BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'

Subject: RE: BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 09:12 PM

I'd swear I had put this post up, but it's disappeared. Oh, well.

An old time Republican politician here in Indiana told me of the following practice in Southern Indiana in the 30s, and swore it was the truth.

A Republican politician walks down the street in a rural Indiana hamlet in the thirties. (Paper ballots at that time, of course, and the Republican candidates were distinguished by an eagle icon, and the Democrats by a rooster.) He sees old Zeb, we'll call him, a Democrat out of a longtime Democratic family, come out of a bar. The following conversation occurs:

"Hi there, Zeb! Gonna vote tomorrow?"

"Yep, sure will!"

"I know you're a Democrat, Zeb, but would you vote Republican if I gave you five dollars?"

"Nope, not on yer life!"

"Well, I thought not. But if you're going to vote Democratic, you have no need for that Republican eagle on the ballot, do you?"

"Nope."

"Tell you what: You tear that eagle out and bring it to me, and I'll pay you five dollars for it."

"Okay."

This was known as "buying eagles", and was a way to invalidate Democratic votes. True! At least I was told it as true by a man who urported to know.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'
From: Genie
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 08:09 PM

It's hard to legally do much about "disinformation" about a political candidate's record or character or about what a ballot measure would mean, because the boundaries of "true" and "false" are murky and because public figures are excluded from most libel and slander protection.
But there are federal statutes criminalizing any attempt to prevent a citizen from excercising his/her franchise rights, and I believe the full force of the law should be applied to investigating, prosecuting, and punishing out and out election fraud (e.g., sending flyers saying the election date has been changed) or voter intimidation (e.g., telling people they will be arrested for trying to vote if they or their relatives have any past police record).
Being convicted of "conspiracy" to commit a felony can carry severe penalties, and I'd really like to see serious investigation of who's behind the widespread election frauds.

Subject: RE: BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'
From: mack/misophist
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 10:54 AM

The best dirty trick I ever heard of was related in one of my high school classes. When the time came to choose a county seat for Tarrant County, Texas, a special election was held in which residents went to the town they preferred to cast a vote. The race was between Grapevine and Ft Worth. Grapevine was expected to win so the city fathers bought a large keg of whiskey to give each voter a drink from. Ft Worth won by the simple expedient of stealing the keg, advertising the fact, and guarding the keg better than it's original owners had.

Subject: RE: BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 07:46 AM

Dirty Tricks.

Subject: RE: BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'
From: Ron Davies
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 10:29 PM

There is also no proof that Harold Ford is "a crook". Members of his extended family have been involved in questionable activity, it appears--but for giant intellects like some we have on Mudcat, guilt by association is always enough--if they don't like the person for other reasons.

Subject: RE: BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 10:26 PM

And it's not just in the US -- look at what the British did to various Irish parlimentarians in the 19th Century.

Subject: RE: BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 05:25 PM

Look, "dirty tricks" are nothing new in American elections. This was a minor example, really it was, of what's been going on for far more than a century.

That's not to say it's right, just that it's hardly anything new.

Subject: RE: BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 04:58 PM

I suspect that nothing in particular will happen as a result of all this, though I, too, feel that someone should be charged with something for the fraudulent implications in the flyer.

I AM sure that evidence and notes will be taken, in preparation for next time!

Subject: RE: BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'
From: jeffp
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 01:19 PM

The flyer gave the impression that:

3 black politicians had endorsed both Erlich and Steele. One of them had endorsed Steele. None of them had endorsed Erlich.

Erlich and Steele were Democrats. Erlich and Steele are Republicans.

Hence the deception inherent in the actions.

Also, Michael Steele is not what I would call an honest man. He is living in the house that he helped his sister screw Mike Tyson out of, along with a large part of his money.

Subject: RE: BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'
From: pdq
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 12:34 PM

Black people being asked to vote for Steele are being tricked?

The Republican Senate cadidate Michael Steele IS Black! And an honest man, unlike the Tennessee Democrat candidate for the Senate, Harold Ford Jr. who is a crook.

Subject: RE: BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 12:10 PM

And the Maryland elections board is doing what?

Subject: BS: Election Dirty tricks 'fair strategy'
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 12:01 PM

right- The Maryland Republicans were desperate to save the Senate seat and Governor's control, enough to try these tactics again....but this time, they didn't work.

more, from today's Washington Post

"GOP Fliers Apparently Were Part Of Strategy
Md. Tactics Similar To Ones in 2002

By Matthew Mosk and Avis Thomas-Lester
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, November 13, 2006; Page B01


The six Trailways motorcoaches draped in Ehrlich and Steele campaign banners rumbled down Interstate 95 just before dawn on Election Day.

On board, 300 mostly poor African Americans from Philadelphia ate doughnuts, sipped coffee and prepared to spend the day at the Maryland polls. After an early morning greeting from Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s wife, Kendel, they would fan out in white vans across Prince George's County and inner-city Baltimore, armed with thousands of fliers that appeared to be designed to trick black Democrats into voting for the two Republican candidates."


......................................................................

further, many phone calls were received, mostly in Black areas, telling voters that their polling place 'had been changed', or that they had been found ineligible, or that there was unspecified 'danger' in going to vote.....veiled threats.

No one has been quoted as admitting to these phone calls, but the Republican cheerfully admit to the flyers......