[Rhodes22-list] Voting

[Slim]

She's getting my vote.
S

On 11/3/06 7:35 AM, "Brad Haslett" <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Slim,
> 
> The fat lady hasn't finished yet!  Here is an article from the Washington
> Times.  Tammy Lee may actually be in the race!
> 
> Brad
> 
> -----------------
> 
> A surprise in 
> Minnesota?<http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20061102-090359-2762r.htm>By
> Barry Casselman
> Published November 3, 2006
> ------------------------------
> Advertisement
> MINNEAPOLIS. -- Every two years, there is at least one "safe seat" race that
> turns into a surprise on Election Day. The sleeper this year may be the race
> in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Late-breaking circumstance, in
> this race, considered safe for the Democrats (here called
> Democratic-Farmer-Labor or DFL), may produce an upset on election night.
>   Although DFL candidate Keith Ellison does have a Republican opponent,
> Alan Fine, the most serious challenger to win this seat, now held by
> retiring DFL Congressman Martin Sabo, is Independence Party (IP) nominee
> Tammy Lee.
>   The Independence Party put Jesse Ventura up for governor in 1998. Mr.
> Ventura won in an amazing upset that year. In 2002, the party nominee Tim
> Penny received 16 percent of the vote. And as Mr. Penny discovered, in a
> three-way race many voters will abandon the candidate in third place to cast
> their vote for one of the frontrunning two.
>   This is what is apparently happening this year with the statewide IP
> candidates. But in the Minnesota 5th, IP nominee Tammy Lee is now widely
> perceived to be in second place.
>   The DFL nominee in this heavily DFL and liberal district usually wins
> with 70 percent or more of the vote. Mr. Sabo, in 14 terms, did not have a
> close race. When he unexpectedly announced his retirement early this year,
> it set off a scramble among local DFL politicians to fill his seat. A dozen
> sought endorsement at the district party convention. It was won in June by
> populist black Muslim legislator, Keith Ellison. Although he did not win a
> majority of the approximately 250 delegates, he led from the first ballot
> on, and his opponents decided not to block the endorsement. Traditionally,
> endorsement here means winning the primary and the November election, but a
> number of unsettling revelations about Mr. Ellison caused three major DFL
> figures to challenge him in the primary. These challengers said that there
> had not been time enough after Mr. Sabo's announcement for proper vetting,
> and that new revelations showed he was a "flawed"candidate.
>   These revelations concerned Mr. Ellison's past. First, it was disclosed
> that Mr. Ellison had been an active part of Louis Farrakhan's anti-Semitic
> movement in the 1990s. Mr. Ellison said that he now renounced the Nation of
> Islam leader, and apologized to the Jewish community. Second, it was
> revealed that Mr. Ellison had left a long trail of unpaid traffic
> violations, housing violations, and failure to respond to numerous campaign
> violations. He did not deny any of this. His opponents branded him a
> "scofflaw."
>   Mr. Ellison nonetheless won the primary because his three opponents
> split the 59 percent of the vote against him. He won 41percent and the DFL
> nomination. At that point, it appeared the election was over since he would
> face two opponents in November, and it was an overwhelmingly DFL district.
>   Right after the primary, the Republican nominee, Mr. Fine, launched a
> bitter attack against Mr. Ellison for his past association with Mr.
> Farrakhan, and for his receipt of large donations from an American Muslim
> group alleged to have ties to terrorism. Even among many Republicans, Mr.
> Fine's manner was perceived to be too abrasive and confrontational. At the
> same time, Independent candidate Tammy Lee emerged as a serious candidate.
> Mrs. Lee was for many years a TV broadcaster, and later an executive for a
> regional airline. Originally a DFLer, she had also been press secretary for
> Sen. Byron Dorgan, North Dakota Democrat and communications director for a
> statewide DFL campaign. A self-described "fiscal conservative and social
> moderate," she then found her way to the Independence Party.
>   As Mr. Fine's political fortunes sank, Ms. Lee's rose. Mr. Ellison has
