By MARC McDONALD
Consider this scenario:
It's Nov. 8, 2006, the day after the midterm elections, and the Republicans are jubilant. Although pre-election polls showed that Americans were deeply dissatisfied with the performance of the GOP-led Congress, the Republicans have somehow managed to retain control of both the House and the Senate in a stunning setback for the Democrats. The GOP even managed to pick up a few seats.
Meanwhile, a few commentators pointed out troubling problems with the election. Just as in 2004, the exit polls turned out to be wildly inaccurate. GOP candidates in a number of races triumphed, despite lagging in both pre-election polls and in exit polls.
Many progressives and independents across the country have a sinking feeling that, once again, the vote has been rigged and/or stolen. A furious discussion about the prospect of a stolen election erupts on blogs and progressive sites across the Web. However, the story is ignored by the mainstream media, except for a couple of minor articles here and there that simply dismiss such talk as "conspiracy nut" speculation.
Could the above scenario happen?
Yes, it could. In fact, anyone who doubts this is naive.
Consider: there is a growing body of solid evidence that indicates that the GOP stole the elections in 2000 and 2004 while the mainstream media looked the other way. I find it incredible that any clear-thinking, rational adult could believe otherwise after reading Mark Crispin Miller's brilliant book, Fooled Again or Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Was the 2004 Election Stolen?" article in Rolling Stone.
And as far as the upcoming November election goes, not only is it clear that the election will be stolen, investigative journalist Greg Palast has already documented how the election theft will occur.
I think it's clear that we progressives should not only assume the GOP will steal the November election, we should already be making plans to counter this theft.
How?
The progressive blog-o-sphere will no doubt engage in a lively discussion and analysis of the election theft. But the mainstream media can be counted on to once again snooze through this story. And without the MSM, it's almost certain that nothing will be done to address the election theft by the Powers That Be.
I'm sure there will be a great deal of wailing and gnashing of teeth by progressives. And, no doubt, there will be protests and demonstrations here and there across the country. But I suspect these demonstrations will be as ignored and as ineffective as were the gigantic, record-setting demonstrations that preceded the Iraq War.
What to do, then? I have a suggestion. Concerned Americans should indeed take to the streets when the GOP steals the November election. But we ought to protest in the immediate vicinity of nation's newspapers and other mainstream media outlets. Protests that happen right outside the door of the likes of The New York Times and CNN will be awfully hard for the MSM to ignore.
Such a series of protests would serve two purposes. One, it'd be such an in-your-face action that America's corporate media will have a difficult time ignoring it. The second purpose would be to send a very clear message to America's MSM that we're not going to allow them to snooze through yet another stolen election.
It is indeed a bleak and depressing prospect to think that the November elections will almost certainly be stolen once again. But I'd like to emphasize that I'm not suggesting that anyone not bother to vote in November. Not by any means. I still urge everyone to get out and vote.
As Palast has written:
How many times am I asked, "Why vote if they're going to steal the election?" That's the point: Make them STEAL it. Make them know they can't win UNLESS they steal it.
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32 comments:
As the GOP has successfully stolen 2 straight elections (and gotten away with it scot-free) it's a given that they will try to steal the November election, as well.
I'm astonished that Republican voters do not realize that rigged/stolen elections will eventually destroy our democracy. Their main focus seems to be to gloat about how powerful they are, and how weak Democrats are. That, of course, is a complete fantasy. If Dems were so weak and disorganized, there would be no need for cheating at the polls.
Most of us learned in school at an early age that cheating on tests was, in fact, cheating ourselves since it destroyed our reason for being in school, that being to learn. Since Republicans seem to be unconcerned with the corruption in their party, Congress needs to make this a priority in the next few months. The people who are doing this should be indicted, tried, convicted and imprisoned. However, at this point they seem to be more concerned with voting huge pay raises for themselves than protecting the right to free and honest elections. I wish Kennedy luck in his efforts to investigate this and bring charges against the criminals who are involved. Unfortunately, it may be too late to clean up the November elections, but there's still time to zero in on the 2008 election, and that's the big one. Kennedy deserves strong support from Democrats.
Wow! It's no wonder why the left has no shot at ever being a major political influence again in the US. Your ignorance and blindness is nothing short of breathtaking. Why don't you cut your losses, save yourself the aggravation, and move to Cuba. I hear the beaches and healthcare are outstanding. And you won't have to worry about "stolen" elections. Again, Wow!
In response to the previous post, you say "the left has no shot at ever being a major political influence again in the US."
Hmmmm, last time I checked, the Democrats won the popular vote in 3 of the past 4 presidential elections.
I notice that in your post, you don't respond to ANY of the points made in the article. I guess since Rush hasn't talked about the GOP stealing elections on his show, you haven't yet been taught what to think on this issue.
I do find it curious you urge the writer to move to Cuba. After all, it seems like a Bush brownshirt (who has no problems with stolen elections, secret warrantless wiretaps, secret gov't eavesdropping on its citizens, torture, paying "journalists" to print propaganda) would feel much more at home in an authoritarian state.
Frankly, Nazis like you scare me a hell of a lot more than Bin Laden and Al Qaeda.
Characterizing the Main Stream Media as snoozing while Republicans steal elections is absurd and ignores the forest for the trees. The Main Stream Media isn’t just ignoring the Republican’s corruption of democracy, they are vigorously suppressing the truth to protect their own selfish and venal self-interest. Most media corporations are subsidiaries of the omnipotent MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX and are following the dictates of their parent corporations.
Corporate fascists rule the airwaves and as a consequence, also America. Those who control the news create their own reality. Apparently that’s too complicated a concept for many Americans to grasp, or too frightening for them to accept.
All good Americans must accept their patriotic duty of sacrificing their lives for the benefit of the Military Industrial Complex. When the million or so richest American families who own the MIC suffer a loss of income, they can and will make damn sure the rest of us suffer much more for our disloyalty.
It’s much better to sacrifice your sons and daughters than suffer the loss of your own income. Ask not what the MIC can do for you, rather, ask what you can do for the MIC.
Stolen elections, stacked courts, torture, extraordinary rendition, warrantless spying, bought-and-paid-for whores in congress, Fourth Estate bought by corporate pigs and used as a propaganda machine, half the population easily manipulated by hot-button issues and the lefties still can't grasp the wisdom of the Founding Fathers when they added the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. You know the election will be stolen again, and you ask what you can do. What could possibly be a bigger threat to our democracy than elections being stolen year after year? I'm afraid it's already reached the point where this democracy will have to be restored the old fashioned way. Maybe it's time you sheep get some guns (while you still can) and take these pigs to slaughter. Tell me, under the current circumstances, what the hell else is going to work? Show me some evidence that trash like Blackwell in Ohio, or Diebold have been slowed in the least. These are the kind of people who have nuns whacked in Central America when they get in the way of exploiting the poor and the country's resources. And you liberal saps still want to take away the guns? Don't blame me when one of Baby Doc Bush's goons uses an electric drill to slowly finish you off.
Why do all those tough, macho Republican chickenhawks who cut-and-ran instead of serving in Vietnam fear Helen Thomas, an 85 year old woman? I see that the military has extended the maximum age to 42. Now more of you chickenhawks can sign up and show your just as patriotic as Democrats like Kerry, Cleland, McGovern etc. instead of relying on the Swiftboat trash to tear them down to your pathetic level.
Who served in the military?
Prominent Democrats:
House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt - Served his country in uniform, 1965-71
House Minority Whip David Bonior - Served his country in uniform, 1968-72
Senate Minority Majority Leader Tom Daschle - Served his country in uniform, 1969-72
Vice President Al Gore - Served his country in uniform, 1969-71; recipient of Vietnam Service Medal
Bob Kerrey... Democrat... Congressional Medal of Honor, VN
Daniel Inouye... Democrat... Congressional Medal of Honor, WW II
John Kerry... Democrat...Silver Star& Bronze Star, VN
Charles Rangel...Democrat... Bronze Star, Korea
Max Cleland... Democrat... Silver Star & Bronze Star, VN
Prominent Republicans:
Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert - avoided the draft, did not serve.
Majority Leader Dick Armey- avoided the draft, did not serve.
Majority Whip Tom Delay - avoided the draft, did not serve.
Senate Majority Minority Leader Trent Lott - avoided the draft, did not serve.
