Big G.O.P. Bid to Challenge Voters at Polls in Key State

The New York Times ^ | 10/23/04 | MICHAEL MOSS

[Minn]

I think all this hype and scrutiny is wonderful. Most of the Rat dirty tricks are only possible in a lax environment.

They can have all the lawyers and goons they want at any given site. All it will take is one good guy to thwart them all. They watch us. We watch them. Since they are the ones intent on fraud and dependent on it, we benefit from the standoff. The dead, the felon, the non-citizen, the multiple voter, the impersonator and the ballot box stuffer won’t be aided in the least by the presence of lawyers, as long as the Republican observers are vigilant and assertive. The tense atmosphere created by all the eyeballs will only serve to intimidate and discourage potential cheats.

All their post election caterwauling about disentrancement will be as phony as it was last time around.

[NutCrackerBoy]

I don't think [the piece] is wildly biased. -NutCrackerBoy

That said, let's examine the only two overtly partisan quotes in the piece.

The organized left's efforts to, quote unquote, register voters - I call them ringers - have created these problems. -James P. Trakas, the Republican chairman in Cuyahoga County

I think it's sick that these Republicans are up to dirty tricks at the polls. I believe thousands of votes were lost in 2000, and I want to make sure that doesn't happen in Ohio. -Ronald Magoteaux, 57, a mechanical engineer

The first, by a labelled Republican official, sounds overly accusatory in the context of the piece; but it is pretty well based in fact.

The second, by an unlabelled person, designated as volunteer poll watcher acting out of concern for new voters (awwwww, isn't that sweet) makes a wild unfounded accusation of dirty tricks.

There is bias in the piece.

[pctech]

I agree. I'm just glad to see that the GOP isn't laying down and letting the rats walk all over them. I just hope we don't have to worry about voter fraud.

[Happygal]

Is there much evidence in the past of Rep. voter fraud? (You will have to forgive me, if my question sounds naive. I'm in Ireland, and not completely au fait with all US political issues)

[fire_eye]

The hilarious thing is that the Demonrats are so delusional they think the Republicans are up to "dirty tricks" at the polls. Their "watchers" are going to get there and discover their own ilk doing all the cheating.

Meanwhile - in a final irony - just the presence of poll watchers is going to deter a lot of Demonrat cheating, simply because there is somebody watching - even though that somebody would probably go home and stop "watching" if they knew it would help the Demonrats commit fraud!!

[pctech]

Republican no, although one can never rule that out. Republicans have more honor than compared to our demoratic counterpart. We believe in doing the right thing no matter the consequences.