I think the GOP has given up on winning a fairly contested election.

[KlatooBNikto]

Because of this realization, all its efforts are now focused on deariling all democratic processes.In 2000 they used the Supreme Court's Felonious Five to deny Al Gore his Presidency. In 2004 their efforts have broadened to disenfranchisement of Black and Hispanic voters, voter intimidation, false counting of votes and so on.If necessary, the Felonious Five are always available.

Unless the Democrats refuse to play along with the charade of elections they will never be able to win any elections. The only solution is to demand an impartial panel to oversee all vote counting, observation of polling booth practices and review of all votes with paper trails available in case of disputes.

[Javaman]

1. And you only came to this conclusion now?

Living in texas, it's a way of life that started with moron and moron rove. They just took the show on the road.

[LisaLynne]

2. I sadly suspect you are right...

And as long as the RW can keep up the pretense of normalcy, they will get away with it. The American public seems, in general, to be so complacent and doped up on Pepsi and a steady stream of TV that I don't know if there would be anything blanant enough to get them to revolt in any real way that would stop the RW.

[peacetalksforall]

3. The machines must be thrown out. They are a license to steal.

Four machines? All built by Republicans?

[Kahuna]

4. No duh.

nt

[Selwynn]

5. I think we should start focusing on the more important issue.

The fact that the election was close enough to steal in the first place. Despite every horrible thing that has happened in the last four years, despite living under the worst president in modern history who failed at every aspect of his job and cost innocent Americans and innocent people all over the world their lives -- despite overwhelming well documented evidence of Bush's total disaster as president...

..the election was still close enough to steal. Before any vote was cast, polls showed Bush and Kerry basically within the statistical margin for a tie, give or take a couple percentage points. It is ridiculous and inexcusable for it to be that close in a situation like we have been in with Bush. It DEMANDS that we ask the following question:

1. What is ineffective about the Democratic party that causes us to be unable to win a clear and decisive majority of opinion to our platform and candidate even when running against one of the worst presidents with the worst records of all time?

2. What is EFFECTIVE about the Republican party that causes them to succeed in capturing the minds of so many people even why they are totally screwing them (the "What's the Matter with Kansas" scenario)?

We shouldn't ask the second question in order to be just like the Republicans. That's the philosophy of the DLC and in addition to being morally wrong, its also a losing strategy. Why would voters vote for another of the thing they already have? But we need to be asking the questions and studying how the right - ESPECIALLY the religious fanatical right has methodically being seizing more and more power over the last two decades. And we need to look carefully at the corruption and cronyism in our own party leadership and clean house.

The most important observation isn't that the election was stolen. The most important observation is that it is ridiculous and telling that it was ever even close enough to steal in the first place. We failed before Americans ever went to the polls. A statistical dead heat of a race in a year when the incumbent is one of the greatest modern disasters of leadership ever to take power, is a failure of colossal magnitude.