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Ohio voter turnout falls short of expectations (Less not More: Did conservatives stay home?)
Ohio.com ^ | Nov 05, 2008 | Stephen Majors

Posted on 11/06/2008 5:52:55 AM PST by xzins

COLUMBUS: Ohio's 2008 presidential election was memorable for what it wasn't: controversial, plagued by problems, record-setting, crucial to winning the White House.

After partisan bickering that set the stage for controversy, and the persistent memories of failures in 2004, the 2008 presidential election was extremely quiet in Ohio on Tuesday with few problems reported.

However, despite balmy weather with temperatures in the 70s, turnout looked likely to fall significantly below the 80 percent mark that had been projected. There was a chance it had not even hit the 72 percent mark reached in 2004, which set a record in Ohio for a presidential election. Turnout reports ranged as high as 86 percent in Perry County, while many counties hovered in the 60s and low 70s.

Despite having clinched President Bush's re-election in 2004, Ohio simply played a supporting role in 2008, as Democrat Barack Obama won the presidency with relative ease.

Still, the race for the Ohio's 20 electoral votes was tight. According to unofficial results, Obama won by about 200,400 votes out of 4.5 million cast. Bush had won Ohio by about 118,000 votes out of more than 5.5 million cast four years ago.

The campaigns of both Obama and Republican John McCain campaigns said they were satisfied with how things went across the state.

(Excerpt) Read more at ohio.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: elections; ohio
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To: CottonBall
he and Obama just copied each other

One of the constant problems during this campaign was that we couldn't contrast McCain with Obama, because too often we'd discover that McCain had the same, or nearly the same, position as Obama did.

And when he didn't, he didn't highlight it.

Rev. Wright

Guns

Abortion

Marriage

etc.

81 posted on 11/06/2008 8:05:08 AM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain Pro Deo et Patria)
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To: cripplecreek

We also tend to go conservative with ballot initiatives but approved stem cell research and medical marijuana this time out.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research is asking for trouble and like most liberal policies, will be taken to an extreme.

HOWEVER,

What is wrong with medical marijuana? What is wrong with legalizing drugs? Obviously the people do not see it being a problem for medical use. The only people who think it is this great issue and we need to be saved from "drugs" seem to be people involved in government or brainwashed by years of government propaganda.

I should have a choice of what I want to put into my body. All Americans did have a choice until government expansion started. Talk about a money racket and a lack of freedom. Good grief.

The government does not know best for us. Yet, a lot of our side, (some of our perfect do know wrong conservatives /sarc ) act like drugs being legalized should be/or is strictly a liberal point of view. Bull crap.

Conservatives = Less Government, Drugs = Illegal. Government interference says so,

Drugs Should be Legal = LESS government interference = Conservative value.

How hard is that to understand? Please explain that to me.

82 posted on 11/06/2008 8:23:22 AM PST by 08bil98z24 (Disgusted, Disappointed, Demoralized)
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To: 08bil98z24
How hard is that to understand? Please explain that to me.

I didn't ask for an argument on legalizing drugs, nor did I indicate which way I voted. It's a perennial ballot issue that fails by wide margins here year after year. Now suddenly it passes by a fair margin and I question it.

Vote fraud is an important issue to me, legalization is one I couldn't care less about
83 posted on 11/06/2008 8:31:02 AM PST by cripplecreek (The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
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To: icwhatudo; ilgipper
In other words, either:

a. Get 650,000 more voters to the polls

b. Eliminate 650,000 fraudulent voters

c. Or change 325,000 minds.

From Day One, McCain was an inferior candidate who failed to excite the base -- indeed, he was often at odds with the base. Only the selection of Palin made him competitive.

We're really not that far away. But we need good conservative candidates who, once they get to Washington, will do what they've been sent there to do.

