just got back from the Ohio Statehouse--ask me anything

[Danocrat]

I had to leave at 2:30 to come home. Missed Palast. There were speakers from CASE, one of their attorneys. The Greens were there. A couple of Ohio state Representatives spoke, Ted Stevens, Hightower. Bill Moss spoke. Cliff Arneback (sp). A sailor demanding Senator Kerry "report for duty." I got there expecting to see people overflowing into the streeets. That wasn't the case. I would say about 500 people and by the time I left, maybe 700. And that's a liberal (no pun intended) estimate. A pretty pathetic turnout in my opinion.

[NMDemDist2]

1. some are reporting 3-4 K there

???

[Danocrat]

3. No way

It just didn't happen. I'll give them 1000 but that's the tops.

[Twist_U_Up]

6. tainted are we ?

[Twist_U_Up]

12. what do you mean them ?

if you where there it should be US I smell a rat

[realisticphish]

14. put down the bong

and step away from the thread ;)

pronouns are not a justifiable troll-detector


:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat

[Danocrat]

15. Them meaning the people reporting 3 or 4K

[Danocrat]

16. and

I don't apprecitate you questioning my loyalty to the Democratic party.

[m berst]

24. let's have a moratorium on this

No more "smelling of rats" OK? DU has been ripped to shreds recently by this endless cycle of suspicion and innuendo. Since you have been here you have been active mostly on the "smell a rat" threads. And, please, don't take my post here as an invitation to start another round of accusing the accused of accusing the accuser. If you are sincere, I would ask that you step back and think about the relative damage that is most assuredly caused by the endless accusations as opposed to the imagined danger of disrupters or infiltrators going undetected.

[VivaKerry]

2. Dang, how many people are there?!!

live coverage here:

http://blog.radioleft.com/

[dkofos]

4. Only 700!!

Well, this isn't the Ukraine.

[Twist_U_Up]

5. I was listening to it LIVE

The speaker was saying she had to walk 2 blocks away just to get away from the crowd 3000-4000

I beleive her she was LIVE

[Danocrat]

8. Don't think so

The statehouse lawn is about one acre if that. Only a tenth of it was filled. Look at the pictures when they're posted. The crowd extended about 30 feet from a small stage. I was able to move easily within the crowd. I could walk from one end of the crowd to other in about a minute. The sidewalk was even clear. Very disappointing.

[kk897]

20. hate to confirm it, but

I was there, too, and no was was there over 1K, and probably there were fewer than that. I will say that the main crowd of us, standing in front of the State House to listen to the speakers may not have been able to see everything going on. I kept hearing whistles blowing and cars honking, but that may have been the people on the street holding "Honk 4 Recount" signs (I had done the same earlier but went to listen to the speakers).

I was there for the whole thing, and Bob Fitrakis was the most inspiring speaker. He modified the Gettysburg address to fit the current situation. Plus he's just a really great yeller.

The crowd needed some pepping up, too. It was entirely too ruly for my tastes. It was all very polite and it ended right on time.

Palast was good, but he his speech pretty short. I think maybe part of the problem was that everyone was freakin' cold---even though it was in the 40s, the wind was incredible, and he said something like, "I'd like to thank CASEOhio for inviting me to speak here in Kiev, Ohio." His stuff was his usual thing.

I think it was Susan Truitt who was telling us that we couldn't let it go at just a few rallies, that we needed to do more and really put ourselves on the line. There's going to be a protest of some sort at Blackwell's office (Palast kept calling him "BlackSick" ha ha) on Monday at 11. Cliff Arnebeck gave us an update on the legal issues, too.

The take away message, I guess, was that, as I've been saying to myself all along, the voting issue is also a civil rights issue, and that THERE WILL BE A RECOUNT.

Oh, one thing I wasn't aware of: the Delaware County BoE head said, after the recent court ruling against the TRO, that he would not allow a recount, in direct violation of the law. Curious, that.

Ask me anything, but know I'm bad with names.

[Farmgirl]

25. I'll ask you anything then,

most curious about the update on the legal issues from Cliff Arnebeck. I did watch the C-Span coverage a couple of days ago where he said the numbers that should have gone to Kerry were flipped for Bush and they would be filing a suit either yesterday or Monday. So -- tell us more about what he had to say...

[kk897]

30. sorry Farmgirl

I just now checked back here... been mainly posting on the other rally threads. Arnebeck was well-reasoned and confident sounding and told us of the possiblities that lay ahead. He used the word "conspiracy" twice, piquing my interest. I wondered at the word choice. He said that it may come down to, when the Electoral College meets, there will be two sets of delegates from Ohio. He also mentioned that the guy in Delaware County, whose TRO was overturned, still refuses to allow the recount despite the judge's ruling and so he will be breaking the law. (He said the BoE dude said it in a press conference following the judge's ruling on the TRO Friday).

[Viva_La_Revolution]

7. okay, let' settle this....

the pictures will start being posted anytime, we shall see.

[tk2kewl]

9. Did they try to steal you vote again?

maybe switch your anti-bushCo placard with a pro-bush one

[Danocrat]

10. Look

I'm just telling you what I witnessed. The turnout was pathetic.

[noclonyofthechimp]

28. Thanks. Gosh do we have to suffer like the Ukrainians for YEARS

before we mobilize???? Who organized this rally?

[SueZhope]

11. Thanks for the report from ohio

I think if the turn out was low it was because most people don't know about this. Is there any mainstream media in Ohio really talking about this issue ?

[Danocrat]

13. I think that's true

The people I talked to said they were sorry it was so "last minute." Unless you regularly read any one of the liberal websites, then you wouldn't know about it.

[Danocrat]

17. Considering this may be an underestimation I just have to say

I told you so

Damn it.

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/state/10340279.htm?1c

[Twist_U_Up]

18. apologies sorry

just going by eye witness amazing none the less. this media blackout is killing us

[Danocrat]

19. apology accepted

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but like I said, when I got there, I expected to see people overflowing into the street. I am just as disappointed as you.

[rodeodance]

22. Puttting the "400" in the title of the article is mean!!

i will rate it a 1!!

[noclonyofthechimp]

29. but tell them why.

[WillyT]

21. Article Here:

Said I needed subscription, but let me right through!

link: http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/10340279.htm

Says about 400 people.

:shrug:

[kk897]

23. Danocrat---are you going to the protest at Blackwell's Monday at 11? n/t

[Danocrat]

26. Not sure

Today was the first I heard about it. I probably will. Will I see you there? Where is his office located?

[kk897]

27. his office is in the Borden building, which is on the corner of 4th and

Broad. I want to go; I'm going to try to get myself up (mentally) to go. I'm feeling pretty down about the whole thing, but I think Lynn Landes (not Susan Truitt as I said earlier--I'm terrible with names) is right, that it's gonna take getting in Blackwell's face, and maybe note even then. I've been saying to myself for weeks now what one of the speakers said (I forget which one): If not now, when? If not me, who?