Dirty tricks to influence (US) election outcome - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

ah123 · 10-22-2008, 12:48 PM

Interesting article on how one individual "rigged an election"

Quote:

The former Republican political operative went to federal prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of phone harassment. He jammed the phone lines of New Hampshire's Democratic Party on Election Day six years ago

Quote:

Democrats insist the phone jamming operation in New Hampshire had national implications. The balance of power in the U.S. Senate was on the line that year and the Senate race between Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican John Sununu was decided by just 19,000. Sununu won.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/...ion/index.html

Are we sure that the US is a democracy? I don't think I have ever heard of anything like this in Canada (or in Belgium, when I lived there)...

peter12 · 10-22-2008, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ah123

Interesting article on how one individual "rigged an election"

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/...ion/index.html

Are we sure that the US is a democracy? I don't think I have ever heard of anything like this in Canada (or in Belgium, when I lived there)...

The guy went to jail and paid for his crimes. There are cheaters everywhere.

worth · 10-22-2008, 02:05 PM

There is a lot of other more serious issues to look into that could be influencing elections than tying up phone lines. Just Google Diebold Voting Machines.

tussery · 10-22-2008, 05:43 PM

Goes both ways.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=726002

PIMking · 10-22-2008, 06:17 PM

You dont live here and see the media bias towards Obama the saint and McCain the devil.

its going on now as we speak its right under our noses and its just plain unfair.

im an undecieded voter and I have to do my research so much because you only hear good things like Obama the godsend saint and McCain the devil.

driveway · 10-23-2008, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIMking

im an undecieded voter

Out of curiosity, why are you still undecided? What makes you uncertain about each candidate? There are some pretty avid political junkies on CP, we'd probably be able to to at least point you to places you could get information.

Admitedly, a lot of us are pretty pro-bama, but there are a few McCainiacs and some die-hard non-partisan centrists.

CaptainCrunch · 10-23-2008, 09:42 AM

I'm hoping for a landslide of write in votes for Screech from Saved by the Bell, from what I understand he is the top guy in the Sanchez party.

tussery · 10-23-2008, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by driveway

Admitedly, a lot of us are pretty pro-bama, but there are a few McCainiacs and some die-hard non-partisan centrists.

I am against any politician who believes that the bill of rights is a piece of toilet paper. Therefore I will vote Libertarian.

ah123 · 10-23-2008, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIMking

You dont live here and see the media bias towards Obama the saint and McCain the devil.

its going on now as we speak its right under our noses and its just plain unfair.

im an undecieded voter and I have to do my research so much because you only hear good things like Obama the godsend saint and McCain the devil.

I am curious about the bias you mentioned...I just see the newspapers and media on the web here (CNN, politico, nationalreview.com, abcnews, etc) and some are/try to be in the middle, while with others it really seems that they are bashing on Obama or McCain...

The bias you describe, is it a deliberate by the media or is it due to the lack of "negative" news from one side versus the "gaffes" from the other side?

llama64 · 10-23-2008, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIMking

You dont live here and see the media bias towards Obama the saint and McCain the devil.

its going on now as we speak its right under our noses and its just plain unfair.

im an undecieded voter and I have to do my research so much because you only hear good things like Obama the godsend saint and McCain the devil.

Honestly, you're complaining about having to do some work to be properly informed? I watch CNN quite a bit. I also pride myself on approaching EVERY bit of information with a critical eye. I haven't detected this so called bias that you speak of. EDIT: to clarify, I realize CNN has a bias, but I havn't seen them trupeting the Messiah Obama around while demonizing McCain. They employ pundits from both sides, though over all they seem to lean a little towards the democrats, but not as much as MSNBC.

Now if I switch to MSNBC, yeah, I can see that argument. But at the same time, if you watch Fox News you'll see a whole other bend.

This isn't "unfair". It's called having an opinion. If you want to make an informed decision, you're gonna have to view a lot of material and make a reasoned, well educated critical choice. That's the point of a democracy.

worth · 10-23-2008, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tussery

I am against any politician who believes that the bill of rights is a piece of toilet paper. Therefore I will vote Libertarian.

Amen brother.

Azure · 10-23-2008, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tussery

I am against any politician who believes that the bill of rights is a piece of toilet paper. Therefore I will vote Libertarian.

Good. I'd vote the same way.