84 posted on 11/06/2008 8:33:19 AM PST by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Ignorance on Parade)
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To: boxerblues

“Voters in Ohio had to show a valid ID”

Actually, they didn’t. The guy in front of me had his hands in his pockets stating he used to live in the neighborhood; his name was nowhere to be found; he had no ID, no utility bill, no nothin’ and he got to vote by provisional. Everyone I talked to saw the same thing at their polling locations. It was rampant.

Here’s the reference about voting without ID:

REQUIREMENT TO VOTE:
Every voter will be required to provide proof of identity before voting. The form of identification that you may use includes your current and valid photo identification card, military identification, copy of utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or government document showing your name and current address. (Note: You cannot use as proof of identification a notice the board of elections mailed to you.)

If you do not have, or fail or refuse to provide, the required proof of identity, you may cast a provisional ballot.

http://74.125.45.104/search?q=cache:aRsNhBkc3MoJ:www.electionohio.com/trumbull/+ohio+board+of+elections+no+identification&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us

It didn’t help that when you called the McCain campaign, you were greeted by a voice mailbox that was always full. Many of the elderly conservatives weren’t happy with the negative campaigning and ‘stories’ and gave 0bama sympathy votes. Everyone has an opinion on what went wrong. I hope the GOP starts interviewing conservatives and yes, even RINOs in Ohio while their memories are fresh. It’s over now, but there were some good lessons learned. Hopefully someone is taking notes.


85 posted on 11/06/2008 8:33:40 AM PST by JavaJumpy
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To: xzins
The timing of the crash/bailout deserves study. Could it have been coincidence? Sure.

Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac triggered the economic crisis.

Given that both were run by Democrat hacks who were taking direction from more Democrat hacks in the Congress (and especially from the Congressional Black Caucus), there is every reason to suspect the timing of the affair was managed for partisan purposes.

Maybe it was a coincidence. But it's more likely that it wasn't...

86 posted on 11/06/2008 8:39:10 AM PST by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Ignorance on Parade)
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To: xzins
Unfortunately, after having a “moderate” (=liberal) candidate chosen for them, many conservatives stayed home (just like 1992). The Democrats were effective in obfuscating Obama’s true values., so many voters never developed the quite justifiable fear and loathing.
87 posted on 11/06/2008 8:41:59 AM PST by Mad_Tom_Rackham ("The land of the Free...Because of the Brave")
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To: weegee

The people that sit out are just as much to blame for the demise of this nation as the people that vote for a communist.


88 posted on 11/06/2008 8:49:37 AM PST by rlferny
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To: JavaJumpy

I worked the polls in Ohio, yes we did have people come in with no ID and they did vote provisional...on the envelope you had to give either a drivers licesnce number, last 4 digits of your SS# along with other information. When that information can be verified the envelope would be opened up and the ballot removed for counting....our local BOE is still in the process of verifying thousands of provisonal ballots with many being trashed for lack of information


89 posted on 11/06/2008 8:51:48 AM PST by boxerblues
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To: okie01

democrat modus operandi

demand toxic solution.
blame republicans when toxic solution collapses
demand bipartisan ship for “solution” and decry truful observations of blam as partisan opportunism.
take credit for all solutions until next crisis.

OBAMA(taxes) is irrelivant to market recovery. The market will recover in time for obama(taxes) to stand in front of parade.


90 posted on 11/06/2008 8:53:31 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: xzins
there was a suggestion on Ohio’s major radio station, wlw700, this morning that conservatives stayed home.

Right. Conservatives turned out for Sarah Palin; RINO's were the ones that stayed home or voted for Obama.

91 posted on 11/06/2008 8:56:33 AM PST by who knows what evil? (G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: reegs

this is the tip of the iceberg. The obamareich’s justice dept will squelch any gop/conservative efforts to clean up voter fraud as “intimidation.”


92 posted on 11/06/2008 9:04:09 AM PST by stan_sipple
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To: 08bil98z24

What is the middle ground?

Why is controlling drugs different from controlling speed on our roads and interstates?


