They’re out to get you, Obama! (Ultra Barf Alert)

The Statesman ^ | October 1, 2008 | Johann Hari

[2ndDivisionVet]

In five weeks, I hope to look back on this column with a wry chuckle at my paranoia. If the system works, Barack Obama will take the White House.

The two issues John McCain is most closely associated with, invading Iraq, and deregulating the economy, have produced history-snatching catastrophes in the eyes of 80 per cent of Americans.

In the first debate, McCain revealed he had nothing to say except more of the same: aggression abroad, market fundamentalist ideology at home. So why am I worried? Obama is only a few jittery points ahead in the polls, and he has yet to face an October Surprise. This is an old term in US politics, invented when, on the eve of the 1968 election, Lyndon Johnson announced a halt to the bombing of Vietnam. It was a desperate attempt to push the Democratic nominee, Hubert Humphrey, over the finish line, and it failed. But October Surprises need not come from the opposing party. They can come from anywhere.

The first and worst would be the reappearance of Osama Bin Laden. Just five days before the 2004 election, he released a video effectively endorsing John Kerry. He told Americans to imagine corpses crying: “Call to task those who have caused our death!” and said they should “return to what is right, rather than reward the liar in the White House”.

Why would he do this? Bin Laden’s long-term strategy is to “provoke and bait”. He explains to his supporters: “We conducted a war of attrition against Russia with jihad fighters for 10 years until they went bankrupt. We are continuing in the same policy, to make America bleed profusely to the point of bankruptcy. To achieve this, all we have to do is send two mujahideen (to a remote, irrelevant area) and raise a piece of cloth on which is written ‘Al-Qaida’ in order to make the (US) generals race there, to cause America to suffer human, economic, and political losses.”

This is his goal, in his own words, to bleed America through irrational, wildly expensive wars that will tilt thousands more fanatical young men from Islamism to full-blown jihadism. So who would you want in the White House? The guy who will wean the US off Middle Eastern oil and the wars and tyrannies it supports to get it or his opponent? Bin Laden is a monster, but he is not an imbecile. He knows that his endorsement is a kiss of death. The man he publicly praises is the man he wants to lose. Kerry failed to expose Bin Laden’s trick; Obama must do it as soon as the tape hits the air.

Beyond this, there could be a 4 November surprise: the Republicans may try to steal the election. Again. They loudly claim to be concerned about voter fraud, even though a New York University study recently found that it “is more likely an individual will be struck by lightning than that he will impersonate another voter at the polls”. But in the name of this paltry risk, they are effectively stripping millions of people, overwhelmingly black and Democrats, of their vote.

Their first vote-stripping tactic is to require elaborate voter identification that black people disproportionately lack. For example, in Indiana, a crucial swing state, Republicans have passed a law requiring voters to bring an official government document bearing their photograph to the polling station. But a study by the University of Wisconsin found that 53 per cent of black adults didn’t have a passport or driving licence, compared to 15 per cent of white people. So they can’t vote unless they travel for hours (often without a car) to a sparse government registry and queue for half a day to get the correct documentation. The former political director of the Texas Republican Party, Royal Masset, explains: “Requiring photo IDs could cause enough of a drop-off in legitimate Democratic voting to add 3 per cent to the Republican vote.”

Their second tactic is to strip the electoral rolls of black names. In almost all US states, criminals lose their vote for life. This is shocking in itself, it disenfranchises a quarter of all black men in Kentucky, for one. But many states have a sloppy process where they simply scrub anyone with the same name as a criminal off the list. So if there is a criminal called “Chris Wayne” in a county, every black man called “Chris Wayne” loses their vote. That’s a lot of Democrats.

In Florida in 2000, black voters made up 13 per cent of the electorate yet they were 26 per cent of the people wrongly disenfranchised.

When a judge ordered the release of the paperwork, he found out why. The team under Florida governor, Jeb Bush, had ordered that black criminal names had to go, but Hispanic names were not to be touched. Black Floridians overwhelmingly vote Democrat, while Hispanics lean towards the Republicans. The Bush team said this was “absolutely unintentional” and “a coincidence”.

