Posted on 11/20/2002 6:19:59 AM PST by TroutStalker
Edited on 04/22/2004 11:47:33 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Your attack on the Oglala Sioux voters in South Dakota offers a sterling example of what minorities in this country can expect from hard-right editorial politics ("The Oglala Sioux's Senator," Review & Outlook, Nov. 14).
Consider one close race, Florida's presidential election in 2000. The margin was 500-plus votes (out of 5.8 million votes cast), and breakdowns in the electoral machinery depressed minority voting (among other problems). A problem for you? Not at all: Your ardently supported candidate won.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Voting Absentee Is Only Practical
In response to your editorial about Sen. Tim Johnson's defeat of John Thune and what you perceive as a questionable vote total on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation: I've spent nearly 30 years in South Dakota Democratic Party politics at every level from precinct man to chairman. Had you researched what happened on the reservations this is what you would have found:
There was an extremely effective voter registration drive and absentee voter effort. It is doubtful many of your readers have to travel upward of 40 miles to cast their votes. On the reservations that is more the rule than the exception. Given the living conditions and South Dakota's unpredictable weather, voting Indians absentee is the only practical way.
Had you watched the returns, you'd have noticed that at around 3:30 a.m. John Thune had a 3,200-vote lead with all the no-reservation counties reporting. But either by accident or design, the majority of the reservation precincts (including more than just Shannon County) had not reported. Any observer of South Dakota elections would know at that point, given the exceptional voter turnout on the reservation that had reported, this was going to be an extremely close race. Also, on the Pine Ridge Reservation there was not only the general election but also an election for tribal chairman, featuring the aging Indian activist Russell Means. Certainly, this increased turnout and interest on the Pine Ridge.
The Republican attorney general, after spending several weeks prior to the election investigating allegations of voter fraud along with the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service, found "no evidence of voter fraud." However, this effort was not unusual. It has been a common practice several weeks before an election to cry "voter irregularities on the reservations." While this has never amounted to anything other than to whip up the racist sentiments of West River whites, it nonetheless has been very disconcerting to the Indians. This time they fought back, ignored the threats and intimidation, and voted in record numbers.
Clifford Scott
Former Chair
South Dakota Democrat Party
Sioux Falls, S.D.
Updated November 20, 2002
Where Were the Poll-Watchers?
As a financial contributor to my friend John Thune's campaign, I sympathize with your suggestion that a recount was justified to unearth obvious, and perhaps decisive, irregularities or worse. It was also interesting that the precincts in question were the very last to be reported, just as it had appeared that Rep. Thune was successful.
However, unearthing fraud and abuse at the polls is not his responsibility. Problems and alleged illegalities were reported on the reservation in advance of the election involving fraudulent absentee ballot applications. The question is, on election day and night, where were the poll-watchers? The U.S. Justice Department? The media? The state attorney general? Perhaps they were there, and found nothing more than the aforementioned case where charges, as you noted, have been pressed. But if those with some direct responsibility for the administration of justice -- or their watchdogs, the press -- were as outraged as you, perhaps one of the more pungent sides of democracy would be disinfected.
But don't blame John Thune -- he did the right thing. It is not too late for legal and media investigations that could result in the changes needed to prevent this from happening in South Dakota's next Senate election, if not elsewhere in the country.
Kelly Johnston
Newtown Square, Pa.
Mr. Daschle, I'm disappointed in your assessment, very disappointed. Does not the arrest of the woman who acquired over 50 (democratic) absentee ballots suggest fraud to you? I wonder how many times this occurred and no one was caught? Obviously, we can't tell if the votes were cast (secret ballot), but we can surmise.
Sounds like a workable campaign slogan to me. I'll dash off a memo to Carville. :)
P.S. What's it like to be 5'1" and proportionately incapable of pleasing women? It raises questions, troubling concerned questions.
Does that phrase seem funny to anyone else? Almost sounds non-PC.
ROFL
Yeah, one of those big black ones and on the brown paper - the kind that has big chunks of bark in it.
Russell Means, having served his time, now seems to split his efforts between making movies (The Last of the Mohicans) and stirring political pots (New Mexico and South Dakota). Before filing to run in the tribal election, he had filed to run for governor of New Mexico as a Libertarian. His candidacy was disallowed because of his felony conviction. Too bad, because keeping him in the New Mexico race would have made it really interesting, and possibly peeled off enough votes to swing the election to the Republican instead of Bill Richardson. ALso, keeping him in New Mexico rather than South Dakota might have swung that election to Thune. Does anyone knowhow he did in the res vote?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.