A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....09-18-03...."California Recall Ruling is more than you think"

JohnHuang2;Dutchess;Billie | JohnHuang2

[dutchess]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_bear, dansangel, Dutchess, Aquamarine, FreetheHostages

California Recall Ruling is more than you think

by JohnHuang2

Three weeks before voters too dumb for punch-card balloting are scheduled to punch their ballots in "California's historic recall, a federal appeals court (Monday) postponed the Oct. 7 election, ruling that the use of older punch-card ballot machines would disenfranchise those voters, especially poor and minority citizens," the Washington Post reports this week.

Deep-thinking analysts note deep-thinkingly that postponement enhances Gray Davis's "chances for keeping his job."

'Darn! Where was that Court when I needed it?' Saddam Hussein wonders wistfully.

"A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the American Civil Liberties Union that the use of punch cards in six urban counties would subject voters there to a greater likelihood that the ballots would be misread or discarded as happened during Florida's election fiasco in the presidential vote in 2000," added the Post. If poor and minority voters in these six urban counties vote next month, poor and minority voters will be disenfranchised.

Liberals now believe the use of older punch-card ballot machines is inherently racist.

The machines hotly deny the charge.

But there's more to this ruling than that. Far more. This decision is more than just politics and law. In fact, it may have escaped most pundits, but it appears the Court has broke new ground -- trailblazing into scientific discovery.

The Court says the voting system Californians have used for decades is no good and it would be terribly unfair to recall a governor who's no good under such a system. Why is it suddenly no good and unfair? Well, something really freaky happened in these six urban counties since last November, the ruling suggests: In these counties, poor and minority voters, whose I.Q.s were adequate in November for using 'older punch-card ballot machines' to re-elect Gray Davis, have since suffered a drop of 30-40 I.Q. points on average. Man, I hate when that happens! No one has yet pinpointed a cause, but the steep I.Q. drop has rendered poor and minority voters in these six urban counties unable to read punch-card ballots, the court decision suggests. Moreover, three weeks is hardly enough time to expect poor and minority voters, with diminished intelligence, to locate polling stations in these six urban counties, much less decide whom to vote for, or whether or not to recall the wonderful governor. Moreover, given their severe physical disability, dead voters will certainly need more than a month to trudge to the booth (though there's always the absentee ballot).

In its wisdom, the Court understands how grossly unfair it is to expect California to build democracy and hold elections sooner than war-torn Iraq, especially with this hideous affliction sweeping these six urban counties. In ruling that poor and minority voters in these six urban counties are too stupid to vote, the Court has come under fire for racism.

The Court hotly denies the charge, noting that while it believes minority voters in these six urban counties are currently too stupid to vote, the Court didn't think they were too stupid to vote last November. It isn't 'racist' to say there's a massive intelligence failure among poor and minority voters in these six urban counties, says the Court.

But therein lies a silver-lining: If the Court ruling withstands legal challenge, "the most likely date for the recall would move to March 2004 -- when every county in the state is scheduled to have the newer electronic touch-screen ballot machines in use." Pause for a moment and think about that, folks. Touch-screen ballot machines are trickier to use than punch-card ballot machines. Far trickier. This suggests the Court sees the condition of diminished intelligence and capacity among poor and minority voters as only temporary, ending sometime around next March -- just in time for the next elections! Isn't that wonderful? But more than that, by March, poor and minority voters in these six urban counties will actually be smarter than they were last November! Indeed, moving from simpler, punch-card balloting to high-tech touch-screen balloting -- a system these six urban counties have never used before -- should be a cake-walk.

In a related development, Democrats, citing "security experts," charge that high-tech touch-screen balloting is no good either because the system can be easily rigged. "Worms and viruses already have crippled computers around the world. Now computer security experts warn that hackers could cripple democracy itself," screams the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "They say hackers," especially racist hackers out to disenfranchise poor and minority voters, "could rig the touch-screen voting machines that states are buying to replace error-prone punch cards like those that tainted the 2000 presidential elections," the paper adds. Democrats like Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio demand an investigation into the racist touch-screen system.

"Kaptur fears that hackers," especially racist hackers with links to evil Republicans, "or even the voting machine companies themselves, could conspire to rig elections" -- a claim the voting machines immediately challenged.

To drive her point home convincingly, Kaptur powerfully provided no evidence for the charge. The voting machines declined to be interviewed for this article.

You may reach Rep. Marcy Kaptur via email at: MarcyKaptur@LaLaLandForDemocratsWhoBelieveInBlackHelicopterConspiracyTheories.gov.

