the only way to save this country is to save our elections . . . [View All]

[OneBlueSky]

and that's simply not going to happen . . . not without without some pretty radical action on the part of the Democrats . . . because . . .

first of all, the Republicans assert that there IS no problem with the current process, and it therefore doesn't need fixing . . . (even though they know this is a lie, of course) . . .

second, the chances that the Republican Congress is going to tamper with a system that guarantees that they continue to win elections in perpetuity are -- well -- zero and none . . .

the only way the system will be reformed will be if the Democrats do it . . . and that will require two things: 1) universal agreement among Democrats about what needs to be done, and 2) a strategy for getting it done . . .

before the 2006 elections -- which essentially means NOW! . . .

since the Republicans control the Congress and the presidency, the only strategy I can imagine that might have even a remote chance of actually accomplishing meaningful reform would be for the Democrats to shut down Congress until laws are passed that a) mandate paper ballots, and b) take back both the voting and the counting from private corporations . . . this can be accomplished, I believe, by simply staying away and thus preventing a quorum in either House for any other business . . .

will it happen? . . . not bloody likely! . . . most elected Democrats also don't believe there's a significant problem -- or at least won't admit to it . . . their corporate sponsors and their minions (particularly the media) are telling them that things are peachy, and that all this talk of stolen elections is nothing but more wacko conspiracy theories . . . tinfoil hat stuff . . .

so nothing meaningful will be done . . .

and the Republicans will win again in 2006 and in 2008 . . . just as they did in 2000, 2002, and 2004 . . . by simply arranging for the results to be in their favor . . .

unless the Democrats act . . . and act NOW! . . .

on edit: oh . . . and I should probably add "IMHO" . . . after all, WDIK? . . .