is. Going from the possibility that yes, electronic machines that left no paper ballot were gimmicked to deliver a pre-determined victory, the election remains stolen. Perhaps it can be renamed "Fraud Findings" or something else, but it's demonstrative of the Democratic tendency to get worked up and then drop off entirely. It's like running as hard as you can for the first 25.5 miles of a marathon and then sitting down and congratulating yourself on how good you did.
2. I'd challenge the notion that "Our hard-fought victory is winning us respect." What would get the Democrats respect is the production, as soon as possible, of evidence showing election fraud. And now all the eggs are in one basket, so to speak. The Republicans can drop "Bill Clinton" from their lexicon and replace it with "Ohio Recount." It's going to be more of an albatross than a feather in the Democrats' cap.
This is not the time to stop raising hell...
After listening to both the House and Senate debates it is clear that the nationwide stolen election issue has been trumped by the focus on Blackwell's Ohio fiasco. I was extremely pleased with the Democratic House members who faced down the "indignant" Republicans, but the Senate was another story. Senator Boxer, pressured by her constinuency, rose to the occasion. I respect her for that, but her talk was boilerplated from the webpages we've been reading and writing for two months. Senator Clinton and Senator Obama and others did make speeches. However, I couldn't help but feel that those Senate Dems who spoke out yet planned to vote to certify despite the overwhelming evidence, were simply placating us. It pains me to think that of Clinton and Obama in that way. If anyone has a good reason, or has heard a good reason, why those Senators did not vote alongside Boxer, I would like to hear it.
As far as the future of the party, I'm not interested Boxer, Clinton, Obama, or anyone else in the Senate. Let them have their exclusive club, but when offering candidates in future Democratic primaries, let's look to the House where the courage and passion were exhibited on January 6, 2005.
In the meantime, we need to work at the local levels -- writing, speaking, acting -- to raise questions about the mysterious anomolies regarding exit polls and paperless voting systems, as well as address the other voting problems.
Never ever concede to fraud.<\i>
Well said, and very much on t
Well said, and very much on the mark. Welcome to the forum.
Thanks Bill
I appreciate the comment
Never ever concede to fraud.<\>
Keep on fighting, don't stop!!!
Hi, my democratic citizens!
I am a German student from Bochum who stayed awake the whole election night to make sure that Kerry wins the election. My headache had already decreased a little when I found some interesting facts concerning election fraud in (at least) Florida and Ohio.
From then, I startet telling my friends, relatives and even some U.S.-american students in a train about the Republicans stealing another election. We in Germany didn't hear anything about that topic in the common media, so I emailed the popular links and a short summary to magazins like "Stern" and "Spiegel", two of the biggest magazins nation-wide. I wanted to reach the media in order to not leave the Germans in oblivion, and you guess what? There has been an article in "Spiegel" in which the author mentions the possibility of changing the President by switching Ohio democratic.
In my opinion, you have to cooperate much more with European media because we are not frightened of terms like "conspiracy" (this went to Kerry, our once biggest hope for change in world politics - it's not a conspiracy, it is U.S. fraud reality). As we pushed the Ukraine to change their leader by legal means, maybe a united approach of Democrats and Europeans forces the reality to change! You progressive Democrats have many friends over here.
Best greetings from Germany.
We need an international network of progressives...
Yes Bluebbers, we can use media worldwide to highlight threats to Democracy whereever they occur. Right now America is in trouble like never before. Thanks for supporting us!
i>Never ever concede to fraud.<\>
Yea
Yea we need people with balls in the Democratic Party. We lack that.
Muckraker? Is is what I am?
Hmmm... muckraker, huh? Well... muckrakers do dig up lots of tasty oysters, as well as find the occasional valuable pearl.
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The Boxer Rebellion wants you!
Democracy In Action
I applaud the Democrats who stood up at this auspicious moment in history to object to the Ohio electoral votes. Millions of Americans KNOW that George W. Bush did not win this election fairly. But with the country and press owned by the Republican party, these citizens’ voices have not been heard. Until today. These brave senators and congresspersons framed the protest professionally, passionately, and with dignity. Conversely, their Republican counterparts stooped to vitriolic attacks, undignified name calling and childish pouting. The Democrats spoke for the people. The Republicans just confirmed that election 2004 was another fraud. Tom Delay and his cohorts seem to have forgotten that debate and dissension are actually allowed in a free society. Instead of using the debate to discuss protecting everyone’s right to vote, the Republicans acted like indignant aristocrats.
The Republicans repeatedly stated there was no evidence of irregularities or fraud. There is a MOUNTAIN of evidence including 55,000 sworn affidavits and actual videos of voter suppression. The abuses have been thoroughly and painstakingly documented. As in election 2000, when the partisan U.S. Supreme court stopped the re-count in Florida, election 2004 was stolen again. But this time, by Kenneth Blackwell and friends; non-auditable voting and tabulating machines owned and operated by Republican financiers; and organized voter suppression. Florida in 2000. Ohio in 2004. Both critical swing states that determined the election. Coincidence? Not likely.
Thanks to grassroots/Internet activists’ efforts, working in diametric opposition to conservative corporate mainstream media, which did nothing to expose the corruption, the Truth about the stolen election is now officially documented in the Congressional Record.
Long before November 2, a worldwide warning circulated the free press that the co-chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign Kenneth Blackwell, also in charge of the election in Ohio, was already engaged in blatant manipulation, discrimination and intimidation by his rulings to obfuscate rights of voters. With no help from the Kerry campaign or the Democratic party, thousand of infuriated citizens testified in public hearings of racism, fraud, and blatant voter suppression before, during, and after the election.
While the conservative corporate mainstream media either remained deafeningly silent or ridiculed those who were demanding investigation, from Ohio to Florida to New Mexico, an incontrovertible case of yet another stolen election emerged from the dark shadows of the GOP. Thanks to the REAL free press, the internet, Bush’s bogus 3 million vote margin has been exposed as pure fiction.
When John Kerry, the Democratic party centrists, and the Democratic Leadership Council abandoned the constitutional and sacred voting rights of all Americans, grass roots citizens, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rep. John Conyers, Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, Rep. Maxine Waters, Senator Boxer, and others continue the fight for democracy.
In a country that represents the beacon of democracy, millions of Americans have zero confidence in the electoral process. The contemptuous high tech theft of Ohio's electoral votes now has entered the Congressional record. Congratulations to Senator Boxer, Representative Tubbs-Jones, and the other patriots who stood up for democracy right here in America.
Next time they carve Mount Rushmore, think of Jan 6!
I want Barbara Boxer's or John Conyer's face on Mount Rushmore! The significance of January 6, 2005 will resonate in the future. Right now we're still in denial about the stolen election.
Never ever concede to fraud.<\>