Table 5 · 10-23-2008, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIMking

im an undecieded voter and I have to do my research so much because you only hear good things like Obama the godsend saint and McCain the devil.

This might be a start...
http://www.politicalbase.com/toolbox...Test&testId=16

Drunk Skunk · 10-23-2008, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tussery

I am against any politician who believes that the bill of rights is a piece of toilet paper. Therefore I will vote Libertarian.

The only problem is that there will never be a Libertarian candidate with any chance of being voted in. Ron Paul, the closest thing to a Libertarian candidate on a major party ticket, was soundly defeated in the primaries.

I can't bring myself to vote for either McCain or Obama, for various reasons, so I'll be throwing my vote away and voting for a third party or write-in candidate. Although, admittedly, any vote for a candidate other than Obama won't matter, at least in Illinois. He's had this state locked up since '04.

Azure · 10-23-2008, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drunk Skunk

The only problem is that there will never be a Libertarian candidate with any chance of being voted in. Ron Paul, the closest thing to a Libertarian candidate on a major party ticket, was soundly defeated in the primaries.

I can't bring myself to vote for either McCain or Obama, for various reasons, so I'll be throwing my vote away and voting for a third party or write-in candidate. Although, admittedly, any vote for a candidate other than Obama won't matter, at least in Illinois. He's had this state locked up since '04.

True.

Like you, I couldn't bring myself to vote for either Obama/McCain....and I don't get how with a 14% approval rating, just about everyone in Congress is going to be voted back in.

"We don't approve of what you're doing, but we're going to blindly vote for you again."

GirlySports · 10-23-2008, 12:31 PM

There's also this.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?se...ics&id=6460598

Phanuthier · 10-23-2008, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by worth

There is a lot of other more serious issues to look into that could be influencing elections than tying up phone lines. Just Google Diebold Voting Machines.

Those voting machines have to be a waaaaaaaaaaaaaay bigger issue then jamming phone lines. The idea that your vote is irrelevent, and will get changed to who the machine is bias towards, well, thats the problem.

PIMking · 10-23-2008, 12:47 PM

Im only 23. I voted the last go around but I dont remember it being this bad.

Im just frusterated. I will say I was a commited McCain voter until about two weeks ago. Thank god I didnt vote early like alot of people are.

BTW someone in Illinois was sent an absentee ballot from the democratic headquarteds for her dead GOLDFISH. Stuff like that just makes me think things are hopeless for this country no matter who is voted in legally or injustly.

Phanuthier · 10-23-2008, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIMking

BTW someone in Illinois was sent an absentee ballot from the democratic headquarteds for her dead GOLDFISH. Stuff like that just makes me think things are hopeless for this country no matter who is voted in legally or injustly.

How did a goldfish get a chance to vote? I never really followed the ACORN stuff or anything.

I wouldn't mind having a say ... though I'm in a heavily Democratic state, so it wouldn't matter anyways.

Iowa_Flames_Fan · 10-23-2008, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

How did a goldfish get a chance to vote? I never really followed the ACORN stuff or anything.

I wouldn't mind having a say ... though I'm in a heavily Democratic state, so it wouldn't matter anyways.

The ACORN thing is a massive storm in a teapot, though it does illustrate the wisdom of doing as Canada does, and leaving lists of electors in the hands of an arm of government in charge of elections.

ACORN is authorized to register people to vote, and is bound by law to return all the forms they get, even those they believe are fraudulent. ACORN has in the past hired "field workers" to collect registration forms, telling those workers to meet certain quotas. Some of those workers, perhaps a large number, decided it was easier to make the names up, meet their quotas and collect their paycheques. But the motive was money, not "voter fraud."

Essentially, these people have defrauded ACORN and as a result will add names to the rolls of people who will never vote, because they don't exist. It isn't that easy to walk into a polling place and say "I'm Mickey Mouse and I live at 123 Fake Street, and my SSN is 123456789"--and get a ballot. You need I.D. and in many cases proof of address, and that's if the name didn't get purged after ACORN or an election official noticed that the form was suspicious. The biggest problem here is that it creates a ton of extra work for already over-burdened election officials and will probably cost a ton of money to fix in the end. But "massive voter fraud?" Hardly.

So John McCain's "fabric of democracy" nonsense was just that--nonsense. This is a very serious matter, that reflects poorly on ACORN's oversight of their field workers, and affects the integrity of the list of electors. But it's not "massive voter fraud"--and McCain knows that very well.