Larry BerganWhich Came First: The Evangelical, or the Vote?
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After the election of 2004, voting rights activists everywhere were wondering why the exit polls, which had been clearly favoring John Kerry all day, puzzlingly flipped 180 degrees, and ultimately reflected the official voting results. If you haven’t heard about this, you are definitely not alone. Although the organization that ran the exit polls still refuses to release the earlier findings which showed Kerry ahead, the co-director, Warren Mitofsky, went on “The News Hour” to answer questions from Terence Smith about his theory: (emphisis mine)
TERENCE SMITH: So you’re saying that some Bush voters would come out of the polling places and simply decline to participate; if so, why?
WARREN MITOFSKY: Well, in an exit poll, everybody doesn’t agree to be interviewed. It’s voluntary, and the people refuse usually at about the same rate, regardless of who they support. When you have a very energized electorate, which contributed to the big turnout, sometimes the supporters of one candidate refuse at a greater rate than the supporters of the other candidate.
How about my theory? Young democrats registered in record numbers, as they are this election season, and those numbers were reflected in the exit polls. Above emphasis by me in Mitofsky’s theory points out that his statement contradicts itself.
When McCain picked Palin as his running mate, my first thought was that there was no possibility she would be kept on the ticket, but I keep wanting to forget how devious and dangerous these Republican elites are.
Mark Crispin Miller, who has written more then one book about our latter-day election irregularities, and knows a lot more then you or I, starts from the position that our elections are being stolen.
Read his terrifying article which explains why Palin was really chosen.
Go to Crispin’s website to find out more. Here is Mark explaining the significance of the “US attorney scandal”, (which is closely associated with election fraud at the highest levels of government), with better clarity then I’ve seen anywhere else:
From May 10, 2007:
If you are sick and tired of being seen around the world as stupid and flippant by people who steal your vote and paint you with that brush, then stay comfortable in that role. I can’t!
The last part of Mark’s article has this to say about the issue which will not be discussed in the media:
The theft of this next race is only possible because the Democratic Party and the media, and principled Republicans, have shut their eyes to this regime’s crusade against American democracy. And now the only way to stop it–or, if it does happen yet again, resist it– is to face it at long last, and talk about it openly. It’s therefore not enough to raise more money for the Democrats, and not enough to get more voters registered, and get them to the polls; and not enough to spread the word about McCain and Palin, or to try to get the media to do a decent job; and not enough to fight the smears and lies about Obama, and to demand that he and/or the Democrats get tougher.
While all of those activities are crucial, they’ll amount to nothing if the race is finally rigged, and most Americans don’t know a thing about it. And so, whatever else we’re doing, we must also speak out loud and clear about that possibility. Otherwise, if that disaster should befall us, we will be as much to blame for it as those Republicans who pulled it off, and all those Democrats who let them get away with it.
You know as well as I do, Obama is not going to lose this election. Americans are for the environment, against war, and love their freedom too much!
September 17th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Larry, I want to thank you for keeping the voting machine fubar before us. There are a number of reasons why the partisan oufits that designed and operate the vote machines and tallying equipment and their sponsors will seek to manipulate this election, if they are not already doing so.
First: They can! Proprietary innerworkings make it possible - All that is required for the cheat to go unpunished is for the Media to persist in the - ‘it’s gonna be a very close race’ story. Then the machines can take care of the ‘Surprise Turn Of Events’ that blow away all the polls.
Second, The Military, Etc, Etc Media, Political complex will simply not allow a justice seeking Democrat anywhere near actually winning. The ‘Isn’t it enough for the integrity of the blacks to have had a man even get THIS far up the ladder? For his extraordinary effort and creditable run, we really have to applaud him / them.’ meme is the tell here (among others). Nor would they want to risk any exposure a Commision tasked with investigating crimes commited by the bush / cheney / (dare I say McCain) axis would quite easily reveal. I mean, Some people are even suggesting that such crimes, if proven, might be punishable with death. Wow, I don’t know about you, but I wonder if such consequences even being on the table, not to mention likely proveable, don’t suggest that it’s almost pointless to even continue with this election - Just give it to the republican ticket and go ’bout yer business.
There’s more, but I need to stop. Again, thanks. Cav
September 17th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Does it matter?
September 18th, 2008 at 5:11 am
I’d jike to think so, but, then again, ….we’re all gonna die, so…maybe not.
