The Eggs to Chickens Ratio
For the record: I am skeptical about this impending landslide and I am bracing myself for the worst.
There is nothing to trust here. Stolen elections in 2000 and 2004 do not inspire confidence. All that is needed is for a "shocking reversal" to become the news event of the day, with the echo chamber picking up on it early, and, well, you know the rest.
Be alert. Report any inconsistencies and intimidation. Alas, there's nothing that can be done about the "magic Republican voting machines" made by Diebold and others, but they are designed to throw a close election, and this has the makings of something...not close.
Ah...but still, I no longer trust the process, and a prudent move is to psychologically prepare for a dramatic reversal of fortune. Of course, these are words I would gladly eat, but you have to go by past experience, and that is something we are all too familiar with.
Note the the "funny" headline in The Onion: "Diebold accidentally releases 2008 election results early." Ha Ha.
My user name is "exjournalist" and I remember (vividly) writing a series of articles in early 2003 about black box voting. It does not look good. Repeat. Many people did everything they could but the machines are still in use. Yes, I said 2003. Nothing can be done about those machines spitting out a total that has nothing to do with the actual result. Nothing.
So count me as one who is hoping the non-black box states can carry us over the line. And that the polling is too overwhelming for any shenanigans.
Hopeful, not necessarily confident.
There is nothing to trust here. Stolen elections in 2000 and 2004 do not inspire confidence. All that is needed is for a "shocking reversal" to become the news event of the day, with the echo chamber picking up on it early, and, well, you know the rest.
Be alert. Report any inconsistencies and intimidation. Alas, there's nothing that can be done about the "magic Republican voting machines" made by Diebold and others, but they are designed to throw a close election, and this has the makings of something...not close.
Ah...but still, I no longer trust the process, and a prudent move is to psychologically prepare for a dramatic reversal of fortune. Of course, these are words I would gladly eat, but you have to go by past experience, and that is something we are all too familiar with.
Note the the "funny" headline in The Onion: "Diebold accidentally releases 2008 election results early." Ha Ha.
My user name is "exjournalist" and I remember (vividly) writing a series of articles in early 2003 about black box voting. It does not look good. Repeat. Many people did everything they could but the machines are still in use. Yes, I said 2003. Nothing can be done about those machines spitting out a total that has nothing to do with the actual result. Nothing.
So count me as one who is hoping the non-black box states can carry us over the line. And that the polling is too overwhelming for any shenanigans.
Hopeful, not necessarily confident.
Advertisement
There are significant differences this time around.
There are more poll monitors due to the Obama camp's great organization; most states have gone to paper verification for their electronic voting machines (PA and FL are notable exceptions); The Secretary of State Project efforts have elected democratic secretaries of state in Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico and Ohio; and even traditional media outlets have established hot lines through which voters may report problems.
Aside from that, the Obama camp and the Dean led DNC so called fifty state strategy have expanded the number of routes to 270.
It is quite possible the election will turn into a blowout, as perhaps many republicans will not bother voting, either because Palin or McCain, depending upon one's point of view, or because they believe the election is already lost.
However, one never knows and I'm waiting for the early results from VA and FL to see which way the wind is blowing.
November 3, 2008 9:36 AM | Reply | Permalink