# Nader requests N.H. vote recount **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 6, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343 "2004-11-06T13:07:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/1 "2004-11-06T13:07:53Z")
Ralph Nader is requesting [a recount in New Hampshire.](http://nsnlb.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041106/NEWS02/111060040/-1/news). Since he was a candidate there he has the right to do so. Apparently his purpose is to show that a large discrepancy was caused by the electronic vote tabulators with the hope that this could lead to further investigations elsewhere. Maybe the Dems shouldn’t have been so quiick to keep him out of other states. I myself was angry with him and couldn’t understand why he was so intent on getting on ballots. Could this have been what he was thinking about all along? ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/2 "2004-11-06T13:16:39Z")
Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s an outdated concept, but maybe he’s a stickler for something we once called fair play? You’ll notice you’ll never hear a Republican supporting a recount, even if it means a fair chance for all votes to count…like in FL, 2000! What kills me about the FL scandal is that it was a flat-out neutral issue in the sense that the State Government was wrong in the first place for making their ballot unclear. Government should defend justice, not shroud it. The damn ballot was bad…I wonder if local FL elections appearing on the same ballot were screwed up as well? It should not have even needed to go to the Supreme Court if Jeb Bush had an ounce of what _Democracy_ really means. - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/3 "2004-11-06T13:31:27Z")
**Jinx** , I don’t disagree with you at all. I’m pretty happy with him at the moment. NH is trying to block him on this so nothing may happen but if there is a manual recount of the ballots and if it does show a large discrepancy from the machine count, then he will have done us a real service. Even if it doesn’t change the overall outcome at least we’ll know that these machines can’t be trusted and people may be a little more suspicious when this administration claims a “mandate”. ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/4 "2004-11-06T13:50:16Z")
At one time, Nader played a useful role in America. He was the fly in the oitment and every organization and culture needs a few trouble makers to keep those in power on their toes. He has now become an embarrasment to all. You will notice based upon the article, he filed this at the very last moment, not according to the rules, like some of his ballot access petitions. And even in a state that can not effect the outcome. If he truly thought the voting machines gave Bush the election unfairly, then he should have made the claim in Ohio. Of course, he probably had no legal standing there because he couldn’t even muster the very slender support to get on the ballot. If every Tom, Dick and Harry who gets 12 votes for something challenges the outcome in situations like this, nothing will ever get none. Nader has become the guy who sues McDonald’s for 5 million because his coffee was two degrees too hot for his taste. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/5 "2004-11-06T14:17:37Z")
**aahala** , I have to disagree. Not all lawsuits are equal. The fact that there may be some meritless suits does not mean that all are meritless. He’s not suing over hot coffee (no one ever got 5 million in such a lawsuit by the way, you may be thinking of [this](http://www.atlanet.org/ConsumerMediaResources/Tier3/press_room/FACTS/frivolous/McdonaldsCoffeecase.aspx)). He’s suing over something important. This isn’t a case of every Tom, Dick, and Harry trying to gum up the works for no reason. He has a very good reason. He’s trying to expose inaccuracies, and possibly even fraud, in our electoral system. I can’t think of anything more important than that in a democracy. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/6 "2004-11-06T14:54:25Z")
Now the Green Party candidate [David Cobb](http://www.votecobb.org/news1/document.2004-11-05.8107345760) is calling for investigation of voting irregularities. He was on the ballot in Florida and was an official write-in candidate in Ohio. Does anyone know if that means he could demand manual recounts in those states (as well as others where he was on the ballot)? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/7 "2004-11-06T14:55:42Z")
