Watchers

[TwoStep2888]

In this week's Conventional Wisdom in NewsWeek, they mention the Republicans depolying "watchers" to keep dems away from the polls or something. Does anyone know what that's all about?

[AnyonebutBush]

In this week's Conventional Wisdom in NewsWeek, they mention the Republicans depolying "watchers" to keep dems away from the polls or something. Does anyone know what that's all about?They are trying to do what ever it takes to stop us, from coast to coast day in and day out, you name it they're doing it.

[WJM-WJM]

They are trying to do what ever it takes to stop us, from coast to coast day in and day out, you name it they're doing it.

What specific examples are there in terms of these "watchers" steering people away from polls?

Are they standing in the doorways or something? Or parking all their cars in the parking lots? Are they turning the a/c or heat off in the polling centers? I'd just like to learn some more about this, since it's going on so much.

[WJM-WJM]

In this week's Conventional Wisdom in NewsWeek, they mention the Republicans depolying "watchers" to keep dems away from the polls or something. Does anyone know what that's all about?

Do you have that article?

[marco j]

Do you have that article?


give me a few and i'll get one.


here's the first i found.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/nov2002/poll-n04.shtml

[WJM-WJM]

give me a few and i'll get one.


here's the first i found.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/nov2002/poll-n04.shtml

Did you mean this link?

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/oct2004/poll-o28.shtml

the first one was from 2 years ago when they alleged the same thing.

It's a socialist website too.

[crosscg]

http://www.wsav.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSAV/MGArticle/SAV_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031778848105&path=!frontpage

Both sides are doing it. Not only socialist sites are reporting it. AAnd of course there will be some bad apples on each side. You have to look no further than this board to see people you get all fired up over nothing to support their candidate. So of course someone who volunteers to be a poll watcher is likely to have a hidden agenda.

[WJM-WJM]

"A small number of challengers, strategically placed and up to no good, could disenfranchise thousands of voters, and even change the outcome of a presidential election.”

This quote happens to be my favorite from the article. Notice the use of the word "could"...they really don't provide any evidence. Democratic snipers in the trees around voting precincts COULD decrease the number of Republican voters in this year's election. Sure, anything COULD happen. it's a question of whether there is evidence of impropriety.

OK, so the Repub party in Ohio pays some people $100 to stand at the precints. There will be people standing outside every precinct in the country on Tuesday. I'm not sure how this classifies as unique or unethical.

[marco j]

no i just typed in a search and that was the first to come up.

there is another story about the watchers in ohio who challenged dem voters. the case was thrown out of court.

[Number27]

I thought this thread was about Dean Koontz' "Watchers"

[WJM-WJM]

http://www.wsav.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSAV/MGArticle/SAV_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031778848105&path=!frontpage

Both sides are doing it. Not only socialist sites are reporting it. AAnd of course there will be some bad apples on each side. You have to look no further than this board to see people you get all fired up over nothing to support their candidate. So of course someone who volunteers to be a poll watcher is likely to have a hidden agenda.

No doubt, there are bad apples on both sides of the fence.

[marco j]

here's an article.......http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/30/politics/campaign/30ohio.html

[mmazz72]

I thought this thread was about Dean Koontz' "Watchers"
dude. if that evil dog/bear/whatever the fuck it was is hanging around outside the polls...no voting for me this year.

[WJM-WJM]

here's an article.......http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/30/politics/campaign/30ohio.html

I perceive this to be an entirely different issue. The plaintiffs in that case are using their legal rights to pursue voter disqualification through the court system.

I'm talking about this "watcher" nonsense at the polls....you know, the guy in the dark suit who strong arms an old woman away from the polls because she's wearing a Kerry sticker on her sweater.

[chellek23]

All poll watchers do is to make sure that there aren't any improprieties taking place and report them when necessary. For example allowing people to vote that aren't on the registration rolls, or staying open 2 hours longer than their supposed to. What exactly is wrong with this? How is it any different then the Dems sending 'thousands' of trial lawyers to polling sites across the country?

[mmazz72]

all i know is if i go to vote, and i step on a strategically placed rake and the handle comes up and hits me in the face...somebody's getting sued. :violent

[marco j]

I perceive this to be an entirely different issue. The plaintiffs in that case are using their legal rights to pursue voter disqualification through the court system.

I'm talking about this "watcher" nonsense at the polls....you know, the guy in the dark suit who strong arms an old woman away from the polls because she's wearing a Kerry sticker on her sweater.


the "watchers" are the people who are watching all the voters. no other way to say it. they are there to argue whether certain folks are legal voters or not. people are claiming this a way to intimidate voters by slowing the lines making people stop what they are doing and have to go to court to prove they should be allowed to vote. i don't know about you but if on tuesday i go to vote and then taken out of line to prove i am a legal voter i will be upset.
if it happens enough to the right people it 'may' sour some people from voting.

[WJM-WJM]

all i know is if i go to vote, and i step on a strategically placed rake and the handle comes up and hits me in the face...somebody's getting sued. :violent

:lol

Republican Watchers Acquiring Large Amounts of Banana Peels. News at 11 (on the socialist website).

[mwjorgens]

:lol

Republican Watchers Acquiring Large Amounts of Banana Peels. News at 11 (on the socialist website).
they will do anything. conservative bastards. personally i would get something else cause banana peels only work in cartoons.

[WJM-WJM]

they will do anything. conservative bastards. personally i would get something else cause banana peels only work in cartoons.


Other than the vote challenging thing (which to the best of my knowledge, is completely legal), I'm still not sure what improprieties the Republicans are guilty of.

[Evans]

I guess some of you paranoid schizo jokers on here will never accept that a person could win an election FAIR AND SQUARE...seriously, you conspiracy theory guys are getting sad...in a "comic book guy" kinda way of sad...

