International Monitoring of US Election Called 'Frightening'

CNS News ^ | 8-9-04 | Roch Hammond

[hedgetrimmer]

If you create a sense among a group of people that
1. they are incapable of governing themselves
2. they are incapable of holding a fair election
then you are creating a sense that someone must come in do it for them.

This action is the action of a government trying to persuade its own people that they are incapable of acting in the full faith of their constitutional government.

[Cedar]

"I have already been told by one of our True Conservatives (tm) that they do not care what I say and that any explanation that is factual is *belittling* their opinion.

What we have here are folks who adore our few minority bomb throwers and have been looking for an excuse to stand on their so-called principles and not vote or vote for whatever-his-name-is, the isolationist, anti-Israel, so-called Constitution Party candidate who is probably not even on that many ballots."

No, you are wrong. In reference to me (the one who said you were belittling my opinion)-- it was not because of facts you presented, but the illustration of the guy you knew..."he carried around a copy of Einstein's Theory of Relativity and pulled it out whenever possible to make points on science. He may or may not have really understood it, but it sure impressed anyone who didn't."

Sorry, I'm probably just too sensitive-- I should have ignored your remark.

But again you are wrong on the voting point also. Because
I very definitely plan to vote, and I will be voting for George W. Bush for President. I am strongly pro-life, and Bush is my only choice for President.

Then again you say: "Several of us have spent several threads trying to explain the situation. They do not want an explanation. They want to foment dissension."

And I have to say it once again, you are wrong. I have no desire to "foment dissension." My statement was that no matter what you say, regardless of the explanations you give, I still do not think that we need foreigners to monitor our elections. That is my opinion on this issue.

Please, you are way off base on these accusations. Let's try to remain on good terms in our discussions here at FR.

[reformedliberal]

If I was wrong, I do apologize for it.

We are all quite tense as the future of our country and indeed, perhaps our very lives and those of the people we love, are at stake.

I appreciate your vote for the POTUS and I side with your pro-life stance.

My experience on the left, although it seems like a long time ago, was at the edge of what I call *cadre*: grass roots activist leaders. They take great delight in the single issue citizen on the right and go to great lengths to facilitate dissension among us. If you trace back some news releases, like those from Environmental News Service, for example, which fomented dissension on the Farm Bill: that agency is fully run and staffed by former Gore staffers. We also have people on the right who will throw ideological bombs at our side on the various hot-button issues, as well. Some folks are so far right, they are indistinguishable from the far left in tactics. I have known some of these folks IRL. Some are hoping for a hot CWII and some are what I called keyboard cowboys. Whichever, they harm our cause and can get Kerry and other Donks elected by scaring the moderates.

No one wins nationally w/o moderates. In phone polling I have done recently for the campaign, about 1/2 of Bush supporters describe themselves as *in the middle* on right-to-life, meaning they would only support an abortion ban w/the inclusion of exceptions for the life of the mother. This is just FYI and as an explanation, pertinent to your important issue, of how the election is stacking up, at this point. Only about 1/3 of Bush supporters are concerned about Kerry's tax policies. Honesty and security seem to be the major reasons for the majority of supporters.

SO: I have no wish to fight with anyone supporting our candidate and I respect &/or share a lot of the issues that are important to many.

I did not mean to belittle anyone, either. I apologize if I made you feel that way.

I do think that a lot of us are operating on our last nerve.
I am pretty sure that I am, anyway. I am so furious at the press bias, there are no words I can use here to describe my feelings. We will have to thrash out our differences within the right/center right after the election, whether we win or not. If we don't find common ground, we will be a coalition of minorities for the rest of my life.

Back to the topic of this thread: I do not think this administration is about betrayal of America. Just the opposite. I agree with those who have characterized the observer issue as a straw man. I do have a lot of suspicion about those who throw out straw men and I can become exasperated by those who then light a match.

[longtermmemmory]

I think this is a state department think.

Much of the state department is infested with career beareacarats who LOATH hands on politicians.

They STILL hate reagan for killing their cushy nuclear treaty jobs when the USSR is around.

IF the president goes around eliminating enemies then the state department becomes an arm of the commerce department.

Somebody AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT should loose their job over this, at the minimum kill their carreer.

[aruanan]

The State Department's invitation for an Austrian human rights group to monitor this year's U.S. presidential election is a "frightening" development and "an absolute threat" to America's independence and sovereignty, according to the head of a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C.

In one way, but in another it could be a "Come over here and see how the real thing's done." Well, on the other hand, in places like Chicago, St. Louis, West Palm Beach, etc., they wouldn't see anything they weren't already familiar with.

[Cedar]

Thanks for responding. Glad we understand each other a little more!

I share your feelings about the media bias. It's forced me to now just briefly scan even the local paper here. Amazing how they can be so bold with their liberal slant. For my own peace of mind, I've decided on the quick skim of their writings (and I don't even watch the major networks' news anymore). Life is better without their bias.

With your deep involvement in the campaign (for which I am grateful), I can surely understand those tense feelings, as you are more on the front lines of battle than many of us.

As an explanation, what bothers me (and maybe bothers others like me) is that what once was considered normal and sensible thinking is now considered to be far right.

This shift in thinking throughout the country, gradually adapting a more liberal point of view, is not good.

To remind people of the original standards in this country (of morality, good policy, etc.) is why I feel obligated to speak out on certain issues.

[reformedliberal]

Yeah, I agree w/you on all of that.

What I have been told by left wing *change agents* is "People want to be good." Since *good* has been defined by inculcation as whatever cause the left is pushing as a current hook for the agenda of turning us into a centrally-controlled state, people adopt the beliefs that are being pushed as *good*. After 40 years and a couple of generations of this full immersion into leftist re-education, they are the mainstream.

What makes me hopeful are the numbers of young people I meet IRL and read on the net, who are obviously rebelling against this. I believe that liberty and individualism are hardwired into the human spirit, just as capitalism is what people naturally practice if government doesn't interfere. This is what helps me go on when I feel totally oppressed by the echo chamber in which we live.

I know the media is worried: the newspapers have lost the 18-34 year-old women and TV has lost their male counterparts. Both get news and analysis on the web and play computer games for entertainment. FNC, for all the frustration of its centrist positions, is beating out the left wing outlets for news junkies and for people who just watch one news cycle a day or one show in prime time.

We have 40 years of this to overcome. It is going to take 2 generations to set the culture back on track. I probably won't see it happen, but I pray it does and I think we have a shot.

[eeriegeno]

IMHO, it is absolutely 'none of their business' how we conduct our elections.

[TigersEye]

Your lack of manners reflects poorly on your upbringing. I consider this conversation ended.

What you know about my family would fit comfortably in the same thimble as your understanding of law and the Constitution. Your rudeness and arrogance will not be missed. Good day.