http://rudenoon.com/absalletc/archives/91 The Kingdom from another angle. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:13:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://rudenoon.com/absalletc/archives/91/comment-page-1#comment-223 jg Mon, 12 May 2008 00:50:27 +0000 http://rudenoon.com/absalletc/?p=91#comment-223 The US, for all their ranting about the benefits of democracy, is rife with polling problems. But in all the years I've been a voter I've never met any resistance at a polling station, and I've always been able to cast my vote. Whether that vote was tampered with in any way after I pulled the lever is anyone's guess.Many years ago I lived in eastern Kentucky, and I'm pretty sure I stood in line with several of the 'dead' who used to come alive every election day; they probably still do, too. Vote 'buying' was a problem in the late sixties and early seventies there, with politicians and their kin handing out free half-pints of cheap bourbon right at the door. Voting at any time of the day late could be risky business, since drunks were everywhere. And, in a place where everyone owned a gun - the firearm of choice usually being small caliber handguns and the full range of shotguns - shootings at polling places were not uncommon. The account by my friend, though not common across the US, is, unfortunately, not as isolated as it should be. The tactic taken by the hayseed here was actually quite stupid, since a Republican with the least bit of sense would want as many Democrats voting in this particular primary election as they could get. The strategy should have been to get as many possible, since an engaged Democratic electorate will keep the Obama-Clinton battle going, keeping the opposition all churned up. But some things run deeper than good sense. The old guy at this polling booth just couldn't break an old habit, and he used his general election strategy when he should have been able to restrain himself. Some nuggets are just more dense than others, and when they live in fear of any change at all, their knees just reflexively jerk. Stupid,really. And criminal, too. I am hoping that my friend follows up with this, since it clearly violates federal voting laws. The US, for all their ranting about the benefits of democracy, is rife with polling problems. But in all the years I’ve been a voter I’ve never met any resistance at a polling station, and I’ve always been able to cast my vote. Whether that vote was tampered with in any way after I pulled the lever is anyone’s guess.Many years ago I lived in eastern Kentucky, and I’m pretty sure I stood in line with several of the ‘dead’ who used to come alive every election day; they probably still do, too. Vote ‘buying’ was a problem in the late sixties and early seventies there, with politicians and their kin handing out free half-pints of cheap bourbon right at the door. Voting at any time of the day late could be risky business, since drunks were everywhere. And, in a place where everyone owned a gun – the firearm of choice usually being small caliber handguns and the full range of shotguns – shootings at polling places were not uncommon. The account by my friend, though not common across the US, is, unfortunately, not as isolated as it should be. The tactic taken by the hayseed here was actually quite stupid, since a Republican with the least bit of sense would want as many Democrats voting in this particular primary election as they could get. The strategy should have been to get as many possible, since an engaged Democratic electorate will keep the Obama-Clinton battle going, keeping the opposition all churned up. But some things run deeper than good sense. The old guy at this polling booth just couldn’t break an old habit, and he used his general election strategy when he should have been able to restrain himself. Some nuggets are just more dense than others, and when they live in fear of any change at all, their knees just reflexively jerk. Stupid,really. And criminal, too. I am hoping that my friend follows up with this, since it clearly violates federal voting laws.

]]> http://rudenoon.com/absalletc/archives/91/comment-page-1#comment-215 Steve Sun, 11 May 2008 06:01:05 +0000 http://rudenoon.com/absalletc/?p=91#comment-215 That is shocking - polling booth staff should be impartial. But it's still not as shocking as what's happening in Zimbabwe at the moment. Let's count our blessings.... That is shocking – polling booth staff should be impartial. But it’s still not as shocking as what’s happening in Zimbabwe at the moment. Let’s count our blessings….

]]> http://rudenoon.com/absalletc/archives/91/comment-page-1#comment-204 ba Thu, 08 May 2008 08:58:52 +0000 http://rudenoon.com/absalletc/?p=91#comment-204 I had no idea that it could be such a miserable experience to vote. This year I had the opportunity to vote online. I had no idea that it could be such a miserable experience to vote. This year I had the opportunity to vote online.

]]>