This time, the Republicans have added another group to strip from the rolls. James Carabelli, a Republican Party chairman in Michigan, says: “We have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses.” These voters are supposed to register from their new addresses, but many are out of time, or too stressed to do it. So the Republicans have launched a national “voter challenge campaign” against honest people who have lost their homes. They know that 60 per cent of sub-prime mortgages went to black voters, and virtually everyone who lost their home is angry with the Republicans.

If these acts of electoral sabotage go ahead on 4 November and tilt the election in McCain’s favour, Obama needs to learn from Al Gore’s mistake. As the recent HBO film Recount shows, Gore was consensual and statesmanlike, in the middle of a knife fight. He sent urbane professors to make his case, while the Republicans drummed up mobs that physically stopped the vote-counts in Palm Beach County while the clock ticked. If the need comes, Obama needs to call fraud by its real name, and fight.

I hope I’m being too cynical. I hope I’m wrong. But it would be wise to fasten your seatbelts: it’s going to be a bumpy month.

[2ndDivisionVet]

What kind of Bizzaro World does this man live in? Al Gore "consensual and statesmanlike?" Hahahahaha!

[Cindy]

Video: "Obama's Terrorist Bill" (Added September 30, 2008)

IBD EDITORIALS: "ACORN's SENATOR" by Investor's Business Daily (September 30, 2008)

Link

Video: "Obama and Fannie Mae" (Added September 28, 2008)

Video: "Family Told Obama NOT To Wear Soldier Son's Bracelet because he turned it into a Campaign/Media Event!! Video/Audio of Ryan Jopek's father" (Added September 28, 2008)

Video - "BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE: WHAT CAUSED OUR ECONOMIC CRISIS?" (September 30, 2008)

VIDEO: "Burning Down The House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis? (V2)" (Added September 27, 2008) (Click Here.)

VIDEO: "Covering Your Fannie, Who Really Caused Our Economic Crisis?" (Added September 19, 2008) (Click Here.)

Video: "Timeline shows Bush, McCain warning Dems of financial mess" (September 24, 2008)

Video: "Shocking Video Unearthed - Democrats in their own words..." (Added September 26, 2008)

Video: Children Singing for Obama [My Title] (Added August 26, 2008)

Video: "Hitler Youth Camp" (Added May 12, 2006)

[Post no. 16] - ARCHIVES - Topic: BIDEN & OBAMA (aka B & O) (September 28, 2008 -- Click Here.)

[LibertyRocks]

I see the are setting things up nicely for when Obama loses for there to be riots in the streets. Add this to the prognostications of Obama’s Advisors who are saying he should win in a “landslide” despite the polls, and it becomes even more apparent (to me at least) that they are doing everything they can to destroy our country - one way or another.

[Paisan]

..and deregulating the economy...

I stopped reading right there...

[SaintDismas]

You’ve got to be kidding me.

[Cindy]

I didn’t even bother to read it.

Obama is a typical democrat.

Democrats are always in victim mode.

[REPANDPROUDOFIT]

(...by requiring photo ID...) they (Republican polling officials) are effectively stripping millions of people, overwhelmingly black and Democrats, of their vote.

a study by the University of Wisconsin found that 53 per cent of black adults didn’t have a passport or driving licence, compared to 15 per cent of white people

(...foreclosed homeowners...) These voters are supposed to register from their new addresses, but many are out of time, or too stressed to do it.

So the Republicans have launched a national “voter challenge campaign” against honest people who have lost their homes. They know that 60 per cent of sub-prime mortgages went to black voters, and virtually everyone who lost their home is angry with the Republicans.

I am speechless!!!!!

[just me]

"" but many are out of time, or too stressed to do it.""

Can you say to lazy to follow the law?

I forgot there are two sets of rules for Democrats and Repulicans.

[dirtbiker]

From Wikipedia:

Johann Hari (born January 21, 1979) is a British journalist and writer. He is a columnist for The Independent, the Evening Standard and the Huffington Post. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, Le Monde and Ha'aretz.

One of his most frequent topics is opposition to man-made global warming. He is a prominent supporter of the climate change protests camps in Britain , and has reported from Bangladesh, a country he says is doomed to drowning by global warming. He is a critic of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank arguing instead for global social democracy and a "re-regulation of the global economy."

