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Some thoughts on the morning after.
Posted by Skinner
Added to homepage Wed Nov 03rd 2004, 10:48 AM ET

I cannot possibly put into words how disappointed, angry, and perplexed I am right now. The reported results coming out of Florida and Ohio simply make no sense to me. I cannot comprehend how we could have such a massive increase in turnout and not win the election. To paraphrase that little weasel Tucker Carlson: You don't wait in line for five hours to vote for more of the same. Who knows, maybe some people really would wait in line for more of the same. But my impression is that something just stinks here. As EarlG told me this morning: The result is either massively fraudulent or deeply disturbing.

Are we going to Ohio? As it became clear last night that this race was not over, I posted this Call To Arms. I talked to EarlG and Elad last night, and we all agreed that we have a moral responsibility to do whatever we can. If the Kerry campaign needs warm bodies to protest, stuff envelopes, make coffee, or generally raise hell, then we are going to go to Ohio and help do it. I hope lots of other Democrats join us. But before we go charging blindly into war, we need to figure out what the heck is going on. We are keeping our eyes on the TV and the Internet to find out what the Kerry campaign and folks in Ohio (and maybe Florida) have to say about the situation. If we think we can help in some way, then we're going to go.

What happened? I have no clue what happened. As I said above, I find the result to be extremely hard to believe. In my disappointment, I find myself drawn to a number of possible explanations, some of which raise legitimate questions that need to be answered, and others which may just be the result of wishful thinking. We've got an incredibly smart and motivated group of people here. We need to consider all of the possibilities. If any particular idea has potential, then we need to pursue it. I have already seen many very compelling theories put forth on this message board, and I'm sure we'll hear lots of other ideas coming from other bloggers. Hopefully some of them will pan out. But I would caution everyone to avoid jumping to any conclusions. As much as we don't want to believe it, it may turn out that--to put it bluntly--the other side got more votes.

We have already had some very interesting things posted on DU since last night. Of particular interest to me were the following:

This post and this post suggest that exit polls closely match reported results, except in those states that had electronic voting machines with no paper trail. This definitely deserves more scrutiny.

Also, there was this post asking why the massive increase in turnout isn't showing up in the final numbers. Or is it? This needs to be looked into.

With these in mind, I would be curious to see someone do a comparison of Florida and Ohio to all the other states, to see 1) if the increase in turnout in FL and OH is comparable to what we are seeing in other states, and 2) if the FL and OH are showing a similar change in results to other states when compared to the 2000 results.

Keep an eye on the DU Blog on our homepage, which will highlight the most compelling posts on this board. If you don't currently read the DU homepage, I suggest that you start doing so. It is a good way to stay informed about the latest developments posted here. (And don't forget to "Nominate" those topics that you think need more attention.)

It's not over yet. Don't lose hope. And don't turn against your friends. We have already had some pretty ugly threads posted here. People are angry and upset. And some people here already seem to be turning against each other. Please stop. During this time, we need DU to be a place where we can find comfort and support amongst friends. (Note to disruptors and flame-baiters: The moderators are as angry and disappointed as I am right now, and their tolerance for the usual crap is very low.)

John Kerry hasn't conceded this election yet, and neither should we. As long as he thinks there is hope, then we're going to stick with him.

Hang in there, everyone. We need each other more than ever.

David Allen
"Skinner"
DU Admin

PS: I know we've all got other stuff on our mind right now, but I need to point out that DU was the only liberal political blog that had super-fast response times last night. We had the most traffic we've ever had. All night, we were averaging well above the level of traffic that we had during our highest debate-night spike. I know it's a small consolation under the circumstances. But I think it would be a shame if this monumental achievement went unnoticed.