Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* The final Latino Decisions tracking poll shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney among Latino voters by nearly 50 points, 73% to 24%. Four years ago, John McCain lost Latino voters by 36 points.
* Vice President Biden voted this morning in his home state of Delaware. On his way out, a reporter asked if this is the last time he expects to vote for himself. Take a look at Biden's response.
* Traditionally, presidential candidates do not campaign on Election Day, but Romney will make last-minute appeals at events in Ohio and Pennsylvania today.
* In Arizona, some Democratic voters received robocalls from Jeff Flake's Republican Senate campaign, directing them to the wrong voting precinct.
* As for Flake's race, Public Policy Polling shows Flake leading Richard Carmona (D) by five, 51% to 46%. In early October, Carmona led by two, but Republican voters have since rallied behind the congressman.
* In Connecticut, Republican Senate hopeful Linda McMahon's campaign is distributing sample ballots that make it seem as if she and President Obama are on the same side.
* And in Pennsylvania, Republican activists were standing outside polling locations, asking some voters to produce identification. An Allegheny County judge issued an order this morning, putting a stop to the practice. The judge's order said: "Individuals outside the polls are prohibited from questioning, obstructing, interrogating or asking about any form of identification and/demanding any form of identification from any prospective voter."
Leave a Comment:
" And in Pennsylvania, Republican activists were standing outside polling locations, asking some voters to produce identification."
which i would return with
You can Kiss my A@@!
If Romney wins this is going to only the beginning...
sadly but true.
good news Nate has it at 91.5% of Obama winning.
Asking someone for ID outside the polling place is a good way to get the $hit beat of you.I sure hope some frustrated voter does it.
Voter intimidation inspired me to pick up five friends who weren't going to vote and take them to the polling station. Along the way it gave me a chance to solidify five more votes for President Obama. In the end it came down to letting them know that President Obama's plan for the economy has proven to work and if we do more of it, it will work even more. This was especially evident once it was contrasted with the realization that Mitt Romney and the Republicans are proposing the same exact plan that cost three of the five people in my truck their jobs. Call around and find out who isn't going to vote and bring them in so we prove the only thing voter suppression and intimidation does is increase voter participation.
That sounds like a good way to become a "good Republican"
Traditionally, presidential candidates do not campaign on Election Day, but Romney will make last-minute appeals at events in Ohio and Pennsylvania today.
I loooooove the smell of moron flopsweat in the morning! It smells like victory!
Remember all the screeching from Fox and the Republicans about the Black Panther intimidation in 2008? Guess Fox is at it again this election. Not a word about True the Vote and others trained by the Romney campaign who are seeking to intimidate voters this year, however.
Now why would that be, do ya think? ;}
And the Franklin County (Ohio) election board did the same thing--No TTT öbservers" allowed there either. Voter intimidation is being exposed to the light of day--sunshine is the best disinfectant!
If these stooges can break the law and not even listen to a judge , I say I can break the law and break some jaws , fair game
why arent these people arrested instead of admonishment by a judge? throw these people in jail.
Criminals vote for criminals.
They are attempting to reimpose "Jim Crow".
They are without question racist.
And "True the Vote" was stopped in one major OH county; not only because they were overtly about intimidating voters, but also because the signatures by which they were granted permission to "poll-watch" turned out to be suspect.
That are subject to felony charges.
This is what Wingnuts call "patriotism": overt criminal subversion of the electoral process akin to that of WWII Germany Brown Shirts.
If they will try to steal the election, they wouldn't hesitate to pick your pocket.
Today, as voting commences, I will list for you some campaign ads I wish I had seen from Obama:
Ad #1:
Scene -approximate 12 second youtube video excerpt of John Boehner repeatedly shouting “Hell no!” from the floor of the US Congress. Cut to Nancy Pelosi. She is silent, offering only a knowing glance from the video back to the camera. Cut to youtube video excerpt of Mitch McConnell making his infamous ~“our number one priority is to ensure that Barack Obama is a one-term president” comment. Cut back to Pelosi. She speaks: “Did you get that? This is the republican strategy to undermine the president by filibuster and by procedural obstruction -stated plainly. These are two of the clearest examples of republican obstructionism we have endured since Americans chose Barack Obama as their president. This obstruction helped ensure a lack of progress that republicans now want to blame President Obama for. -If you believe government needs to come together to work for the common good of ALL Americans, we need your vote." Cut to Obama, facing camera. After a silent pause for effect, he speaks “I need your vote. -I’m Barack Obama, and I approved this message.”
Ad #2:
Scene: youtube video excerpt of Romney saying he would “let Detroit go bankrupt.” Cut to scene of hundreds of UAW workers facing the camera, speaking together as one: “WE need your vote”. Cut to second youtube video excerpt of Romney saying “I like being able to fire people.” Cut to a new scene with hundreds of American workers wearing uniforms from groups clearly identifiable as belonging to public employee unions like AFSCME, -including police, firemen, teachers, and blue-collar municipal employees- all facing the camera, -speaking together as one: “WE need your vote”. The scene extends in silence as the camera plays across some of their faces to lend significance to the message. Cut to Al Franken looking straight into the camera. Franken speaks: This is your fight too. It is your fight if you believe American workers deserve a fair playing field where labor agreements are honored above partisan politics. -If you believe government should come together to work for the common good of ALL Americans, rather than trying to divide and conquer American workers, we need your vote.” Cut to Obama, facing camera. After a silent pause, he speaks “I need your vote. -I’m Barack Obama, and I approved this message.”
Ad #3:
Scene -Video of Paul Weyrich speaking over 30 years ago at a right-wing conference in Dallas Texas, -making his now infamous remarks “I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people. They never have been from the beginning of our country, and they are not now. As a matter of fact our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.” Cut to former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson looking straight into camera. Richardson speaks: “Does that sound familiar to you? -This is what we’re up against. This is the basis for the republican strategy to prevent minority citizens from voting by implementing strict new laws that make it much more difficult for citizens to register and requiring photo identification to vote. This is the basis for improper purges of voter roles in many republican-controlled states. These purges have been implemented in a manner that targets the poor, the elderly, blacks, and Latinos. This is what we’ve endured since Americans chose Barack Obama as their president. Cut to you tube video excerpt of Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (republican) saying "Voter ID, -which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania --done." Cut back to Richardson, who says “This voter ID policy has been implemented disingenuously with a clear -and stated- intent to unfairly influence elections”. Cut to Obama, facing camera. After a silent pause, he speaks “If you’re an American citizen, you have a right to vote. Please vote. Even if they make it difficult for you to do so. -Particularly if they make it difficult. I need your vote. -I’m Barack Obama, and I approved this message.”
~~~~~
The comments from Boehner, McConnell, Romney, and Weyrich are low-hanging fruit, and frankly I’m astonished that the Obama team has not made use of them in campaign ads. You would think he doesn’t really want to win.
However, let’s say that Obama wins, but by a plurality rather than an outright majority. Republicans will call that a “filibuster mandate” to keep obstructing as they have for the last 4 years. Worse, Obama will call it a ~“clear demonstration of public support” for his foreign policy agenda to pursue regime change in mid east Arab states like Syria. It would of course be neither of those things.
No matter who gets elected, in many respects the GOP wins either way, -because republicans are willing to fight dirty, and Obama won’t fight at all. He has sat on his hands for 4 years while our progressive dreams burned. These are some of the thoughts that have kept me awake at night.
Why is there no 'further' reporting on that article posted here about how the elections nation wide were being flipped 10% to republicans through big precincts so if races were close the republican would always win. WTF? The votes were never flipped democratic but always republican. Seems these activites can never be checked till after the election...which is why dems generally win re-counts.
We need to unify the voting process and declare voting a right with voting machines owned and operated by the government and not private corporations making the voting process the same nationwide and transparent with results able to be confirmed by a due process...the process being the same in all states taking it out of democratic or republican (which is where all the voting problems seem to come from) hands.
Link to info on our (current lack of a) constitutional right to vote and suggested reforms:
http://archive.fairvote.org/?page=72
How is it that any American can get talked into the idea that voter suppression and intimidation are good ideas?
