We have to make an example a Clermont County!

[Joanne98]

I don't believe Jean Schindt won anything. I believe they stole this race. We may not be able to absolutely prove it, but we can get enough "oddities" to make the criminals in Clermont County miserable. If Jean Schindt wants to go to congress this way, let her. Because she is now the poster girl for corrupt Ohio politics. We have to make sure that they think twice before doing this in 2006. The only way to do that is to send the rest of Ohio crooks a big message by beating this Clemont County outrage to death. I'm not letting this go. I'm not letting ANY stolen elections go. Everytime they do this we have more evidence. Everytime they do this we know more than the time before. We need to study every move they made for "lessons learned" purposes. We have to stop this somehow.

[Joanne98]

1. This is my first idea. We need a whistleblowers fund......

We need to be able to give finacial relief to whistle blowers. They will be more willing to testify if they didn't lose their houses after they got fired. We need a whistleblower that actually worked on the fraud. But everybody gets fired for talking now. If we can provide money and maybe even security they would be more willing to come forward. It's just a thought. I have to go to work. Bye.

[Old and In the Way]

2. Asking questions and understanding a system that is controled by

one Party is not a bad thing. Lets open the process to the light of day and make it more democratic...isn't that the whole point of having elections in the 1st place?

[theHandpuppet]

3. Clermont County has always been rabidly Republican

Y'all have to understand that there are two different worlds within the 2nd District. Schmidt is a rabid foe of reproductive rights and plays that card for votes among Cincy's conservative Catholic majority. In some areas of the country where Catholic congregations are more liberal there is much less of a tendency for any candidate to draw one-issue voters to the polls. (Note: the anti-choice issue is also strong among the area's fundamentalist, evangelical Protestant congregations, which are also very conservative.) These one-issue voters can effectively cancel out traditionally Dem voters among the Cincy area's more populous minority voters.

The four easternmost counties of the district, which went for Hackett, are just as heavily Protestant, rural and much poorer, with very small minority populations. Culturally, they are what is considered among the state's Appalachian counties. Schmidt's anti-choice platform doesn't play as well in these counties, where economic distress directs voters towards broader priorities and one-issue, anti-choice votes are unlikely to sway an election.

Breakdown of religious denominations and income for "red counties"

Hamilton County:
http://www.thearda.com/FR_Index.html?/RCMS/2000/County/...
In 2002, the per capita personal income in Hamilton County was $35,883. This was an increase of 22.1% from 1997. The 2002 figure was 116% of the national per capita income, which was $30,906.

Clermont County:
http://www.thearda.com/FR_Index.html?/RCMS/2000/County/...
In 2002, the per capita personal income in Clermont County was $29,638. This was an increase of 25.3% from 1997. The 2002 figure was 96% of the national per capita income, which was $30,906.

Warren County:
http://www.thearda.com/FR_Index.html?/RCMS/2000/County/...
In 2002, the per capita personal income in Warren County was $30,955. This was an increase of 15.8% from 1997. The 2002 figure was 100% of the national per capita income, which was $30,906.

Compare the above statistics with those for the four "blue" counties:

Scioto County:
http://www.thearda.com/FR_Index.html?/RCMS/2000/County/...
In 2002, the per capita personal income in Scioto County was $20,914. This was an increase of 17.9% from 1997. The 2002 figure was 68% of the national per capita income, which was $30,906.

Pike County:
http://www.thearda.com/FR_Index.html?/RCMS/2000/County/...
In 2002, the per capita personal income in Pike County was $20,845. This was an increase of 15.9% from 1997. The 2002 figure was 67% of the national per capita income, which was $30,906.

Adams County:
http://www.thearda.com/FR_Index.html?/RCMS/2000/County/...
In 2002, the per capita personal income in Adams County was $19,660. This was an increase of 21.4% from 1997. The 2002 figure was 64% of the national per capita income, which was $30,906.

Brown County:
http://www.thearda.com/FR_Index.html?/RCMS/2000/County/...
In 2002, the per capita personal income in Brown County was $22,815. This was an increase of 15.3% from 1997. The 2002 figure was 74% of the national per capita income, which was $30,906.

As you can see, Ohio's 2nd District is very polarized. I'm a native of Scioto County and went to college in Cincy, so I know both sides of the district's personality very well. I don't think there was any thing surprising about Clermont County's vote -- they just have too many stupid fascists living there.

[winga222]

4. Agreed

I think that the Hackett campaign needs to make sure that things were done fairly. However, I agree with Handpuppet. I think the vote out of Clermont County was in line with the district and, yes, I've lived in Cincinnati most of my life. Spot on description of "two" Cincinnatis. I'd never want to stop anyone from investigating what happened. However, don't freak out if the Hackett campaign accepts the results and is thrilled by what they did achieve. I sure as hell am thrilled. Yes, I'd have liked a total victory but what happened yesterday was huge. Hackett didn't win the seat but he helped turn the tide.

On the other hand, yes, Kerry won Ohio in November. I'd suggest we spend more time finding out how they stole that one and concentrate on our next victories in 2006. Just my two cents.

[theHandpuppet]

6. A slight quibble here...

I wasn't speaking of the "two Cincinnatis" when I referred to the polarized nature of the 2nd district itself. Those of us in the four eastern counties do not consider ourselves just another extension of Cincinnati, as Clermont and Warren certainly are. The western and eastern parts of the district not only vote differently, they are very different in terms of income, history and demographics.

But like you, I really don't find Clermont's votes surprising at all. In fact, the Republicans have been so confident about having the Cincinnati area's votes snugly in their pocket that I think that wouldn't be the most likely place to search for voter fraud. I believe it was traditionally Dem areas that were targeted, or at least those areas where the vote could have gone either way. The Repugs never had their doubts about Cincinnati.

[Kelvin Mace]

5. This looks correct

The fact that Hackett got 42% in Clermont is very bad news for the GOP.

My understanding is that the county uses optical scan systems so there are paper ballots and due to equipment problems, they were *hand-counted*.

I would certainly double-check the numbers, but it looks like they won. That said, we need to pursue the scandals in Ohio and bring down Taft, Blackwell, and the rest of the criminals.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Voting irregularities have been a GOP hallmark since 2000

Holding the voting report from Clermont County while waiting to see how many votes were needed to win, while an election official is blaming the humidity for affecting the ballots, should have raise red flags among all rational persons.

We have to take control of the voting process. We have to be as aggressive as it is legally possible to make sure that there is no ballot stuffing going on. We must also challenge the voting systems that, five years after Bush v. Gore, are still non-standard within the states.

We need to raise Hell about the GOP practice of changing voting locations at the last minute and, lastly, we should all work for election reform that includes proportional representation.

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. What are the oddities that we are going to use?

:shrug:

[Kingofalldems]

9. Read up sir

Has the GOP ever done anything shady in your book? Just asking.

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. Oh course they have

As have Democrats. Is there any proof of funny business in this particular election? Does Hackett seem like the kind of guy who will keep his mouth shut about it? :shrug: