Who here will not be surprised when the GOP

[stop the bleeding]

keeps from loosing seats in the House and Senate and in fact may gain seats?

I am betting the elections are already decided, counted and tallied.

This would be monumental in light of $3/gallon gas - that is going up - oil is above $76.00/barrel couple this with the rising tensions in the ME and the world's ever increasing demand - gas may be above 3.50 by November.

"Murikans" are making less $$$ when energy and inflation is included, they have been lied into a war that has cost 2500++ soldiers, 30,000 injuries, 300,000++ Iraqi deaths.

Repugs defeating Min. wage.

I could probably name a few more, but y'all get the point - it seems like to me with some of these "issues" the Rethugs would not stand a chance this fall, but that is when you don't factor in the voting machines.

So who here will not be surprised when we still do not control any part of Congress?

Will "Murika" be outraged enough then or what will it take - $5 per gallon?

Not trying to be a defeatist just trying to face reality, I really don't see us controlling Congress - :)

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Me

[blue cat]

2. I'm expecting it n/t

[rwenos]

3. No Leadership

You're right to be careful about predicting Democratic victory. There are only about 50 House seats up for grabs, and the Dem's will have to win three-quarters of them to take over the House. In the Senate the Dem's are six down, so seven seats need to change from R to D to take control.

Without some sort of charismatic leader like the Big Dog, there are no coattails, and no way to defeat Republican gerrymandering (particularly in Texas, where the redistricting has now passed USSC muster.)

This could very easily end up in another frustrating Election Day.

Where are the Democratic giants? Where are the leaders? Where are the Apollo's?

[Skittles]

4. I would not be surprised

I would hope, however, that it would open some eyes to the fact these bastards are stealing elections

[Bandit]

5. I fully expect them to gain seats this election

It is how America works..

[reichstag911]

11. Not AmeriKKKa, though. n/t

[kentuck]

6. If that happens, I would recommend...

that the DU community put our resources together and buy some farmland in Montana or Nebraska and start our own self-sufficient town. Release the dependency on the government and move off the grid. Of course, we would never want to be called a "religious" organization, such as Branch Davidians. :shrug:

[Cleita]

22. I'd go to Montana, but Nebraska?

Northern Nevada is much better land and very underpopulated if you get my drift. Of course you'd have to outnumber the locals who are koolaid drinkers.

[WI_DEM]

7. I would be surprised if they did gain seats in either house

I'm not saying that they can't rig elections, but if they could rig every election why not take out some of the biggest Bush opponents like Kennedy or Feingold? Certainly if they could rig this election they would make sure that Santorum won in PA--he's one of Bush's and the Christian Right's biggest supporters. They also would make sure that Taft would be re-elected in Ohio. And then there is Conrad Burns--he would be somebody they would certainly want to win. So if these guys somehow win (and especially if Santorum wins when he is consistently behind in the polls) then I would have serious questions.

[yella_dawg]

8. Anyone who really believes there can be a fair election in this country

isn't paying attention.

[Cleita]

9. Raising my hand.

The only way we will take back Congress is if Democrats have so many votes that the GOP rigged elections won't work.

I am very disappointed that there isn't a movement of election reformers who will demand that the votes be counted in a double entry manner. That means all votes are hand counted twice by different groups, DNC volunteers and RNC volunteers for example and compared to the official tally. This is the only way anything like this should be counted, otherwise the way we do it is an invitation to fraud.

[LSK]

10. my thoughts of moving overseas get more serious then

[INdemo]

12. The Republicans have too much to lose

including criminal findings of corruption So they will never allow the Democrats to be in the position to have acces to reocrds or documents that would prove just how corrupt they are..From stolen elections to going as far back as perhaps being responsible for the deaths of leading Democrats..They wont risk the truth being uncovered..

[nosillies]

13. Every time an election rolls around, I think "surely folks will wise up"

and yet they never do. I have my theories why, but who cares about 'em. I don't know why it will be any different this time.

Gee, I sound so negative today!!!

I hope I'm proven wrong.

[ProgressivePatriot]

14. If the scum steal it this time...

it will be time to put pacifism behind and start busting some skulls.

[Peace Patriot]

21. That's real "progressive" of you, Progressive Patriot! Try thinking how

to empower the disempowered, rather than how to get OUR heads busted (cuz you and I both know who suffers the most head busting in a civil disorder situation). And please go peddle your violence somewhere else. Or, better yet, give it up. Your anger is good. Your powerful attitude is good. But your suggestion for what to do is self-defeating and suicidal.

[ProgressivePatriot]

23. On the contrary...

peddle your pacifism elsewhere.....The scum have no exit strategy from the government....it is coming very, very close to having to take this country back by force.....and laying down on a sidewalk ain't going to cut it.