Am I surprised that ideological cynics and political mercenaries came up with this as a strategy, No. Am I surprised that they could actually convince Americans to be complicit in it, Yes.
They believe that something fraudulent is going on if their version of reality is not translating into change at the ballot box.
Sometimes that is backed up by facts. For example, Jane Mayer wrote a great article about how Art Pope in North Carolina succeeded in swinging many state races into GOP hands by last minute smear advertisements in the final days of campaigns.
What is troubling is when they are not being backed up by facts. When normally sensible people like former GE CEO Jacks Welsch says things like the Bureau of Labor Statistics number "don't feel right".
Doesn't feel right? The former CEO of a technological company is now ejecting empiricism and the maxim of impartial observation of data in favor of alchemy?
It's about feelings to a lot on the Right. The feelings of a lot of people are going to get hurt tonight. THose on the right want to believe it will be Obama supporters with the hurt feelings. They are deluded.
How the Right reacts to those very raw emotions will play out in the next few days. Hopefully it will be a gentle path back to reality rather than denial.
You're too young to have been in the South "back in the day" - lots of "good Americans" thought being an ignorant fascist was a good thing, and too many of them still do.
False fears can feel just as real as real fears, especially when Fox news is committed to delivering fear on a disturbing scale and large portions of the mainstream media are lost in increasing irrelevance as they stand by and let it happen. It's so effective that Republicans who are supposed to be the standard bearers of freedom (in their own minds) are willing to stand in the way of voters engaging in one of our most critical freedoms. If we can spend three entire debates listening to one side distort and lie on a whole new level and it barely gets checked, it's no wonder that so many are so lost. Hopefully when voter participation shows up once again for Pres. Obama, it will be another step towards increasing the irrelevance of Republican extremes and a declining press, because until it reaches a significant level where they're hurting in isolation, nothing will change. So we have to make it happen.
Fear, hate and raw tribal emotionalism is a big motivator. That is what Gingrich elevated as a national strategy in his 1996 GOPAC memo. The opponent, in the current case Obama in his view should be described with the following words:
These are the words that describe many of the ridiculous assaults on the President, yet they are words described in a strategic memo that long predated Obama's arrival on the national scene.
If rational thinkers in the GOP triumph in the aftermath of the Romney fiasco, they will realize that the politics of appealing to angry white voters is demographically speaking a suicidal proposition.
TC, you probably were not referring to me, because I think you know I am that old. I traveled to Texas every year to visit family and would regularly hear the N word uttered in conjunction with anything that distant relatives were irked about.
My mother told me it was one reason she abandoned the state of several generations of her ancestors. Even in the Northwest where I grew up, all longhaireds knew which towns to avoid. There was one called Gold City on the Oregon coast whose sheriff thought it was funny to stop hippies in vans or on bicycles, take them to the jail on some trumped up infraction, then give them a buzz cut shave.
The first Rambo movie kind of gave an impression of a moderate version of that kind of attitude- they wanted to make it clear they didn't want long haired outsiders invading.
They are totally freaked out that not only could they not protect their towns, they failed to "protect" the White House.
I hope I am wrong John , but I do not see the gop voters turning around , when I first voted my father tried to impart to me how messed up the republicans really were , and are ...... he was born in 1932 , I never voted gop , but I would vote Green or not at all when I did not agree with the dem agenda completely , or when they just got to greedy and corrupt in the 80's ....NOW I see what he was talking about , history shows these people have always hated ALL THINGS DEM , I do not see that changing
Well, my recommendation is that people vote Green if their vote will not endanger the President's chances in their state.
I support nearly all of Jill Stein's positions, although I am by her standards more of a hawk, believing that "assassinations" by drone are legitimate if there is full judicial and congressional oversight. On Energy, she left out support of a carbon tax. On electoral reform she supports Instant runoff which is a common but pretty bad form of preferential voting because it does not perform well at selecting the candidate who, when compared with every other candidate, is preferred by more voters. But overall, the positions are in line with mine regarding universal health care, a radical approach to carbon reduction, and serious policies to deal with wall street and economic inequality.
