Florida 2000 v. Ukraine 2004
"We cannot accept this result as legitimate because it does not meet international standards and because there has not been an investigation of the numerous and credible reports of fraud and abuse." Colin Powell.
No, these words were not referring to the 2000 or 2004 US Presidential elections, both of which resulted in complaints of fraud, disenfranchisement and abuse:
2000-in Florida alone, the US Civil Rights Commission found that there was "widespread disenfranchisement and denial of voting rights‚" and that African-Americans‚ "were silenced in this historic election by a pattern and practice of injustice, ineptitude and inefficiency.‚" The brother of the 'sinning' candidate was the governor and the 'winning' candidate's campaign manager was the chief election official in the state that‚ "wrongfully purged from the voter registration rolls, turned away from the polls, and by various other means prevented from exercising the franchise.‚"
2004-At least one precinct in Ohio registered 4000 more votes for the 'winner' than the number of voters registered in the precinct. The Nation as a whole had adopted e-voting, which actually makes recounting impossible.
No, Colin Powell's comment addressed the results of the Ukraine Presidental elections, in which the results had a razor thin margin of victory for the current Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovych: 49.46% for Yanukovych, v. candidate Viktor Yushchenko, 46.61%
Curiously, this is virtually identical to the margin of 'victory' by Bush in 2000. Tell me, in 2000, what were the results of of an investigation of the numerous and credible reports of fraud and abuse? Was such an investigation held prior to Bush declaring victory in 2000? Heck, has there been such an investigation into the anomalies in the US 2004 election? We know, for example, that at least one Ohio county had 4000 more votes for Bush than they had registered voters. While it is unlikely that our 2004 election results would have been different had the anomalies not occurred, Powell's statement seems to hold Ukraine to a much higher standard than the US.
It does strike me as interesting that the Ukranians seem much more upset at their disenfranchisement than Floridians did in 2000. Perhaps it is the fact that Ukraine has not had elections for as long as the US, and maybe they value their precious voting right much more than Americans. Maybe we take it a bit more for granted. Or, maybe Floridians and Americans in general are more concerned with our comfort than we are with our rights.
No, these words were not referring to the 2000 or 2004 US Presidential elections, both of which resulted in complaints of fraud, disenfranchisement and abuse:
2000-in Florida alone, the US Civil Rights Commission found that there was "widespread disenfranchisement and denial of voting rights‚" and that African-Americans‚ "were silenced in this historic election by a pattern and practice of injustice, ineptitude and inefficiency.‚" The brother of the 'sinning' candidate was the governor and the 'winning' candidate's campaign manager was the chief election official in the state that‚ "wrongfully purged from the voter registration rolls, turned away from the polls, and by various other means prevented from exercising the franchise.‚"
2004-At least one precinct in Ohio registered 4000 more votes for the 'winner' than the number of voters registered in the precinct. The Nation as a whole had adopted e-voting, which actually makes recounting impossible.
No, Colin Powell's comment addressed the results of the Ukraine Presidental elections, in which the results had a razor thin margin of victory for the current Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovych: 49.46% for Yanukovych, v. candidate Viktor Yushchenko, 46.61%
Curiously, this is virtually identical to the margin of 'victory' by Bush in 2000. Tell me, in 2000, what were the results of of an investigation of the numerous and credible reports of fraud and abuse? Was such an investigation held prior to Bush declaring victory in 2000? Heck, has there been such an investigation into the anomalies in the US 2004 election? We know, for example, that at least one Ohio county had 4000 more votes for Bush than they had registered voters. While it is unlikely that our 2004 election results would have been different had the anomalies not occurred, Powell's statement seems to hold Ukraine to a much higher standard than the US.
It does strike me as interesting that the Ukranians seem much more upset at their disenfranchisement than Floridians did in 2000. Perhaps it is the fact that Ukraine has not had elections for as long as the US, and maybe they value their precious voting right much more than Americans. Maybe we take it a bit more for granted. Or, maybe Floridians and Americans in general are more concerned with our comfort than we are with our rights.
posted by American Bad OZ @ 11/25/2004 09:37:00 AM
3 Comments:
At 9:46 AM,
American Bad OZ said…
I really should proofread.
'sinning' = 'winning.' I am not sure if that was a typo, or a subconscious thought.
At 11:21 AM,
American Bad OZ said…
One more VERY curious thing is that just weeks after the final time Floridians were given a chance to vote on JEB's brother, Florida is now considering making it easier for felons to vote, the very same people they spent millions of dollars preventing from voting in 2000 and 2004, and the very same process that the US Commission on Civil Rights found to be fatally flawed.
"The state clemency board soon may consider steps that would more easily and quickly restore civil rights to ex-felons, Florida's attorney general said Wednesday.
"If you believe somebody has paid their debt to society and you believe in forgiveness, then wouldn't that be appropriate?" said Charlie Crist (R). "It's got to be sort of a progressional thing, but I think we do need to progress."
Florida is one of seven states where convicted felons are permanently barred from voting, holding office, getting a license for many occupations or exercising other rights that can only be restored through an arduous clemency process."
So, just who sits on the Florida Clemency Board?
"Gov. Jeb Bush (R), who sits on the board with Crist and two other politicians, said he hopes some recommendations will be made before its December meeting."
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11074-2004Nov24.html
At 4:15 PM,
American Bad OZ said…
More anomalies:
Take Wyoming, for example, a traditional red state, and home state of VICE President Dick Cheney. Care to guess what the voter tunout was in Wyoming this year? If you guessed that 100% of the registered voters turned out, you would be low. The actual turnout among registered voters was 106%.
Source: http://soswy.state.wy.us/election/profile.htm
So far, I have been unable to find any rational explanation for this result.
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