GW bush - decided that a six-year Nat'l Guard commitment really means four years
VP Cheney - several deferments, the last by marriage (in his own words, "had other priorities than military service")
Att'y Gen. John Ashcroft - sought deferment to teach business ed at SW Missouri State
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich - avoided the draft, did not serve
"B-1" Bob Dornan - avoided Korean War combat duty by enrolling in college acting classes
What the hell is a progressive?
Oh, that's right, someone who is afraid to call themself a LIBERAL!!!
You fall into another GOP propaganda trap, then you talk about standing up to stolen elections?
If you couldn't stand up to the GOP when they smeared the name Liberal, how the hell are you going to stand up to them when they steal yet another election?
Kevin Schmidt, Sterling VA
Liberal and proud!
PS No one in Congress voted to go to war in Iraq. That is another GOP propaganda LIE!
They voted on a resolution, which Bush/Cheney ignored, and then lied to start an illegal, imperialistic, war of choice, war OF terror!
one difficulty is even when public stands up against election theft, it's hard to make the case when the candidate you are fighting for is running away as Kerry did in 2004.
The majority of Democrats aren't taking this issue seriously.
It deeply concerns me that many of those who have jumped on the bandwagon to claim that the 2004 election was stolen make no mention of the stolen 2000 election. What happened in 2000 must never be forgotten. The evidence of the theft of the 2000 election is based on the existence of the actual ballots themselves that were never counted. 2000 in Florida is when democracy in America died. Many of those now on the stolen 2004 election bandwagon were nowhere to be found in 2000. The existence of actual ballots that were never counted as is the case in 2000 must always outweigh a projection based on a statistical analysis for 2004. Many of the tactics used to prevent people from voting in 2004 were first used in 2000. The actual ballots prove that Al Gore is the rightful winner of the 2000 election. No such actual ballots exist for 2004. We must never forget the stolen 2000 election and we must never allow the progressive community to continue the man stream media's cover-up of the ending of democracy in America that took place in 2000.
Media protests should begin immediately to give notice. Your local talk radio station has been Rove's main propaganda tool. 30% of Americans say they get their news from talk radio. That's Bush's red state base and it's big enough to intimidate most media and polititicians with a simple mention from Limbaugh or Hannity. That's where the groundwork is done, laying down a carpet of repetition that the rest of the media and political Rove-tools require to be able to lie with certainty. It's no good to write to Limbaugh's staff in a NY highrise. It's the advertisers at the local radio station, unless it's a very small market with no alternatives, that should be realizing that they have been sponsoring the destruction of American democracy. Show them the protest signs.
where cnn offices? when?
better agree time, place etc. of revolution before they give the internet away...
Democracy died with the Warren Commission and Specter's magic bullet. Time to prepare for martial law. Police already use chemical weapons on antiwar-antibush protestors. You will be interred in Halliburton's detention centers. Watch 'Red Dawn' and substitute U.S. troops for the multinational invading force. We can choose to become 'wolverines' or political prisoners with electrodes on our genitals.
If another election is stolen, I think a more effective strategy would be to organize demonstrations and boycotts against the corporations that own the news media rather than the media puppets themselves. In fact, a well-organized, massive boycott of the large corporate media owners would hit them where it hurts them the most -- in their almighty corporate profits.
Did anyone else smell something familiar with "surprising" ouster of the liberal government in Canada? The new PM is an uncommonly strong Bush supporter. You don't suppose ...
There is every reason to believe that the 2006 elections will be an procedureal disaster. The voting systems in place are from third rate tech companies and are poorly supported in almost all cases. The primaries in Chicago, Ohio, Arkansas, West Virginia,and Indiana were all full of problems. In Ohio,believe it or not, when the voting machine vendor failed to produce enough technicians, one Republican recruited the Delta Gamma Sorority to do the job (Acron Beacon Journal 04.30.06). General elections are much more intensive than primaries. Watch for a massive pile up, impacting mostly minority - urban precincts.
Then there's the Republican self-perpetuation machine - those 98% of "errors" that go to Republicans and the vote tabulation done in secret by Republican leaning companies. Watch Ohio, the boldest set of manipulators, and also Florida. They will make their moves.
The surprise for Republicans is this: when they steal from the Latino precincts or screw up their registrations or fail to have sufficient resources, they will activate a ready-for-Freddy political organization that will hit the streets with massive numbers. If there is theft, that will be the point of activation.
