So, with the report of the Legislative Auditor (which you can read here, you don’t have to take my word about it) this Ritchie sombo is probably drawing to a close — it’s worth thinking about why it really happened.
It happened because Republicans hate Mark Ritchie. They brought out the big guns — they called him a communist! It doesn’t matter that the USSR fell when I was 7, there is nothing more hateful to a Republican than a communist. Not even the French. And they saved this archaic insult for Mark Ritchie — this is a lot of vitriol dude.
This was an attempt by Republican operatives, right-wing activist legislators and a blogger who has made a specialty out of politicizing the Secretary of States office to reverse the results of an election they didn’t like. It was a stunt, coming from the party of stuntery (see: the Governor’s stunt press conference yesterday.
Remeber yesterday when Michael Brodkorb at Minnesota Democrats Exposed sniffed
“From a political and public relations standpoint, Ritchie has been damaged. Sadly, so has the office he occupies.”
It’s true that the office has been damaged — hell, Democracy has been damaged. It’s now safe — when you don’t like an elected official, when you don’t agree with them, smear ‘em. Just pile it on. It doesn’t matter how baseless the charge is, just pile on until you get them to quit. Congratulations MDE — you wasted the time of the state of Minnesota on a baseless attack because Mark Ritchie beat your BFF. Now gosh — if there was just something else they could be doing with their time.
And finally, if you want to know the core reason, the deep down dirty secret that Michael Brodkorb doesn’t want to own up to — the reason why he wants to get Mark Ritchie so bad is the same reason why Ray Cox is sitting at home when the Senate comes to session later this month.
Mark Ritchie is a tireless advocate for same day registration, and Republicans and Mary Kiffmeyer really really don’t like same day registration (making it easier for people to vote makes it harder for Republicans to win elections) — anyone care to guess how many of those votes in Northfield were same day registrants?
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same day voter registration just stinks of fraud, how many of those same day voters know any thing about anything? Congrats, your party is better at manipulating sheeple
Since when is knowing anything about anything a requirement to vote? Are you suggesting a literacy test john? Sean
Not knowing anything about real issues or how real economies work or how the real world conducts itself is how Reagan and Bush got elected. In Bush’s case though, to be honest, it was more about rigging elections.
Where is all this voter fraud the Republicans like to discuss (I don’t think the mean Florida)? No election is perfect, but there has never been any evidence of widespread, pervasive fraud.
“Sheeple” are still entitled to vote,john, however ill-informed you may regard them. Where does your contempt for democracy come from?
Randy you are right! Where is all the fraud people like Richard are claiming? He claims the election for President Bush was rigged yet offers no evidence.
As is with most of the liberal cries, facts are often ignored.
So then you can provide me with facts proving large scale voter fraud due to same day registration?
the problem I have with same day registration is that it makes it too easy for parties to go out and scoop up a bunch of folks who otherwise would not have voted and offer “prizes” for them going in to vote.
Voting should take a little effort! If you truely care enough to vote, than you should care enough to get registered and and be ready come the day of the election. Should you think you will have a problem getting to the polls, the state offers other ways of entering your vote.
I believe the reason why democRats fight tooth and nail for this is because they know a significant amount of their voters are just the kind of people I mention. The DFL here locally has gone out with busses and picked up loads of people and get them to go in and vote DFL. I am sure it also happens on the GOP side too, just not to the same degree. I think it would be good for all of that to stop.
Voting is a right, but should be looked at as a privelege! We would all be better served by attaching some level of resposibility to the voting process.
Sean what is your reasoning for same day?
While I am in favor of same day registration I think the idea of requiring reasonable safeguards against fraud are important. Even if there has yet to be any large scale fraud shown the potential does exist. I also don’t like electronic voting without a paper trail. With both pure electronic voting and the honor system registration the potential for fraud undermines the publics trust of our system.