Summing up, a Left-wing court in San Francisco postpones an election because it thinks black and latino voters in six urban counties are too stupid to use punch-card ballots to vote but they weren't too stupid to use punch-card ballots to vote for Gray Davis back in November, so the court decides voters too stupid to use simple punch-card balloting are smart enough to use high-tech balloting they've never used before but the high-tech balloting is better because it has a lower error-rate which is almost the same as the error-rate with punch-card balloting which is already below the national average, but that's not the point because, says the court, punch-card balloting is unconstitutional, but that doesn't mean politicians elected by punch-card balloting are unconstitutional, it's just that recalling politicians by punch-card balloting is unconstitutional and disenfranchises voters voting under such a system, based on the Constitution's 14th Amendment which produced the Bush V. Gore decision which liberals slammed at the time as election theft that disenfranchised minorities in Florida but Bush V. Gore is indispensable, say liberals, as a safeguard to keep minorities from being disenfranchised and thwarting election theft....

I hope it's all clear now.

---

Meanwhile, the chaos in Baghdad continues. A 41-year-old bystander was "killed by a stray bullet early Friday when an off-duty police officer exchanged gunfire with and wounded two men who he claims tried to steal his sport utility vehicle outside a downtown nightclub," NBC5.com reports. The Chicago Tribune says violence intensified over the weekend, with five men "killed in shootings Saturday and Sunday in" Baghdad, "according to police."

Oops! The Chicago Tribune and NBC5.com reports were local crime stories out of Chicago, not Baghdad. Apologies if my getting Chicago confused with Baghdad caused any, er, confusion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sky is Falling! Sky is falling! Part III

"Americans are expressing rising dismay with U.S. casualties in Iraq, declining confidence in the Bush administration -- and growing doubt whether the war was worth fighting," ABC News reports.

"Bush's own ratings have suffered in tandem with these concerns," says ABC News. "His approval rating for handling the situation in Iraq has fallen by 17 points since the end of April, from 75 percent then to 58 percent now. His overall job approval rating is down to 59 percent, matching its lowest since Sept. 11, 2001, in ABCNEWS/Washington Post polls.

Oh, no! I goofed again! This ABC News report dates back to July! July 11 to be exact, its headline blaring, Rising Doubt: President Facing New Challenges of Credibility and Casualties.

Okay, lemme try again...

"President Bush's job approval rating has dropped to 52 percent, close to the lowest level of his presidency, says a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll, released Friday," The Associated Press reports.

AP: "'We're right back where we started,' said Frank Newport, executive editor of The Gallup Poll. 'The public perceives the economy is poor. We don't see any sign of consumer pickup in our data. There's little question that Iraq is not helping and is probably hurting (Bush)."

The "poll of 1,025 adults was taken Monday through Wednesday" of last week, "after the president's nationally televised address on Iraq," the AP notes.

However, after plunging Monday, Tuesday and early Wednesday of last week, Bush's ratings have since bounced back, the dramatic rebound beginning in the afternoon hours of Wednesday, September 10. During the early morning hours that day, the President's job approval rate was 52 percent, as CNN-Gallup reported. But by early Wednesday afternoon, the President's job approval rate soared to 58 percent, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post Poll. The morning-to-afternoon turnaround in Bush's numbers seemingly caught most analysts, who predicted the Bush meltdown would continue, by surprise.

But wait! A Fox News Opinion Dynamics Poll, taken Tuesday and Wednesday (Sept. 9-10), indicates the Bush rebound began in earnest on Tuesday, not Wednesday, a whole day earlier than I thought two minutes ago in this column. hmmmm. Since the CNN-Gallup and Fox News Opinion-Dynamic survey periods overlap, this raises serious questions. Was there ever a 'Bush meltdown' last week to begin with? CNN-Gallup pegged Bush at 52 percent early last week. The pundits wrote Bush off for dead. Fox News Opinion Dynamics pegged Bush at 58 percent early last week. The pundits said that poll doesn't count because the pundits wrote Bush off for dead. But CNN and Fox can't both be right. Then, to complicate matters even further, ABC News-Washington Post, in a poll conducted Wednesday-Saturday (Sept. 10-13), pegged Bush at 58 percent. By my math, that's 2 against 1.

"We're right back where we started," said "JohnHuang2," executive spammer of Free Republic. "The public still perceives the Democrats as poor alternatives. We don't see any sign of political pickup in our data for Democrats. There's little question that Iraq and the War on Terror is not helping and is probably hurting them." ;-)

Anyway, that's...

My two cents...

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 09-15-03...Military Monday 09-16-03...This One's For You T Man 09-17-03...Florida - The Sunshine State

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[dutchess]

[dutchess]

It's Thursday and time for another dose of reality from our FINEST resident author, JohnHuang2. Please stop in and join us for as he "nails the dems" once again.

[WaterDragon]

A truly GREAT article!

Maybe the Court would be willing to say that Gray Davis' election was illegal because he was elected by the punchcard voting method (or whatever they were using) and so there won't even be a need for a recall since Davis wasn't legally elected anyway.

