sick at heart.

This is disgusting.  (Also this, and here, too.)  Dirty, lowdown, and really - it's the kind of thing that goes on regularly in election times in third-world countries; that is, underhanded schemes to keep people away from voting booths, or worse, to illegitimize their votes in some fashion; but it's not supposed to happen here, in our "democracy."

I can't stress enough how important it is to fulfill the basic civic duty of voting.  I did it today (Oregon is vote-by-mail). 

Please don't allow tactics by the evil-minded bastards, who don't want our democracy to be just that, to prevent you from speaking your piece at the booth.

Tuesday.  November 7th.

Josh Marshall, blogger of famed Talking Points Memo, has a lot more about the robo-call scheme.  It's actually working, this tactic.  They've harrassed enough people that the polls are showing that more people will be voting Republican than a few days ago.  The polls are now showing again that Dems are in the lead, so things may be alright.  But we can't be sure unless those who want to see that GW's rampant destruction of our country be curtailed, with the check of an opposing congress, vote in a Democratic-leaning congressional body.

I don't, as a general rule, pray.  But for today, and tomorrow?  All bets are off.  I want to see our country begin to repair itself; my heart aches with that desire.  I want this place to be a safe, healthy place to raise my son, as well as his generation.  I want to think that my son will have a future that isn't heavily impaired by the taxes he'll be forced to pay for this president's egregious wastefulness, and that he won't be mandatorily sent to war because of the foolhardy, fast-and-loose manner in which the current executive has squandered the gift that is our troops, our proud, honorable, volunteer military.  Not to mention our international good name, now so tarnished, now so dirtied by this disastrous, murderous misadventure in the middle east.

Yep.  Praying today.

Comments

[Kristen]

The thought of my sons being drafted makes me pray, too.

And I voted this morning, even though in Oklahoma, it feels like there's no point. I did anyway.

[qt]

I'm voting today on my way to work.

FWIW, I did receive two phone calls, one from the ACLU, and one from some other citizens group, telling me there are two items on the BACK of the ballot - the ys/no gay marriage ban and yes/no reinstate death penalty for WI.

Wonder who put those back there?

[Ruth Dynamite]

I'd like to think the only solution is getting out and voting, but I have visions from Invasion of the Body Snatchers - you just don't know who the good guys are. Some of them seem so normal and yet...

My vote today will be an expression of hope.

[Catherine]

Thank you for blogging about this! Word of mouth (or blog)... I think it still counts for something.

Praying right along with you in Colorado,
C

[Mignon]

Arrrrggh! Jim and I were just talking about the disgustingly dirty commercials playing non-stop these days. For both parties! The saddest thing of all is the dirtier the commercial, the more it works, and the Democrats haven't figured out how to compete without sinking to that level. It makes me sad that people vote by what they hear on the crap radio and see on the crap tv. Is it salvagable?? Will there be enough people to care and be thoughtful this time, or will there ever?

[jen]

very well said. am climbing down on my knees alongside you right now. hope is what we have for the moment.

[meno]

I've been getting those calls, repeatedly. I wonder what sick asshole thought up that scheme. The really irritating thing is that he or she is probably pround of themselves. Grrrrr.

[wordirl]

I'm nauseated...just like you. I just can't say that I'm surprised. Nope...not a bit.

[Ortizzle]

That really is some kind of convoluted underhandedness. And then the U.S. has the gall to send representatives over to third world countries to make sure THEIR elections are FAIR?

Let's get out and vote!

[Nancy]

I would say it surprises me, but it doesn't. Politics is about power and people who have it, or want it really bad, will do just about anything to get it. Lying, misrepresentation, scare tactics, annoying the hell out of registered voters for the competition - that's low level in what I believe these people would do.

Just look what the Bush Administration had been doing for the past six years ... It makes me sick, too. That's why it's so important to vote tomorrow. Send these people a message they can't ignore.

[Tania]

It amazes me what political candidates get away with in terms of advertising and tactics for swaying votes. Out and out lies on television ads, misquoting people, using quotes out of context... When the hell is it all going to stop?

[ewe_are_here@yahoo.com]

Why am I not surprised the National Republican Committee has been found to be the culprit. Sigh.

[Jenny]

They ought to be arrested.

[dodo]

This is very depressing, since it undoubtedly means it will be happening over here next.

[Mommy off the Record]

Oh my gosh. I had not heard of this. Isn't it illegal to impersonate someone like that? I'm sure they've thought of all the legalities, but still, it seems like it would be illegal. How do they get away with it?