That's why I am voting for Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala. Anyone like me living in a deep blue state should do the same if you have similar views.
Voting Green is not fantasyland thinking. Any realist understands that President cannot compromise to the left if there is no significant political groups to the left of him.
Of course if you live in a swing state, or leans blue or red state, then there is no question that you must vote for Obama and Biden. There must be high certainty that he will crush Romney convincingly.
As for the House, Senate and local races, I am recommending voting with the Democrats. As for my state, I think we are sending some fine new members: soon to be Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and soon to be Senator Mazie Hirono.
I hope your behavior and suggestion ensures that Rmoney wins the popular vote.
That will be good for the country.
Great how those who vote for third party nobodies -- based upon the scam that they can change the status quo by avoiding challenge to the status quo -- never consider the consequences.
You seem to confuse this with the thinking of a Florida voter who chose Nader in 2000. Maybe you should read what I wrote.
Actually, Naom Chomsky articulated this idea in September or October on the Matthew Filipowicz Show, and O'Donnell expressed the same sentiments a week or two ago.
Please explain how a vote for a third party in a state like Alabama, Texas Massachusetts or California can affect either putting Obama in power or Romney.
It really does seem to me you neglected to read my note, but if not read the linked to article or listen to the interview. The idea is elementary enough to grasp.
Another outcome that I think desirable is that Obama win the electoral college and narrowly win or even lose the popular vote. At this point, only democratic states have signed up for the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The law passed in these states pledges to commit their electoral votes to whoever wins the popular vote. The compact only becomes effective when the states passing the law possess 270 or more electoral votes.
With the compact in effect, obviously my rational would be obsolete and I would no longer be voting for Green Party unless the outcome of an election was certain.
Dragoon at#2
Because republicans don't want a voting public...they want a mob...and it is the mob mentality that supports them..they only care about stringing all who disagree up on the highest tree...not truth or reality or anything but gaining power. Hate radio and GOP TV have created a delusional monster that is self destructive but also tries to destroy anything in its path. Discussion is impossible with these goobers since they reject all information which doesn't agree with their preconceived notions of reality...but you know this huh.
BTW- here is a link to Lawrence O'Donnell's excellent piece where he promoted this idea, and the entirely ignored third party debates where things like climate change, wall street reform and drone strikes were actually discussed.
Is there any truth to the rumor that voting machines are not working or acting funny in Ohio? and I heard a rumor I'd like checked out about one of Romney's sons owning or managing a company that owns or controls them or their software???
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Lawsuit-Ohio-voting-machines-could-alter-votes-4009994.php
Anyone who is concerned about voting machines, just use a paper ballot.
The company who owns those machines is only closely tied with Tagg Romney and the companies he invests in. He isn't directly invested in the company who owns the machines, and therefore doesn't "own" them himself.
What you have to remember is the very wealthy tend to invest in each other's companies and political campaigns. So even though their money might not be directly tied to something, they all seem to support each other with only 1 or 2 degrees of separation from the things that would get them into trouble.
We also have to keep in mind that even with all the dirty tricks we have already seen, it isn't very likely that Mitt Romney's son bought some voting machines in order to win Ohio for his dad. What is more likely is the Republicans would use voter suppression and scare-tactics, and as you can see, they did.
Really, he doesn't have to have a controlling interest in the company, or any other direct link to the company. The people who run these companies are themselves Republican supporters and people with no scruples or honor. They will gladly do what they can to cheat the democratic process all on their own.
This is one day of the year that I'm not going to waste even two second of my day on trolls.
The results are going to be what they're going to be. And no amount of BS on a comment board is going to change that.
Bravo! Don't feed the trolls!
It might well be that the Republican interest in owning the vote counting machines are the troll we may be required to respond to .
I notice that He Who Misses All The Free Throws isn't here today.
Hey what about a Troll-op? Are you going to waste time on me? Oh please?!
(: - )
Trolls hide behind the words "politically incorrect" as excuse to be rude. RUDE. If being polite to the rude does not stop the abuse, then one ceases to be polite to thm.