But then, who would be governor? Not Bustamente. He also was illegally elected.

To make the election of a governor truly fair, make Californians line up and voice vote, in front of TV cameras and recording machines.

No. That would be unfair. That would disenfranchise physically mute voters.

[dutchess]

God Bless Our Military
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Mama_Bear; Dansangel; Dutchess; Aquamarine; or FreetheHostages and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~

We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son BeAllYouCan Be............son Tiffee4Bob............boyfriend The Mayor.................niece consort...2 daughters, son-in-law Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty kimmie7......................brother Texkat.............son, stepson spruce...............daughter bkwells..................active duty

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear.........2 nephews gator girl............husband severa................husband MozartLover......son, nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Diver Dave................niece deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons kneezles...................son Darheel..................niece dixiesass..............nephew LadyX..............grandson AgThorn................2 sons valerieUSA............2 sons StarCMC.......brother atomic conspiracy..halfbrother atomic conspiracy..niece, nephew

[GailA]

This is one of John's best yet!

[GailA]

Just a thought...since Under God, In God we trust is so OFFENSIVE to this court, that would make MONEY offensive too...why not WITH HOLD their paychecks...that aweful money, which has that offensive wording on it.

[The Mayor]

[JustAmy]

Looks like you have the idiot 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals pegged!!

Someone should charge this Court with racism! LOL

Thanks for the excellent read, John.

[JustAmy]

Thanks for today's thread, Dutchess!!

[JustAmy]

Thanks for yesterday's thread, Angel!!

I only read part of the thread but have bookmarked it for later.

[dansangel]

To drive her point home convincingly, Kaptur powerfully provided no evidence for the charge. The voting machines declined to be interviewed for this article.

I am ROFL!!!! This is insane and you, (((((((JH2)))))) have done a wonderful job, once again, of exposing the insanity!

(((((((dutchess)))))) - thank you for presenting us with our weekly dose of John!

[dansangel]

Hi ((((((Amy)))))))

Thank you and hope you enjoy. Have a wonderful Thursday!

[WaterDragon]

Two things I never learned to love.....grits and chicory in my coffee!

[Calpernia]

There were a few mentions on the 'Fresno Threads' that this may be related to FR hate group reference. Any opinions?

[Calpernia]

Morning to the Finest!

[FreeTheHostages]

Great pictures! LOVE the punch card! Oh my goodness, the calendar really doesn't work today. It gives me the dreaded red X. Would you accept, in lieu of the calendar, Tuesday's? Tuesday is almost a Thursday. It's just a question of a few little letters . . . .

[FreeTheHostages]

Thank you for the grits. The sky is a lovely graded grey as the hurricane approaches. Time to eat lots of grits!

[Dubya]

Good nail job John. Good morning all. I'm off the work.
Dub

[LadyX]

~ Maggie Malone Exclusive II on Hurricane Isabel ~

Last night I posted an on-the-scene report from where Isabel is expected to land in North Carolina, thanks to a friend of 31 years.
Here is a link to how they prepare on his island strip for these storms -
yes, he, too, was is a Marine!
This area is just below Morehead City, NC.

The Weather Channel has been reporting from Atlantic Island, which is about 25 miles east of Bernie's home on Emerald Isle.

Click Here

This morning, Bernie sent an Update just for The Finest to have!

(Note there already are looters present to take advantage of the situation.)

===================================================

We had a good night's sleep and were up by 4:30 this morning. At that time we were experiencing some 25 mph winds with gusts up to around 35 but nothing worse than that. Rain was soon to follow and by 7 o'clock we had some heavy rain and gusts forceful enough to almost flatten the Pampas Grass.

There must be some real pressure out there for water is seeping through our plywood panels. The storm is expected to be at its strongest by noon to 3 pm. I would expecting gusts to 80-85 mph with sustained winds around 50-60 mph.

The ocean is a sea of white froth with little beach erosion at this time. High tide is 1:57 this afternoon and that is when the winds will be at their highest, so that will be the time we may lose some dunes.

We have our scanner on during the storm to keep up with what may be taking place on the island. It appears the police have already found people wandering the island that have no business here. The bridges are pretty well guarded but there are those who will travel across the sound side of the island to loot as soon as the strong winds subside to where it is safe to cross in a boat. The police department has divided the island into sections with two officers patrolling each section. They will look for any obvious damage to houses, electrical wires down or looters.

I will now return to watching Isabel do her thing and marvel at God's handiwork, as well as His might. Do you ever wonder at the gentleness of God, as His angels touch our daily lives and yet be amazed at the strength of His wrath.

Bernie

==============================================

Will give any more updates as received - - due to hit in about two hours or so...

[Calpernia]

You do know I'm going to be screwed up all day now with the date.

Plus, TTM is going to be ALL OVER YOU.