[Ganja Ninja]

15. I'm looking forward to them being dragged out the houses of power

by a massive angry mob. My biggest fear is that they'll lose by only a small majority and then 2 years later they'll be back. So I'm personally hoping they push people too far by stealing one election too many. I want them to remain in power until people are so fed up they won't even consider voting GOP for another 30 years.

[Peace Patriot]

16. They have the capability. They set it up that way. No surprise. The questi

-on is: What could be an effective way of protesting it, that would have long term revolutionary (throwing the fascists out) ripples?

Election reform activists are heartfelt, getting better and better organized, and will be a factor--closely monitoring elections, challenging suspicious results, demanding recounts, filing lawsuits. But we are still not many enough to prevent another stolen election. There is no way to prevent it. BUT...

I have thought of a way to turn it into a PROTEST--and a big one--without harming voter turnout (and more likely enhancing it): The Absentee Ballot movement.

Imagine if, say, 80% of the voters requested Absentee Ballots, to protest the rigged voting machines? Think about it. That would be NEWS--big news. It would indicate widespread awareness of the rigged elections. It would be HEARTENING. It would be an indigenous BOYCOTT of the machines (it already is). And it is something that could render the rigged voting machines OBSOLETE, all at once. And it's something that EVERYBODY could do. It's easy. People who can't go to meetings or protests, can register their protest by this one simple act: Don't vote on the machines! Vote Absentee!

This protest is ALREADY happening. (It's up to 50% in Los Angeles!). With just a little leadership, it could snowball.

Election reform activists raise the objection that AB voting is not secure. I'm not saying it is. I'm saying we have an in-progress protest of ordinary citizens, who may or may not know what happens to their AB vote. But they want a PAPER BALLOT, HAND-COUNTED. They know it's rigged. They're trying to get their vote COUNTED--in the only way they can think of.

And if it got bigger, it could bring the rigged system down.

See my OP: How Far Left Must We Go to Undo Bush Fascism? --for further discussions of this strategy (at the end).
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2721048

We have to start thinking STRATEGICALLY. Not in despair and dismay. Of course they're going to rig it! We've known that for a long time. What do we DO? Wring our hands? No! Thinking strategically means assessing your resources. Here we have 70% of the population that despises Bush, some of whom know the elections are rigged, some of whom don't--but most of whom don't know what to do about the Bush junta. Give them something to DO! Vote Absentee! That way they can vote as a PROTEST! I think it will HELP turnout--cuz a lot of people are fed up, and may not vote, but if they knew their vote was part of a protest, then they have reason to do it. It's not "rigging as usual."

It could be a major monkey wrench into the rigged voting system works. If they have 60%, 70% voting Absentee, what are they going to do? Useless, expensive election theft machines, gathering dust. The Peoples' THUMBS DOWN on electronic voting!

It needs just a bit of leadership--to focus it, to snowball it, and to issue press releases; also to issue the AB voting caveat (AB voting is not safe, in current conditions--but people are doing it because they are desperately against the non-transparent voting machines).

I think this is IT. The protest we have been hoping would happen. It's already happening. It's a dispersed protest, comprised of individual citizens who don't trust the machines. But it could be huge.

Bumper sticker: "Bust the Machines--Vote Absentee!"

[eleny]

17. Agreed - But at some point they have to make some fatal mistake

They can't keep up these monumental deceptions indefinitely. The war looms in people's minds and grows heavier by the week. More people are investigating all sorts of activities. I trust that like the petty thief who gets full of himself, this administration is totally full of its own bull and will make fatal errors. Or some insiders will become disgruntled and turn on them. There has to be a crack in the armor.

[BillZBubb]

18. I would be surprised (at this point).

The power of incumbency is strong, so they won't lose much, but I doubt they could gain much given the current state of the nation. I don't expect a Dem majority in either house, but I do expect some small gains for us.

But, for the Repugs to gain strength would be a surprise. Of course if our candidates continue in the "every man for himself" mode with no real message of leadership to the country while the Repugs set the issues, then I wouldn't be surprised if the Repugs gained a little. I'll have to see how the campaign goes before I make that determination.

I'm also trying to be realistic. It's going to be tough to gain control and I don't see anything from our side yet to make it likely.

[librechik]

19. not me

nobody will dare to stop them, big as they may talk behind the scenes--nobody with any clout has called them on their shit. Why would they stop, when prosecution and incarceration are sure to follow if Dems make gains? They have already proved who they are. I will not be surprised when they continue to lie, cheat and steal their way back into comfy do-nothing incumbency.

wish I didn't feel this way, but I do.

[benddem]

20. they can't possibly control every election

if they are playing dirty we have to strike back.