Trolls are one dimensional: they only understand being done to them that which they do to others.
So hammer away on these anti-Amercan crackpots.
I find it ironic that the person who actually committed voter fraud is the republican candidate for president when he claimed his son's unfinished basement in Mass. as his residence so he could vote against Kennedy when he was "living" in his California mansion. A Dem. never would have gotten away with such a travesty.
Clinton/Biden 2016. The e.whoreromney.troll gang has been very active today. I feel so sad for them. It is like their dog ran away and they will adopt anything that will piss on their leg.
Vice President Biden voted this morning in his home state of Delaware. On his way out, a reporter asked if this is the last time he expects to vote for himself. Take a look at Biden's response.
I love you Joe, and I always will. But I'm not going to vote for you in the 2016 Democratic primaries (Hillary Clinton either).
Amy Klobuchar, Kristen Gillibrand, or Sherrod Brown??? I'm hoping for such opportunities.
Kirsten Gillebrand was the only politician in my area who had positive political ads on TV. She never bashed her opponent.
2008 was an exciting dilemma for Democrats:
Either vote for the white candidate -- who was a woman;
or vote for the man -- who was black.
One of the legacies of this year's elections will be the shameful behavior on the part of Republican candidates and their party in general.
The GOP has made it clear that it believes that it cannot win an honest election. Romney's lying, flip-flopping, and general shape shifting have set the tone for a desperate party that has to rely on voter suppression, intimidation, deceit, and outright fraud if it is to have any chance to win.
Let's hope the voters send this sorry collection of miscreants a strong message all across the country. If the Dems win big, maybe some saner heads will find their way to the helm of the once (but no longer) proud GOP.
The only way we will bring true change to the GOP is if after this election we continue to hold the press accountable for the worst fact checking of any election ever. Unfortunately, all of these despicable tactics that are so evident but undetected have worked enough to keep this election way closer than it ever should have been. So long as Republicans have a way of getting away with obstruction, lies, suppression, intimidation and all the rest of it, they will continue to. Fear works when fear isn’t checked.
I was kinda hoping that the false ads running in Ohio about Jeep moving to China would somehow tie back into some big profits for some of Romney's business interests, thereby getting him into some legal entanglements. I wonder if anyone has even bothered to look into it? Oh well...
The only way we will ever hold Republicans "responsible" is when Democrats learn to vote in the "off year" elections, and we Whip Their Asses in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022. By then we might be down to letting them meet in the Congressional basement men's room. We have to start being committed to smashing them as they are to defeating us. They usually win when we forget to bring guns to a gunfight.
I was kinda hoping that the false ads running in Ohio about Jeep moving to China would somehow tie back into some big profits for some of Romney's business interests, thereby getting him into some legal entanglements.
Check out the UAW et al complaint filed with the ethics committe about Mitt's conflict of interest in profiting from the auto industry bailout, filed last week.
Good thoughts at 7.3, TC. We also need for the Dems in the WH and in Congress to stand up for liberal/progressive ideals. They need to show the courage they've lacked for many years and stand up to Republicans, instead of allowing themselves to be run over.
Criminals will continue to support the Republican Party of Unindicted Traitors. But there aren't enough criminals to keep that party viable.
Jeff Flake will undoubtedly have a less dramatic electoral outcome than Richard M Nixon . Despite R M Nixons dramatic electoral polling predictions , and results , he and his entourage decided it was prudent to lie , cheat , and steal . It certainly is a Republican problem , fraud , lying , stealing , it may simply be in their DNA . Dear old Jeff Flake appears no more immune to the Republican comity with fraud than a childs ethics being challenged by a candy box .
Well, he is a Flake....
Check this out...
http://wonkette.com/488754/watch-this-pennsylvania-voting-machine-hilariously-refuse-to-accept-a-vote-for-barack-obama#idc-cover
Willard is going down. I hope Ryan does the same in his district -- last I heard was that it wasn't a lock. This is truly a pivotal election and Romney/Ryan would be a disaster, or a jumpstart for another revolution.