> conducted a very low profile November campaign and has scheduled no TV
> advertising. Several DFLers have failed to endorse him, including the DFL
> nominee for governor. Mr. Sabo, in what has been described as his "Norwegian
> endorsement," went to Ms. Lee's office, had his picture taken with her and
> authorized her to use the picture in her campaign literature. Significant
> numbers of GOP and DFL political figures, including many mayors of the
> suburban parts of the district (40 percent of the vote) have endorsed her.
> The Minneapolis business community has poured money into her campaign. She
> has made a major TV ad buy. Recently, she placed a full-page ad in the
> largest newspaper in the state listing her endorsements.
>   The St. Paul Pioneer-Press headlined that Mr. Ellison was in trouble and
> Ms. Lee was surging. The Jewish community, with some exceptions, has
> seemingly rallied around her candidacy (although she is Catholic and Mr.
> Fine is Jewish). Mr. Ventura endorsed her on the cover of the gay community
> (a large voter group in the district) magazine. Prominent GOP figures
> reportedly asked Mr. Fine to withdraw. He did not, and will continue in the
> race, spending his campaign funds to attack Mr. Ellison.
>   A Green Party candidate is also in the race and is likely to win about 5
> percent of the vote. (The Green Party traditionally is strong in
> Minneapolis.) If major DFL constituencies (Jews, gays, seniors, women)
> desert Mr. Ellison, this could become a very close race on Nov. 7.
>   The DFL GOTV effort, one of the best in the country, still gives Mr.
> Ellison the edge. He is on the party and labor sample ballots. Ms. Lee's
> emergence has come late in the campaign, and many voters do not yet know who
> she is. But there is a "buzz" about her campaign that is very reminiscent of
> Ventura phenomenon when the "impossible" happened at the end of the
> campaign.
>   If she does win, it would be the upset of the year.
> 
>   *Barry Casselman writes for Preludium News Service.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 11/2/06, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Slim,
>> 
>> Agreed.  It should be simpler but the paper process is not without fault
>> either.  Mayor Daley of Chicago was famous for delivering bundles of last
>> minute ballots when needed.  I don't know what the is the answer but what a
>> major PITA the process is.  We stood in line for an hour to vote a week
>> before the election using electronic machines. I moved some money out of my
>> savings account at Emmigrant Bank yesterday online and had to almost give a
>> blood, urine, and sperm sample before I could complete the transaction.  May
>> I suggest we get their software firm to design an Internet voting process.
>> 
>> Brad
>> 
>> 
>>  On 11/2/06, Slim <salm at mn.rr.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Can someone please tell me why, in this day and age, we have problems
>>> counting votes?  For chrissake, what could be simpler?  Why do some
>>> states
>>> use questionable methods like punch cards or now, electronic machines
>>> and
>>> online voting?  You KNOW the electronic voting is a disaster looking for
>>> a
>>> place to happen.  Some don't even require a paper back-up in case a
>>> recount
>>> is needed.  OF COURSE there will be hackers AND breakdowns.  What are
>>> they
>>> thinking?  This drives me crazy!  I know I'm being cynical but the
>>> unreliability of these methods make me think they do it IN ORDER FOR
>>> THEM to
>>> f**k with the results!
>>> 
>>> Here in MN we use one, big single sheet of paper with all the candidates
>>> there and you use a black pen which they supply.  You make a mark next
>>> to
>>> your candidate and it's read by a machine much less
>>> technical/susceptible to
>>> mishaps than an online computer.  We've never had a problem counting
>>> and/or
>>> verifying votes in MN.
>>> KISS!!!!!
>>> 
>>> BTW, in Brazil, voting is considered more than a civic duty--it's a
>>> personal
>>> obligation and all businesses, schools, etc. are closed for the day and
>>> almost everyone votes.  In this country what, 35% turnout?  Disgraceful!
>>> I take pride in knowing that MN is among the highest turnouts in the U.S
>>> .
>>> 
>>> Slim
>>> 
>>> __________________________________________________
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>>> 
>> 
>> 
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