It’s that fairness / corruption thing! You (double) ought to know.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:11 am
I’d like to think so, but, then again, ….we’re all gonna die, so…maybe not.
It’s that fairness / corruption thing!
You (double) ought to know.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Re: Kerry’s exit polls, for some reason the raw exit poll numbers are never officially released and they adjust the results according to the election returns. This make no sense because in other countries exit polls are used to check the honesty of the vote tabulation. The explanation I heard for the discrepancy between the leaked raw numbers and the outcome was that all the enthusiastic anti-Bush voters like me (I wasn’t for Kerry, I just wanted to get rid of Bush) voted early in the day.
I remember that Chris Matthews accidentally blurted out the raw exit poll results for the New Hampshire primary, which Obama apparently won by eight points before Diebold/Premier got to work on the vote count. The excuse then was the “Bradley effect,” i.e. people claiming to vote for Obama who really didn’t because he’s black.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Add this to the vote rigging.
The meme that Obama has already lost is being set up now.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Richard W:
The “Bradley effect” works too. It can be anything you want it to be: Soccer and security moms, values voters, Nascar dads, cattle rangers in revolt, gay haters, gun lovers, (who apparently don’t care about stolen elections anyway)… ect. Of course none of those semi-fake groups comes close to being able to lie and say that religious folks always vote republican. I’m not religious, but would love to believe Mormons didn’t support torture, war, lies, and corruption. I have no way of knowing that as long as we don’t vote on paper ballots and either hand count those ballots or have some other foolproof method.
The thing that really stood out in 2004, was that the United States spent something like 15 million dollars to conduct exit polls in Kiev Russia, which didn’t match the voting results there either. That gave the people there the information needed to hold another election and install the real winner. Bush had the audacity to bring up the fact the exit polls in Kiev showed a problem, while the media here was saying that exit polls don’t work and probably shouldn’t be used, even though they worked fine for decades until the voting machines arrived.
Sorry to be shining light on this very depressing problem, but the American people are not electing fake mavericks into office, the fake mavericks are “taking” offices and destroying our culture.
September 18th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Let me rephrase! This isn’t depressing, it’s downright creepy!
September 18th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Cav:
Another reason for the “close elections.” Why lie or cheat any more then you have to, especially when your job is to convince the American people they have the brains of a soda cracker by manipulating their ballot box.
OO:
I wouldn’t believe Dick Morris if he told me there was a bear in my living room, even if there was a bear in my living room. Is he your best source?
September 18th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
That is your problem Larry, and that of your opposition. Both sides only choose to believe what they wish to. Dick is right all the time Larry. Very good track record.
“bear in my living room”.
I can see that the Palin/Alaska meme has been firmly planted in your impressionable head.
Mind control at work. I have witnessed the shrill, panicky attacks on Palin from every source and angle imaginable. That was the anger part, came right after denial, that Palin wouldn’t make the difference.
I see progressives currently at depression, at least most. Their complaints about Palin and McCain have lost some of their luster, and are now feebly being bleated out as the herd is pushed to its logical conclusion.
Bargaining will probably entail some sort of accommodation with McCain so they can at least have an element that can speak to and share audience with the President Elect. Some democrats seeing the writing on the wall, are working on rapprochement.
Somewhere in the inevitable death of the Obama campaign supporters will reach acceptance. Then they can go on to pull their hair out in the purgatory of McCain’s 4 more years.
September 18th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I see no evidence of “the inevitable death of the Obama campaign.” In fact, a new NYT poll indicates the GOP smears are not sticking to Obama. My favorite data point: Sixty percent think Obama “understands the needs and problems of people like yourself” — compared to only 48% who say the same about McCain.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I guess as in most cases, it is the “true believers” that are the last to know.
The interesting thing about democracy, is that people see what they wish to see. I don’t care who wins, as I am not invested. My candidate is long gone, but as it stands it looks like Obama blew it.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Read the map, and don’t forget that this is the country that elected Bush twice. Funny you mention smears, it isn’t sticking to Palin either. Who is running for president again?
I don’t think anyone is changing their minds at this point. The map tells the story.
Obama understands their needs, I hope his conciliation speech is good. Stick with the NYT and you can live in the fantasy until the morning after the election.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Here’s some optimistic news for a change! According to one of the best experts on election integrity, Harvey Wasserman, there is an up swell in true grass roots activism among people who know about the election fraud and are going to make sure things get documented.
Robert C. Koehler is a powerful voice in the movement and wrote this article today.