I don't think Joe heard the question. I think he just reflexively responded to the dumbass tone of a dumbass question.
On the other hand -- Clinton/Biden 2016!
I'd rather see another Obama/Biden (or Biden/Obama) ticket in 2016 - Michelle and Jill, that is!!
or, how about:
clinton/warren
?
This just in...the reason Republicans have been trying so hard to shorten the early voting has absolutely nothing with racism or trying to stop non-Republican voters from voting.
It's so they had more time to rig the voting machines!
Now you all have the full story. Glad I could help!
Someone needs to talk about Iran dropping its nuclear program to get out from under Obama's sanctions. It worked! Thank you Obama!!! We voted today, for a very smart man!
Funny how the folks in PA aren't asking for ID in oh, Fox Chapel, or Upper St. Clair or any other white majority neighborhoods around Pittsburgh. How nice for the racists to come out and show themselves. All that's missing is their white hoods. They should have been arrested.
In CT, Linda McMahon's campaign signs are in "Democrat" blue, rather than "Republican" red, an additional fillip to make the unwary feel more charitably about her perhaps?
Sounds like she may be ashamed to be a republican.
Sounds like she's a liar. The longer synonym for which is "Republican".
Voter fraud already? Hmmmm… Hope this is not true. http://youtu.be/oOj2IPulNPA
I would love for Joe to run in 2016. I campaigned for him four years ago and would do it again. I'll never forget the debate when Obama and Clinton kept saying "As Joe said..or I agree with Joe about this"... He's a brilliant man that unfortunately sometimes allows his brain to work much faster than his mouth. I think he has been instrumental in the successes of this presidency and would be an excellent POTUS.
My husband and I just left from voting in Pa. They requested photo ID which we had, when my husband said he thought it was not required they asked if he had photo ID- which he did and they wanted to see it!! What a Crock,,I thought that that was overturned in Pa. Oh well,, Keep it up Republicans so it will only be white men allowed to vote.
The judgement handed down suspended the requirement of having to produce an ID to vote, but the poll workers are still allowed to ask for ID.
I'm ok with voter ID, I'm just not ok with the way it was basically implemented, giving very little time for some folks to get proper ID in time for the election. Not to mention, PA was simply NOT PREPARED to handle the influx of requests to process all those ID's in time. Then, they made matters worse by changing what the requirements were every time the wind blew.
What we have to see now is "who" they are asking for ID. In my part of PA, we do have a decent hispanic population. I will be watching at my polling place when I go to vote.
Be observant while standing in line.
If the ID is not required, then it is NOT okay for poll workers to ask for ID.
Period.
The judge who ruled that way this morning against those doing it was clear on that point.
Don't like the repeated rules-changes about Voter IDs? Then be FOR Voter IDs and see the same games played eery election cycle.
Voting should be as easy as possible -- especially as the fraud allleged as excuse for the IDs doesn't exist, and the ID wouldn't prevent it if it did exist.
Why voting is not done on-line today is a mystery to me.. Even if you vote at a voting location, you should be able to be given a unique identifier and track your vote, see how it stands against the totals and at least make certain you were represented correctly. This isn't rocket science any more! This should be handled by an independent government organization with a complete on-line audit trail.. The current version is precarious, especially now with the use of "voting machines" that are owned or underwritten by partisan entities.. Can we get back to the 21st century please?
It's perfectly possible to make either on-line or e-voting secure. I do nearly all of my banking on-line. And when I get money from an ATM I can request a printed receipt. Turns out that Diebold makes ATMs; why can't they make a voting machine that does the same and issues a receipt showing your vote?
California has instituted on-line voter registration. I hope to see on-line voting soon.
The only problem with on-line voting is the encryption software needed to protect the information. Not that it doesn't exist, but in the shear cost in obtaining it. The encryption software banks use is 248 bit encryption I believe, and cost 10's of millions and in some cases close to a 100 million to buy. And since most election offices are financed through their states/counties. Most states/counties do not have that kind of capital to obtain that level of security.
