Posted on 09/27/2004 7:27:50 AM PDT by Phlap
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A repetition of problems that plagued the 2000 US presidential election is likely, former US president and veteran elections monitor Jimmy Carter said, charging that "basic international requirements" for a fair vote are missing in Florida.
Reforms passed in the wake of the debacle have not been implemented due to lack of funding and political disputes, Carter observed in a hotly-worded opinion piece in Monday's Washington Post.
"The disturbing fact is that a repetition of the problems of 2000 now seems likely," he said.
"Some basic international requirements for a fair election are missing in Florida," including non-partisan electoral officials and uniformity in voting procedures, he said.
Florida's top election official four years ago also chaired the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign in the state, and her successor is showing "the same strong bias," Carter charged.
"A fumbling attempt has been made recently to disqualify 22,000 African Americans (likely Democrats), but only 61 Hispanics (likely Republicans), as alleged felons," he said.
Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood has also appeared eager to get independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader (news - web sites) on this year's state ballot, "knowing that two-thirds of his votes in the previous election came at the expense" of Democrat Al Gore (news - web sites), Carter went on.
"She ordered Nader's name be included on absentee ballots even before the state Supreme Court ruled on the controversial issue," Carter said.
Florida's governor, President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s brother, has "taken no steps to correct these departures from principles of fair and equal treatment or to prevent them in the future," he said.
"It is unconscionable to perpetuate fraudulent or biased electoral practices in any nation," Carter wrote.
"With reforms unlikely at this late stage of the election, perhaps the only recourse will be to focus maximum public scrutiny on the suspicious process in Florida."
The Carter Center has monitored more than 50 international elections, most recently in Venezuela and Indonesia.
Carter, a Democrat, led a bi-partisan commission charged with recommending changes to US electoral processes following the 2000 vote, ultimately decided by the US Supreme Court, which halted recounts of contested ballots in Florida after a weeks-long draw.
Now, in Iraq, they had a fine model of a fair and balanced election. Electorial officials were not partisan, as there were no multiple parties to side with. Also, the ballots were nicely done up with a single checkbox on the sheet. Easy enough for the most feeble-minded.
"DEMOCRATS setup and controlled the voting process. T'warn't a republican that chose butterfly ballots!
Palm Beach county is hardly a republican stronghold..."
Exactly.
Republican vote? Must be a mistake...this is a Democrat county...disqualified.
Nader vote? Must be a dimpled chad somewhere...ah got it...disqualified.
Gore vote? There's some in that pile of ballots the precinct captain dropped off over in the corner.
There's an "if"?
I can almost see the party of peace threatening and encouraging riots if they don't win. I hope I am wrong, but this is not a good sign of peaceful intentions if they are using the supposed nice guy image of Carter as the led for it.
Don't forget giving away the Panama Canal!
It may be nothing unusual, but it does seem to me to be a clear conflict of interest for government's top election official, whose job it is to see that an election is conducted impartially and according to the law, to have a partisan position of importance in that election.
Rosalyn, please take this guy out for his walk more often.
And of course the irony of them trying to disenfranchise voters by keeping Nader off the ballot is lost on them.
But, in their minds, Nader being on the ballot disenfranchises Democrats.
Amazing
Hmm...criminals and lunatics are likely Dem or Nader voters, is that what's he's saying in between the usual drooling and spittle?
Oh, well, it's Jimma - can't expect anything more from the old boy.
Yes, you have to show your license. But no, you don't have to prove you're a citizen to get your license. The recent flap about changing the law to allow illegal aliens to get drivers' licenses has obscured the fact that states (quite rightfully) allow legal aliens to get licenses, and those licenses to my knowledge have no markings on them that denote the holder is not a U.S. citizen.
Translation: "The reason we lost is not that our candidate was a moron and we slithered in the lowest regions of crap to come up with mud to sling creating a new low in politics, it's because of Bush. My broken toenail is because of Bush. The Twin Towers is because of Bush. My son won't work and watches Star Trek all day eating brownies because of Bush. I can't drive my SUV and talk on my cell phone on welfare wages because of Bush. This is all Bush's fault....."
I disagree. I think it's Carter's fault. All that lust....
"I still haven't figured out what the problem was with those punch-card ballots."
Nothing. It was simply the the excuse they manufatured to demand a recount so they could pull Gore votes out of thin air. Not enough votes this time? Recount 'em again.
Behold the second of the two DNC talking points, for November:
One: Iraq = Vietnam.
Two: Bush Stole The Election.
NOTHING about the present. All about the past.
After W's big victory. Three: Impeachment!!!
I thought of that too. I don't think Soro's will go down easy.
I can actually picture Kerry and the Dem petitioning the World Court and the U.N. for a do-over if they lose. That is the idea behind getting U.N. inspectors and Carter involved. The whole point is to marginalize America and portray her as just another third world country.
The current party of the left, which used to be Democrats, is now a conglomerate of communist[Kerry/Fonda] and lefty lunatics from around the world acting as a Fifth Column to undermine American interests.
That's why this election is so important. America's sovereignty is at stake.
The National Guard has been doing a lot of civil disturbance training recently.
We're not taking chances.
His head has always been up it.
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