[Number27]

dude. if that evil dog/bear/whatever the fuck it was is hanging around outside the polls...no voting for me this year.
:lol

[barefoot]

I thought this thread was about Dean Koontz' "Watchers"
great book. :thumbsup

[Number27]

great book. :thumbsup
Easily my favorite.

[sliver108]

I don’t care if I see a Democrat or a Republican doing it tomorrow. It is wrong no matter what and I will let them no this loudly, proudly and viciously if need be. These types of actions hurt our Democracy as a whole.

[WJM-WJM]

I don’t care if I see a Democrat or a Republican doing it tomorrow.

Doing what?

[sliver108]

Doing what?
Trying to block people etc from voting.

[bseitz]

the "watchers" are the people who are watching all the voters. no other way to say it. they are there to argue whether certain folks are legal voters or not. people are claiming this a way to intimidate voters by slowing the lines making people stop what they are doing and have to go to court to prove they should be allowed to vote.i don't know about you but if on tuesday i go to vote and then taken out of line to prove i am a legal voter i will be upset.
if it happens enough to the right people it 'may' sour some people from voting.
I'd very happy to see that voter fraud is being taken seriously and steps are being taken to make sure that only legally qualified voters are being allowed to vote. Just like it's reassuring, if inconvenient, to see all of the security measures being take to protect the flying public. Why would you be upset?

[bseitz]

Trying to block people etc from voting.
Examples?

[WJM-WJM]

Examples?

Oh, you know just examples like 'etc' ;)

[WJM-WJM]

I'd very happy to see that voter fraud is being taken seriously and steps are being taken to make sure that only legally qualified voters are being allowed to vote. Just like it's reassuring, if inconvenient, to see all of the security measures being take to protect the flying public. Why would you be upset?

I think that is a fair analogy. Anyone should be able to allocate some time to voting. If it takes an extra 30 minutes, then so be it. Yes, in a perfect world, it would take less than 5 minutes, but this isn't a checkout line at a grocery store, it's electing the next leader of the US. It's worth a small time investment.

[AnyonebutBush]

I don’t care if I see a Democrat or a Republican doing it tomorrow. It is wrong no matter what and I will let them no this loudly, proudly and viciously if need be. These types of actions hurt our Democracy as a whole.:thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup

[sliver108]

:thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup
Thank you for understanding.

[pedelen99]

Examples?

The National Republican Party signed a consent order in 1981 agreeing to abandon practices like sending registered letters to minorities and representing undeliverable mail as indicating voter fraud, after evidence the GOP had engaged in minority voter intimidation in the Garden State.

Which is exactly what they're doing in Ohio and Wisconsin. In Ohio they are not getting far... the law there states that you have to have personal knowledge that someone is an ineligible voter before challenging them. The GOP has tried to challenge 35,000 voters. At least one person is facing possible felony charges because they started challenging voters based only on a list supplied by the GOP.

In Ohio, a federal judge has blocked GOP attempts to force county election boards to review tens of thousands of new voter registrations and two other federal judges have just ruled that allowing party representatives to challenge voter eligibility at the polls is unconstitutional.

If you're interested in info on Ohio voter suppression you may want to visit this site:

http://www.ohvotesuppression.blogspot.com/

- Phil

[bseitz]

The National Republican Party signed a consent order in 1981 agreeing to abandon practices like sending registered letters to minorities and representing undeliverable mail as indicating voter fraud, after evidence the GOP had engaged in minority voter intimidation in the Garden State.
Any links to this? Just curious.


In Ohio, a federal judge has blocked GOP attempts to force county election boards to review tens of thousands of new voter registrations and two other federal judges have just ruled that allowing party representatives to challenge voter eligibility at the polls is unconstitutional.
Surprise, surprise. A Clinton appointee that wants to make voter fraud as easy as possible. I'm shocked. SHOCKED!! Judge Susan Dlott is a real piece of work. You may want to look up a few of her rulings.

[pedelen99]

Surprise, surprise. A Clinton appointee that wants to make voter fraud as easy as possible. I'm shocked. SHOCKED!! Judge Susan Dlott is a real piece of work. You may want to look up a few of her rulings.

A 2002 Bush appointee, Judge John Adams, in a seperate case has made the same ruling as Dlott. I'm shocked. SCHOCKED!!

- Phil

[pedelen99]

Any links to this? Just curious.

Among others:

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-18/109928847667630.xml

- Phil

[nancies210]

Poll watching is done on both sides and has been for fifty years. The local political parties, Republican and Democrat, sign up volunteers watch the polls to make sure no voter fraud is taking place. They go through training from the person in their county who is in charge of elections (not a partisan supporter). Each person is registered with the Elections Commission and has an identification badge allowing them to be there. They are looking out for things like people opening up the ballot box and leafing through them. They have a right to be there just like all the other credentialed media who do the exact same thing. If they notice any possible fraud taking place they are too call the county elections officials from their cell phones and the officials will come out to see what the problem is. These people have always been at the polls, you have just never noticed them before, dont let people scare you into thinking your vote will not count.

[WJM-WJM]

Poll watching is done on both sides and has been for fifty years. The local political parties, Republican and Democrat, sign up volunteers watch the polls to make sure no voter fraud is taking place. They go through training from the person in their county who is in charge of elections (not a partisan supporter). Each person is registered with the Elections Commission and has an identification badge allowing them to be there. They are looking out for things like people opening up the ballot box and leafing through them. They have a right to be there just like all the other credentialed media who do the exact same thing. If they notice any possible fraud taking place they are too call the county elections officials from their cell phones and the officials will come out to see what the problem is. These people have always been at the polls, you have just never noticed them before, dont let people scare you into thinking your vote will not count.

Thank you for the rational thoughts. They were much needed in this thread.