@Calvin Lundy: The software to encrypt votes is free and available from sourceforge.net and it is called GPG (Gnu Privacy Guard) and it implements the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) as defined by NIST. This allows 248 bit (and higher in some applications) encryption. IOW: It is free and available now. No need to pay anyone.
We could use a bi-directional public key cryptography solution that would be open source and free to the public if we just invested the time to develop an application using the available tools. It could run on smart-phones and in web browsers. The bonuses would be that people would then be able to send encrypted emails with the generated keys for other government business such as signing documents, and approving expenditures. This scheme would make a special election (or any election) as inconsequential as setting up a dedicated web site.
However, we have to include the ability to cast a paper ballot just because there will be times when no one can get to a browser/cell phone as in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
*sigh* The problem with online voting isn't encryption. The problem is authentication. There is no secure authentication system that is suitable for online voting that doesn't lead to way more problems than it's worth. (i.e. biometrics, hardware costs, national identification systems, ease of spoofing and trojans that change information behind the scenes before transmission and/or give false confirmations.)
I loved last night's TRMS piece on Obama's first 4 years! His campaign should have hired Rachel to get the message out. I thought I had followed this presidency pretty closely, but I was shocked at how few of his accomplishments I remembered. GREAT JOB Rachel! Thank you.
Yes, it was good. I wanted to second that as well.
I agree. I also liked her piece on voter suppression as well.
i agree,, thank you rachel to tell the voters everything mr obama accomplished,,it was great and true most of all,, i wish the voters remember that and also remember bush and the bad he did and cheney with the ugly he did,,they are all with romney,,bad ,,so similat to bush politic mr obama all the way ' forward'
Why not a finger print scanner? Or an eye scanner? they are accurate enough.
Because finger print/ retina scanners some people feel are an invasion of privacy. And secondly they can both be faked. And retina scanners are inherently inaccurate if someone wears contacts, blind or has cataracts.
Cryptographic voting can be done safely and with certainty that no one is voting who is not authorized to do so.
The technique is called public key cryptography. It would require that you post a public version of your credentials with the elections officials and that you keep a private key to yourself. If we can enable this by setting up the key pairs and providing a person with his/her own storage media (like a smart driver's license) which uses an iris scan (more on this later) to unlock the key, then we could have absolutely safe and non-repudiate-able votes. (This means that one cannot vote and then claim that they did not vote because we could trace the vote.)
As to the general category of biometrics (fingerprint, retina, facial recognition and iris scans) we can reliably scan Irises (the brown/blue/green/etc. portion of your eye) from 30 feet away and they are just as or more reliable than retinal scans without increased false identifications or increased failed identifications over fingerprint or retina. In short, iris scans are easy, extremely difficult to fake and very good for Identification and Authentication. Further, no one in the government needs to have any record of your iris scan. It could be kept on your driver's license (if you have a smart card based driver's license) or other government ID only and used to unlock the secret key data listed on that card for voting and electronic signature.
The general impression that electronic voting is unsafe or can lead to abuse is ill informed. We can make this work if we want to do so.
I currently live in Florida, a fact I often try to hide when it comes to the sorry state of our politics. Voted by absentee ballot because I could not fathom tolerating the nonsense at our polls. Watching TRMS all week, and seeing all the trouble in Florida, the decision was obviously a good one. But if you ask me if I trust my mailed-in vote to count or even be counted? Not really. And that, right there, is why we need a complete overhaul of our election process including nonpartisan oversight. Every citizen needs to find it easy to vote and to feel confident their vote matters - regardless. Florida's example proves that the process is currently ridiculous, sad, infuriating, and simply wrong.
From FOX News:
"We the people must protect the future from bad ideas"
Latinos should vote Libertarian. Open borders but when you get here it is sink or swim.
This Hispanic did vote for some offices Libertarian, when there was only a choice of GOP or Libertarian, I went Lib.
Our election is being watched all over the world. I like to pull BBC from Great Britian, CBC from Canada and ABC (Australian Broadcasting Co). All three have had extensive coverage with lenghty articles on our election, as well as Sandy. The USA is not isolated from world view.