tinfoil: why DHS asked for authority to delay election

[shockingelk]

I've not seen an argument how delaying the election in response to a terrorist attack could be good for Bush other than they'll keep delaying it the next time, and the next time ... which I believe is quite ludicrous.

I don't find the following ludicrous though:

An alert is issued indicating terrorists are planning to deliver biological weapons over West Coast cities using small aircraft. The day of the election, two small planes go missing in CA, whereabouts unknown. An alert is issued that residents of large urban areas on the West Coast should remain indoors and seal the windows. Enough do so for Bush to win California. DHS responds to criticism, ":nopity: We wanted authority to delay the election if necessary, but we didn't get it. This is exactly the type of situation we wanted to avoid."

More importantly though, and this has nothing to do with theories - conspiracy or otherwise: I expect my polling place to be open, fully staffed and accessible by road on election day. I used to live in coastal N Carolina and can think of several days when hurricanes would have prevented large numbers of people from making to their precinct. I believe it's a good idea to decide on what will happen in the event of the closing of an entire precinct on election day.

It could be as simple as this: If, on Election Day, a polling place is closed or inaccessible by road for a majority of those living in the precinct, arrangements will be made to reschedule voting in that precinct one week after the originally scheduled election. What's wrong with that idea?

[maggrwaggr]

1. one problem with that theory:

the biggest scardee-cats in the world are republicans.

They are the ones who would stay home.

Democrats would win CA and yadda yadda yadda.

You're missing the point of delaying the election. If he is allowed to delay the election, we will probably NEVER HAVE ANOTHER ELECTION until after Plan B (and we're not allowed to talk about Plan B).

It's not a "delay" or a "postponement" it's a "we'll have elections at a point sometime to be determined in the future. In the meantime Hail Ceasar."

[shockingelk]

3. I'm not suggesting to give DHS anything they want

I'm suggesting that it's a good idea for everybody to decide what to do if any type of catastrophic event effectively disenfranchises people who's polling place - or an alternate location that day - was not accessible on Election Day.

We KNOW the Republicans would favor the decision beneficial to their candidate if the debate (read: lawsuit) happens after election day.

It's altogether fairer to have a plan in place before hand. Recall last year when most on New England and into the Midwest was without electricity. How many people could have voted at that time?

As per Repubs being scardy cats, generally agreed, but they don't exactly have a large presence in large urban areas.

[bossfish]

2. I always vote absentee anyway...

Travel for work and all...

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. Delaying the election doesn't extend the term though.

Talk of it is just to keep the fear alive. Even if there were no election, Bush's term and his cabinet end in January. Then the secret shadow government takes over. :tinfoilhat:

[shockingelk]

5. I believe it actually goes like this:

The Senate picks the President and the House picks the VP. Something like that.