He has campaigned for nuclear disarmament through support for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He is a supporter of the international legalisation of drugs, as he has argued that criminalisation of drugs causes more problems than drug use itself, particularly in fuelling armed gangsterism.

Just another hard left moonbat British "journalist"....

[thecabal]

These voters are supposed to register from their new addresses, but many are out of time, or too stressed to do it.

If a person thinks these are legitimate excuses, they don't deserve to vote. I don't know what it is like in other states, but in Oregon the registration form couldn't be much simpler: name, address, party affiliation, and ID number. If that's too much for you or stresses you out too much, you are too damn stupid to have the honor of voting.

On the other hand, these "underprivileged" folks seem to have no problem navigating the labyrinth of government BS that's necessary to get their favorite entitlement benefits.

[dirtbiker]

Let's try this: (Not enough coffee, yet.)

From Wikipedia:

Johann Hari (born January 21, 1979) is a British journalist and writer. He is a columnist for The Independent, the Evening Standard and the Huffington Post. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, Le Monde and Ha'aretz.

One of his most frequent topics is opposition to man-made global warming. He is a prominent supporter of the climate change protests camps in Britain , and has reported from Bangladesh, a country he says is doomed to drowning by global warming. He is a critic of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank arguing instead for global social democracy and a "re-regulation of the global economy."

He has campaigned for nuclear disarmament through support for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He is a supporter of the international legalisation of drugs, as he has argued that criminalisation of drugs causes more problems than drug use itself, particularly in fuelling armed gangsterism.

Just another hard left moonbat British "journalist"....

[Marinefamilyx3]

What a bunch of crapola. I guess they’ve forgotten about all the dead people who vote democrat. Here in NC I don’t even have to show any kind of ID to vote. I just walk into my polling place, tell them my name, and am directed to a booth. Talk about easy state for voter fraud. I’ll be surprised if Obambi DOESN”T win NC. God knows how much fraud will take place in Charlotte and the Triangle area.

[dirtbiker]

In VA, you have to show either a photo ID or a voter registration card before you are handed a ballot.

This could change since we have had 2 dim governors now....

[dirtbiker]

God knows how much fraud will take place in Charlotte and the Triangle area.

Gotta get the Mexican illegals' vote, dontcha know....

[Allegra]

Wow.

This JoAnne Hari guy is waaaaay out there.

[BerniesFriend]

(...by requiring photo ID...) they (Republican polling officials) are effectively stripping millions of people, overwhelmingly black and Democrats, of their vote. a study by the University of Wisconsin found that 53 per cent of black adults didn’t have a passport or driving licence, compared to 15 per cent of white people

(...foreclosed homeowners...) These voters are supposed to register from their new addresses, but many are out of time, or too stressed to do it.

So the Republicans have launched a national “voter challenge campaign” against honest people who have lost their homes. They know that 60 per cent of sub-prime mortgages went to black voters, and virtually everyone who lost their home is angry with the Republicans.

I am speechless!!!!!

Don't be speechless..be amazed at my diabolical plan..mwaaaahh..mwaaaahhh..

[Right Wing Assault]

virtually everyone who lost their home is angry with the Republicans

They were angry with the Republicans before they ever dreamed of buying a house.

[machogirl]

this is worthy of a PROJECTILE VOMIT ALERT

[VigilantAmerican]

“But many states have a sloppy process where they simply scrub anyone with the same name as a criminal off the list. So if there is a criminal called “Chris Wayne” in a county, every black man called “Chris Wayne” loses their vote. That’s a lot of Democrats.”

WTF?? So what about the white men named “Chris Wayne”??

The author is a scumbag. ACORN has been cold busted for election fraud numerous times. Gore tried to cherry-pick only certain counties in Florida that would have given him a favorable result, and Bush v. Gore stopped him in his tracks.

[dinodino]

Why do I find it difficult to believe that 53% of black adults don’t have driver’s licenses? Are we to believe that they don’t drive, have never driven, and have never had to cash a check at a bank and thus have no picture ID at all? Sounds bogus to me.