Delayed Voting Scenario - If Bush is Losing, Keep the Polls Open Longer

[patcox2]

Maybe this is what they are setting up with Buster Soaries' trial balloon and all the talk of a terrorist attack that will disrupt the election. They want an excuse to keep the polls open until they win.

One of the biggest dynamics in this election is going to be turnout. democrats and liberals are on fire to go vote bush out of office, whereas many moderate republicans, along with the libertarian republicans and the buchananites, will be holding their nose while they vote for Bush, if they bother to get out and vote at all. Many liberals predict a margin for Kerry far exceeding the poll numbers as a result of weak Bush supporters staying home.

But if the weak Bush supporters see election results with Bush losing, and are given a "second chance" to go vote, I think they would do so in large numbers.

Remember, this is what the republicans have been doing in congress lately, holding the voting open for hours, if necessary, to work over the fence straddlers.

I think there are many scenarios under which the administration could use a terrorist attack or threat to keep the polls open or to have an extra day of voting. And I think, given the dynamics of the election, that this would dramatically benefit Bush.

It scares me that whitehouse insiders have been quoted as saying that they are "certain" there will be an attack between now and the election, and that Bush will win as a result because "we won't be like Spain."

[iconoclastic cat]

1. I don't know if I buy this idea.

Not that it isn't a compelling concept--there are just to many ways it could backfire. After all, if I knew that I'd have 2 or 3 days to get slackers to the polls, I'd be banging on the doors of everyone in my neighborhood until the last possible minute (hell, I might do that anyway). In addition, for this to work they would have to manufacture a threat, which "true believers" would believe, and they would duct-tape themselves in their homes and not vote. You and I would say, "Bullshit!" and run to the polls, and probably drag a few slackers with us.

[TrogL]

2. I dunno if that's gonna work

I worked an election a few weeks ago. The stragglers were all liberals.

[yellowcanine]

3. Ha! Some Dem congressman suggested this would be the pub strategy based on

the Delay/Hastert strategy in the House of holding open roll calls to win votes. Also - if I were the pubs, I wouldn't be so smug about a terrorist attack helping Bush. For one thing, if there is even a hint that the administration was lax in order to benefit the election chances of Bush there would be a devastating backlash. I think what is more likely is that there will be a staged thwarting of a "major attack", complete with "arrests" of terrorists who are being kept on ice for just that purpose.