Asking people to provide election officials with some sort of evidence of their address isn’t a big enough burden that it should outweigh ensuring a valid election. In no way does such a step equate to a poll tax. All we would need to do is provide free state identification for anybody and ask schools to put addresses on student I.D.s. This and the ability to use recent utility bills and copies of leases, etc. should be fine. This would be a small price to pay for such an important link in our system. The same goes for the costs involved with providing paper trails for electronic voting. The idea that we should reduce the integrity of our elections simply to provide for the tiny percentage of people that would not make such a minimal effort is ridiculous.
BK, when Republicans talk about “voter fraud,” they mean unauthorized voting. They do not mean the systematic denial of the franchise that allowed President Bush to claim victory in Florida.
There is a big difference between the two.
“The problem I have with same day registration is that it makes it too easy for parties to go out and scoop up a bunch of folks who otherwise would not have voted and offer “prizes” for them going in to vote.”
So, prove that has happened. It can’t be hard. You’ve got facts and proof right?
The reason I support same day registration is it makes it easier for folks to vote — and I can’t think of anything in our civic life that is more important than voting. Sean
Sean,
Ease of voting has to be balanced with integrity of the system. Otherwise your vote doesn’t mean much.
Also there are an almost infinite number of things more important to being responsible citizen than voting. Stuff like not stealing from or assaulting people. Voting is only the most important thing for those who think our lives should be run by the government.
Sean, Mea Moua did just that years ago! She even admitted that she went out and filled a bus full of people she would vouch for and get their votes in. We have many reports over the years of the DFL picking up these people and trading Ciggs and booze for votes.
Randy, do you mean the FL supreme court who was not following the law and was trying to give the election to Gore?
the law was followed and the even more funny part of your claim is no one was able to get the counts needs for Gore to win unless you threw out the military vote which Gore did try to do. Whine all you like but the fact of the matter was that Gore lost his ass because he was a terrible candidate and you know it! Same with Kerry! you LOST twice, no fraud what so ever. 
By the way, did I tell you all who you will be voting for president in November. Why it will be Hillary of course. Silly liberals, did you actually think Clinton would just sit by and let that punk get past her? ;)
Actually, I was referring to the systematic purge of African-Americans from the voting register in Florida. I didn’t say a word about the Bush supporters who used physical intimidation to shut the recout down.
Try reading the Supreme Curt’s decision in Bush v. Gore sometime. See how happy with the Court’s jurisprudence you would be if it were Bush trying for the recount, instead of the other way around.
Keep crying Randy, unfortunatly for you not much of the world see’s it the way you are dreaming up. Ever notice how the whole “he stole the election” thing has died off?
Kind of like the Wellstone was killed ideas, they are just not based in reality.
Somehow though I did not figure you for a black helicopter kind of guy. Who knew? ;)
“Ease of voting has to be balanced with integrity of the system.”
We have arguably the easiest voting procedure in the country. You concerned about the integrity of our system? Seen much evidence that the integrity of the system is compromised?
Also there are an almost infinite number of things more important to being responsible citizen than voting. Stuff like not stealing from or assaulting people. Voting is only the most important thing for those who think our lives should be run by the government.”
Hmmm… methinks we disagree here.
The key bit to ‘citizenship’ is a Government to bestow it — and thankfully we get to decide our Government through voting. And all of the things you say “not stealing or assaulting people” rests on law, and a Government to enforce those — which again, we get through voting. Sean
Ever hear about a tyranny of a majority? Most of our constitution is set up to check the power of the majority and government. Voting is supposed to be our way of checking the tendency government has to grow and oppress it’s citizens. Voting was never meant as a method to manage almost every aspect of our lives as it now does.
As for evidence of a compromised voting system goes I guess you didn’t understand my post. As you can see evidenced in this thread and on almost every blog in the country the fact that there is a high potential for fraud is enough to make people believe that our last presidential election was stolen. Integrity in the system includes our confidence in it, without that democracy is meaningless.
Our system being the easiest also means it is the least likely to leave evidence of fraud. Making sure each vote is legitimate is every bit as important as making sure that everybody who wants to vote can. A fraudulent vote cancels out a legitimate one. This can’t be about a system with either integrity OR access. It has to be as close to perfect for both as we can get.