Check out this web site for all sorts of useful information on election fraud:
www.electionfraudnews.com
The one thing that could stop some of the chaos would be a series of strong satements by leading Democrats that "You better not steal any thing this time." Dean spoke recently and said machines don't work and we need paper ballots, period (not the nonsense receipts coming out of machines-nonsense).
Lets hope, Michael Collins
PS No one in Congress voted to go to war in Iraq. That is another GOP propaganda LIE!
Thank you, thank you! I've hated how it's been spun and Democrats let it happen. I'm liberal. But I think Libs are weenie. The libs are folding under the 'in-sync' mantra from the right. Why can't they find a mantra? Why can't they find a simple voice to counter "Cut and Run"? "Kill someone else's kid, not mine." or "Send your own kid!"
Maybe...."What if even grandpas won't re-enlist?" "How many years?..do I smell a draft?"
Ann Coulter stated this week that to get attention, one grows long hair and wears sexy dresses.
I'd like to know if she prefers boxer or briefs.
Gosh...we are so mean on the left. My 'girl-friend' and I laughed when we heard that. Chris would know, she's been down that road since age 9. (and crossed it)
The right isn't honest. They want ideals to which they themselves don't adhere. We talk as though other folk actually read or research like we do. To win...if it's not stolen...we need to dumb down the talk. How to change the debate from abortion,life-death decisions (Shiavo), and flag burning. How to educate folks on the tax-cuts to the rich? Deficits? Environment (Gore) Outsourcing of jobs, loss of middle-class? Well, it will come home. When it smacks them in the face. If we don't get on simple message...it could be years.
One can get rid of the feeling of helplessness if we remember one man: Mahatma Ghandi. That little frail man wrested India from the British Empire. How? With an idea. You can inprison people, threaten the populace, but an idea cannot be destroyed. These people may seem menacing and powerful, but they will fail if we keep the idea of our constition alive, our democracy alive. And the 2006 elections can be lost. But if we start taking the country back from the ground up, local governments first, then state governments, we will lobotomize the beast. People need to organize on the local level and work up from there, we cannot topple a rigged electorate through elections. That isnt going to happen. Sometimes I suspect that some "progressive" radio personalities, like Randi Rhodes might be in on their fix becuase her solution is voting, even when she freely admits the vote is rigged. People SHOULD vote, but we need to focus on local issues, then when that is reclaimed, go to the states, then the country will be ours again.
How long will they get away with stealing elections?
As long as we sit by and let them steal them.
Nothing else should matter as much as preventing another theft!
I write to prominent Democrats several times a week reminding them of what's in store for November and they still do NOTHING!
If the elections are stolen again, this time we cannot rely on the Democrats in office or the MSM.
The GOP owns the MSM and now they have set their sights on taking control of the internet with this Net Neutrality bullshit, because the internet is a thorn in their side, it's only place left where they cannot stifle dissent.
This time WE have to do something and stop relying on wimps and criminals to do something.
I say a country wide strike, shut down the entire country! What are they going to do when over half the population doesn't show up for work? They certainly can't fire everyone! If we hit the big corporations where it hurts most, how fast do you think they will intervene to replace the criminals in office? VERY FAST!
If we shut down all government and all business, they will act so swiftly the GOP won't even see it coming.
Money is the bottom line!
Taking to the streets doesn't work. When millions upon millions took to the streets in every major city around the world, the MSM wrote it off as a bunch of hippis. When 150 protesters showed up at Terry Shiavo's hospice the news crews out numbered the protesters 4 to 1.
Perhaps there's room for a Rove-style smear campaign aimed at people like Kenneth Blackwell of Ohio, perhaps the most evil person on the planet.
You can be sure there are plenty of skeletons in his closet -- you probably wouldn't have to make anything up. Point is, raising his profile as the architect of the last "steal" will slime him, even in the absence of actual evidence.
There are enough "questions" about his conduct in 2004 (see Kennedy, et al) to make him guilty in the court of public opinion even if you can't do it in a real court.
The Republicans don't make such fine distinctions, and they assume progressives are too "fair" to go there. But I say, slime him.
The fact is, a majority of American voters will condone vote fraud as long as it is based on racism. Racism is the key to the Republican party’s dominance and has been since Democrats embraced civil rights. Racism is so engrained and pervasive in American society it has become invisible.