93 posted on 11/06/2008 9:16:33 AM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain Pro Deo et Patria)
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To: boxerblues

I worked the polls in Ohio, yes we did have people come in with no ID and they did vote provisional...on the envelope you had to give either a drivers licesnce number, last 4 digits of your SS# along with other information. When that information can be verified the envelope would be opened up and the ballot removed for counting....our local BOE is still in the process of verifying thousands of provisonal ballots with many being trashed for lack of information

____________________________

Thank you for posting that information. It gives me some reassurance!


94 posted on 11/06/2008 9:22:57 AM PST by JavaJumpy
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To: TonyInOhio

Exactly. We have to completely re-think the “turnout” rule.


95 posted on 11/06/2008 9:25:19 AM PST by LS ("Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually." (Hendrix))
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To: Thane_Banquo

We don’t know anything yet because all the votes haven’t been counted. Last night, there were still 60,000 ballots in Montgomery County alone. This morning, they still have 10,000 provisionals. Let’s all wait for all the votes to be counted before we decide if the turnout is higher or lower.


96 posted on 11/06/2008 9:26:39 AM PST by LS ("Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually." (Hendrix))
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To: JavaJumpy

The media has distorted Ohio voting regulations, SoS Brunner did not help anything and did in fact make the local elections boards job harder than it needed to be. We were not without problems and were instructed to let anybody who come in to vote do so but had to vote provisional and not on the machines if they were not on the books.


97 posted on 11/06/2008 9:36:38 AM PST by boxerblues
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To: madison10

Makes sense to me. A good case can be made for refusal to continue participating in a dysfunctional near-criminal process. In each cycle of presidential elections over the past couple of decades the incidence of illegal voter registration and illegal ballotting has gotten worse, and during each between-election interval half-hearted efforts to correct the problems have been accorded lip service, at best.
Now that liberals have gained total, unquestionable control, we may be assured that illegal voter registration and illegal voting can only become more prevalent.
Anyone have a remedy to offer?


98 posted on 11/06/2008 10:32:57 AM PST by Elsiejay
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To: rlferny

I agree. I wouldn’t sit out an election even if I had to write in Bugs Bunny.


99 posted on 11/06/2008 12:04:35 PM PST by Raven281
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To: cripplecreek
I didn't ask for an argument on legalizing drugs, nor did I indicate which way I voted.

Agreed. But that didn't stop me on commenting on the issue before ... And it is not going to stop me from commenting on the issue again ;-)

It's a perennial ballot issue that fails by wide margins here year after year. Now suddenly it passes by a fair margin and I question it.

Voter Fraud. It was entirely voter fraud. That's why Obama was elected, and that's why this initiative passed. /sarc

If that issue is on the ballot year after year, most likely it gains more and more supporters each year. Add that onto the fact that SOME Conservatives stayed home, I'm sure that is why the initiative passed.

Vote fraud is an important issue to me,

Vote fraud continues to go on year after year in elections. It is widely known, and yet continues. I doubt voter fraud was that much worst this election as in previous elections, (meaning it was equal to or a little greater than previous which is VERY BAD.... 10 fraud votes are 10 to many) ... but the overall outcome of the race was IMO not affected.

America spoke. America is stupid. You can not deny the facts anymore. This election was stolen alright, but not by voter fraud. It was STOLEN by the vote influencing ultra liberal media. American's without a brain can be blamed as well. They listened to the ultra-liberal media. Obama was their man. It seems they either want huge government with socialist policies, or they were voting against the Republicans.

As far as the passing of the medical marijuana initiative, I'd hope the reason it passed is because people finally see the light ... smoking medical marijuana can only improve the quality of life for numerous types of people. That should be a pro-life issue in itself.

legalization is one I couldn't care less about

Legalization should be a matter people care about, as it is another right removed because government knows best.

100 posted on 11/06/2008 12:09:59 PM PST by 08bil98z24 (Disgusted, Disappointed, Demoralized)
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