From my other Forum..a ? that needs answering

[Comadreja]

Probably been answered already, BUT....Maybe there's a reasonable explanation, but the Democrats with the power to change things KNEW for at least four years that Diebold was Reptilican and dishonest. They KNEW a paper trail would prevent most computer cheating. They KNEW what "win at any cost" slimeballs the Reptilicans had become. Why in the name of all the gods known and unknown did they not use their legions of lawyers and big bucks to SUE the evil snakes and force them to retrofit their dodgy machines with verifiable paper receipts before the election? Jesus on-a-pogo stick! They could have threatened to delay the election and would have had the support of most of the country. Putting armies of lawyers and poll-watchers on site after a paperless "faith-based" election was already underway is like shutting the barn door after the Elephant has run out for another rampage.

[Comadreja]

1. Kicker Sticker

[blurp]

3. Funny

[ProudDad]

2. Because they're not in power

They don't get to make the call.

Although, here in California, our Sec. of State (a Dem) ruled that machines that didn't give a paper trail were NOT to be used in future elections.



:nuke: bush

[Comadreja]

4. Diebold is a "PRIVATE" company

Why couldn't the Party sue for paper receipts? They could have made a lot of noise and serious threats. I don't remember a whimper at the national level. WTF?

[crispini]

5. Look, selection of voting machines is done by the

county elections boards. These machines have been through some kind of selection process with requirements and whatnot. Who would you suggest the Democratic party sue?

If you really wanna get BBV fixed, you need to take action in YOUR county. That's what we're doing in my town.

Edited to add: This is not restricted to YOU or solely directed to YOU, nor is it meant to be mean, but there are SO MANY PEOPLE on this board bitching about "the DLC this" or "the national party that." These people need to get off their asses and get involved locally.

You as an individual have very little impact on a national organization. But you can get 10 friends together and trot down to your local election administrator's office and look him in the eye and have a chat. That's what I and my friends are doing.

[Comadreja]

6. Again, only the Dems would have the bucks

They would have had to (too late now) sue Diebold and whatever other company had no way to recount. Would that have been so impossible if the Party really got behind the effort like they should have? Who cares what I can or can't do in my county now? The election is over.


In order to forge ahead (and I was fighting and contributing in this battle since 2000) we need to have honest and straightforward answers. Who's looking for blame? That's a waste of time. But this one was so obviously a fraud waiting to happen. I can't trust my Party if they could have prevented it, just as I can't trust the FBI for their failure on 9/11.

[crispini]

7. Well,

On what ground would the national Democratic party sue Diebold? Because Bupkis County chose to buy Diebold machines? How would they make that case? I'm afraid I just don't get it. To me, that sounds like a freakin frivolous lawsuit.

And, the reason to start the effort in your county now is FOR THE NEXT ELECTION, mmmmmK?

We are going to:
- Write an open letter to our county elections administrator.
- Work on the media.
- Form and organize for elections fairness. Watch them, watch them, watch them.
- Get a county initiative on the ballot REQUIRING THEM to use machines with paper trails in our county.

You can do SO MUCH in your county! You can go down to your election administrator's office, sit there, look him in the eye, and talk to him! That's powerful! You can network and organize your fellow county residents. That's powerful! You can do things with your local media. That's powerful!

Who knows what the national party people think on this? I don't run the national party and I don't know anyone there. Maybe it's just too tinfoil-hatty for them. It's not for ME, I agree with how important it is.

I'm just tired of all these people (not really talking about you here, there are a TON of posts like this on this board) who are running around saying, THEY ought to do this or THEY ought to do that. It's your party. Get off your arse and do it yourself. Every time you point the figure at someone, four fingers are pointing right back at you.

Now's the time for grassroots action, for local movement, for electing dogcatchers and city councillors. I can't do much about the national party. I CAN make damn sure that we have really spiffy squeaky clean elections right here in MY town.

[SoCalDemGrrl]

9. Yeah & the Repubs are trying to get rid of Calif SOS Kevin Shelley

and replace him with someone "friendlier" to the GOP & Schwartzenegger. He's embroiled in a "scandal" cuz he allowed an aide to pick up a contribution check on company time. Sure this is a no no but they are going after him big time and you can bet that if they succeed then the next Sec of State will allow paperless voting.

[crispini]

11. Well, FIGHT.

What can you do in your county to stop them and help save the SOS?

[OneBlueSky]

8. I asked pretty much the same question yesterday . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2594903&mesg_id=2595257

10. the question that's been bothering me since Tuesday is . . .

Why? . . .

the Democrats -- including John Kerry -- KNEW that the election was stolen in 2000 . . . they KNEW that Rove would try it again in 2004 . . . they KNEW about the BBV machines . . . they KNEW about the gerrymandering . . . they KNEW to the extent that they said they'd have 10,000 lawyers at the ready, and that they would NOT let it happen again . . .

and then they let it happen again . . . without so much as a whimper . . .

and the question I have is "WHY?" . . . why didn't they make fair elections an issue for the past two years? . . . why didn't they point out to the press all of the dirty tricks that took place during this election? . . . and why, after assuring us that they would NOT let it happen again, did they just roll over and let it happen again? . . .

I just don't understand it . . .

[Carolab]

10. Well, it's one of two things

conspiracy

or

incompetence

Pick one

[crispini]

12. I think it's somewhere between incompetence and

fear of tin-foil-hattery. And trust in the "system." In otherwords, mainstreamer's disease.

I can understand it. Doesn't mean I'm not gonna fight it.

[tngledwebb]

13. Watch the opening section of F9/11 again.

It is most damning.