I don’t see how Democrats can ever overcome that handicap. Racism is the mother of fascism and the Rabid Right will drive that big eight wheeler right down the track to our destruction.
Why cant everyone simply vote as specified by their state and then also provide a paper ballot? We need to get the people ready to count all the votes w/ a paper ballot. Even if it takes shifts of people and weeks to do it. We need to scrap the machines that are at all doubtful. Pen and paper, X marks the spot. and we need volunteers monitoring the polls.
I'm truly afraid of sentiment like Scud, is this man so blind that he cannot see whats going on? I know that all this killing, greed, stealing from the poor and giving to the rich is INSANE, how can anyone not see this? The new drilling along our coastline is insane...I just read that this will provide a tax break for the oil company what is wrong with us, how much can we put up with? BUSH is a war criminal and should be incarcerated along with his buddies for crimes agains humanity.. The lunatics are running the asylum, and time is running out for us and the planet. I dont even know if this is irreversible? How could anyone allow the torture of another being? We are in deep doo doo...
Well, as usual the Leftists have a "plan." You'll all meet in the street and talk loudly about conspiracies and then meet at Starbucks for refreshments and "Attaboys." You ain't going to do spit. Remember, thanks to you Lefties, we righties own all the guns and ammo.
In response to the previous poster, you say Leftists are going to "meet at Starbucks"??? Maybe we will, but it won't be for "refreshments." It'll be to toss a garbage can through the front window (like we do at WTO protests). It's interesting that you say we "don't do anything." 'Cause last time I checked, Bush and the GOP Congress ain't done shit. Oh sure, they had big plans (the idiotic marriage amendment, privatizing Social Security, etc.) But you fell on your face and got none of your agenda passed. And you haven't done much of anything lately (outside of lying the nation into war and committing treason by outing an active CIA agent). It must suck to be a Con these days, LOL!
Dude,I just LOVE the comments sections of your posts. NUMEROUS "Anonymous" posts,what's up with that,why would so many WANT to be unidentified?
and then "Scud",God bless him, who tries to sound the voice of reason...
and then...the Chinese guy? (I think it's Chinese?)
Gotta love him, he seems to comment on EVERY SINGLE POST, or at least those I have checked out so far.
I get sidetracked from the point of your posts because I'm thinking to myself..."WHAT is he SAYING????"Has anyone ever tried to translate? Doesn't anyone else ever wonder what we might be missing??
Oh,too funny:)
According to Babelfish,he's either saying (Chinese trad to English)
The cowhide □leukoderma □□□gets sick 脂溢 the dermatitis 脂溢 nature □□spot □□□□measles □pediculosis □□□measles body odor youth smallpox Center □Wen Miwang governs □the cowhide □, □louse special effect □Pi? gets sick □□the net cowhide □to treat □脂溢 the dermatitis spot □□□inflammation leukoderma □, outside □the floccosoids □□gets sick 脂溢 the natural □□□pediculosis to govern ....(it goes on)
OR he's saying (Chinese simp to English)
The Psoriasis vitiligo scale gets sick 脂溢 the dermatitis 脂溢 nature to escape sends 斑秃 escapes sends the eczema phthiaiasis belt-shaped blister measles body odor youth smallpox Center the Chinese Peru net treats the Psoriasis, the cloudy louse medicine skin disease medicine net Psoriasis treats 脂溢 the dermatitis 斑秃 to escape the...(again,it goes on,but you get the idea)
Japanese or Korean seem to translate essentially the same thing.
Well, that's one mystery solved,apparently:)
If they steal these elections as well?
Two Words - General Strike. O.K. - three words - MASSIVE general strike.
Don't work - call in sick if need be, don't pay your bills, don't buy ANYTHING. Could you imagine the impact if millions of "progressives" suddenly took themselves out of the economic system all at once in protest?
These Mother Fuckers would be in a complete tail spin and it would be a hell of alot more effective than taking a day off to hold a sign and shout slogans while being completely ignored by the media.
Seems to me that a little economic sacrifice for the sake of freedom is well worth it.
In addition - not just a one day strike. A strike for as long as it takes. A strike that resembles the strikes in France in '68, that shuts the country down and demonstrates to the people that we have more in common with each other and more at risk by doing nothing in the face of election fraud and the further destruction of the Constitution than just this economic "Way of Life".
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