Friday, October 31, 2014

DEMS THREATEN VOTERS ...

ThugBama                      


      Dems threaten reprisals against non voters



Democrats are telling voters that they had better head to the polls — or else.

The committee — chaired by former Gov. David Paterson — defended the scare tactic, calling it standard practice throughout the country.
The New York State Democratic Committee is bullying people into voting next week with intimidating letters warning that it can easily find out which slackers fail to cast a ballot next Tuesday.

“Who you vote for is your secret. But whether or not you vote is public record,” the letter says.

“We will be reviewing voting records . . . to determine whether you joined your neighbors who voted in 2014.”

It ends with a line better suited to a mob movie than a major political party: “If you do not vote this year, we will be interested to hear why not.”

The letter and accompanying post card was criticized even by party members, with one Democratic consultant saying it was the wrong way to inspire votes.

“It’s a threatening letter. It’s a scare piece that is unnecessary and inappropriate,” the insider said.

Brooklyn and Manhattan residents who received the note Wednesday were furious, calling it an attempt to browbeat them into showing up at the polls.

“I’m outraged. Whether I vote or not is none of your business!” said a Manhattan voter, who was so incensed that she complained to a local Democratic leader.

“The letter is ludicrous and menacing,” said the voter, who requested anonymity.

The woman also received a report card of her voting record, pointing out that she had failed to vote in two of the last four elections.

Overall, the notices were sent out to 1 million registered Democrats who had failed to vote in previous midterm elections, according to the group.

The committee — chaired by former Gov. David Paterson — defended the scare tactic, calling it standard practice throughout the country.

“This flier is part of the nationwide Democratic response to traditional Republican voter-suppression efforts, because Democrats believe our democracy works better when more people vote, not
less,” said Peter Kauffmann, a committee spokesman.

“The difference between Democrats and Republicans is they don’t want people to vote and we want everyone to vote.”

Paterson declined to comment.

The mailer has a phone number on it that goes to Election Protection, a nonpartisan voting organization.

The organization said it had received a “significant” number of calls about the letter.

Such attempts to shame people to vote — what politicos call “social pressure” or peer pressure — has become more common place and was used by the Obama campaign in 2012, sources said.

A Yale University study in 2008 found that voter participation increased substantially after lazy voters received letters telling them their spotty voting history was a public record that would be scrutinized.

The notice includes a “vote report card” rating New Yorkers’ voting records as “excellent,” “good,” “fair” or “incomplete.”

“Many organizations monitor turnout in your neighborhood and are disappointed by the inconsistent voting of many of your neighbors,” it says.

The letter came a week before heavily favored Democratic Gov. Cuomo faces off against Republican Rob Astorino.

Cuomo was not behind the shame letters, party sources insisted.

But Astorino scoffed, “Andrew Cuomo’s thuggish tactics just crossed the line into creepy territory . . . Threatening and intimidating people is not how honorable elected leaders operate.” [New York Post]

I know, you're seeing this story everywhere, but I want it in my archives. 



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Unplugged

Maryland Vote Fraud




  Waiting For Al Franken To Win In Maryland







Last week we saw how "Early voting in Illinois got off to a rocky start when votes being cast for Republican candidates were transformed into votes for Democrats."  This week the same charges have been leveled here in Maryland. 
Democratic candidate Anthony Brown says he’s confident the board will address all issues.

“I think we should always be vigilant to make sure that voters can cast a ballot and that it’s accurately recorded,” said Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, (D) Maryland. In a statement to WJZ, board officials say “election officials receive similar reports in every election.

Post-election analysis (?) has shown that this is caused by voter error. Voters with large fingers or long nails or voters who hold the touchscreen with their palm resting on the screen seem to report this issue more frequently.”  ahem

Okay, I'm listening to Tom Marr (WCBM) this morning, and a women calls about her voting experience in Queen Anne's County (MD). It went something like this.


Woman, voice shaking ( ...  after I voted for Andy Harris (the only elected congressional Republican  from Md.) I checked my ballot to make sure I'd filled everything in and thereright in front of my eyesmy vote for Harris disappeared and moved to the Democrat!  I raised my hand and the election judge came over.   I explained what just happened and he asked, "Well, did you fix it?".  I went back and changed it to Harris, then watched  for a few minutes to make sure it didn't change again before punching out. 

After the Ellen Sauerbrey stick-up in 1994, I doubt there's many non-Liberals in this state who have faith in the outcome of any close race.  The explanation that long fingernails, or hitting the screen with a palm is responsible is lame to begin with, but impossible when the change appears on the review screen.  So, either this lady is lying, or this is a prima facie case of machine code being "tweaked" by you-know-who.