Mr. Badnarik, you’re up next! ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/8 "2004-11-06T15:04:01Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Now the Green Party candidate [David Cobb](http://www.votecobb.org/news1/document.2004-11-05.8107345760) is calling for investigation of voting irregularities. He was on the ballot in Florida and was an official write-in candidate in Ohio. Does anyone know if that means he could demand manual recounts in those states (as well as others where he was on the ballot)? Let me amend my prior post. “If every Tom, Dick and David who gets 12 votes for something challenges the outcome in situations like this, nothing will ever get none.” ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/9 "2004-11-06T15:20:28Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Could this have been what he was thinking about all along? No. But here’s hoping something comes of it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/10 "2004-11-06T15:24:27Z")
> [@aahala](#): > > Let me amend my prior post. > > “If every Tom, Dick and David who gets 12 votes for something challenges the outcome in situations like this, nothing will ever get none.” I know. If this shit keeps up, it’ll take another four years to get a presidential campaign up and running :rolleyes: Personally, I see this less as kibitzing about a winner and more about trying to make sure that these machines (and thusly our democracy) work properly. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/11 "2004-11-06T15:31:10Z")
Well, if this is accurate > [@](#): > > The application is not legal, however, because it did not come with payment, according to Assistant Attorney General Bud Fitch. > > “At this point, we aren’t considering it to be a valid request,’’ he said. > > Anyone who loses by more than 1 percent of the vote has to pay for a recount, he said, noting the cost statewide could be $80,000. and Nader is willing to pony up the dough to fund the recount, knock yourself out! If he’s expecting the state to pick up the tab for his conspiracy theories, he can kindly go fuck himself. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/12 "2004-11-06T15:34:41Z")
Oh my, please excuse my language, thought I was in the Pit! To rephrase, Nader shouldn’t expect NH to pick up the bill for his pet theories. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/13 "2004-11-06T18:46:40Z")
I don’t think he expects them to pick up the check. The article says that he claims he tried to fax a copy of the check but it jammed. Sounds a little hokey to me but who knows. It sounds a lot like the some of the antics his campaign went through while trying to qualify for ballots before the election so it might just be incompetence in his campaign staff. Or it could be their version of “the check is in the mail”. But in any case he’s obvioulsy aware that he has to pay for it and that they won’t do it without that payment. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/14 "2004-11-07T00:06:00Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Oh my, please excuse my language, thought I was in the Pit! > > To rephrase, Nader shouldn’t expect NH to pick up the bill for his pet theories. I’d bet that he can find enough Americans to donate 80k to the cause. I’d be happy to pitch in a bit and I’m sure that any of my fellow Americans who actually, you know, CARE about democracy would be willing to do what they can. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/15 "2004-11-07T00:37:53Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Mr. Badnarik, you’re up next! But as a Libertarian, he would prefer the recount to be funded by the private sector. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/16 "2004-11-07T00:49:15Z")
[Here](http://www.votenader.org/media_press/index.php?cid=400) is his letter to the NH Secretary of State. Below it is his opinion on “paperless electronic voting,” backed up by a Johns Hopkins study. It looks to me as if he is concerned about voting irregularities being exposed so that the will of the people can be respected. The Democrats better start smearing him _now_ - only 4 years until the next Presidential election!!! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/17 "2004-11-07T15:48:00Z")
I don’t get it. He doesn’t think Bush lost the state by _enough_? I’m going to be really pissed if our tax dollars go towards proving that one candidate ought to have won by a little more. The thing that baffles me is that he claims " These irregularities favor President George W. Bush by 5% to 15% over what was expected" because all the polls between the end of September and Tuesday always showed Bush and Kerry exactly tied in NH, so how the hell can there be expectations that one candidate was going to get 5-15% fewer votes than they did if the vote turned out to nearly match all the polls? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/18 "2004-11-07T16:34:10Z")
**elfkin477** , It’s not about whether or not Bush lost by enough. It’s about the integrity of our voting system. The concern is about the accuracy of the electronic tabulators and whether or not there was any fraud. And it’s not paid for with tax dollars. He’d have to pay with his own money or from donations. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nader-requests-n-h-vote-recount/273343/19 "2004-11-07T17:09:41Z")
> [@aahala](#): > > Nader has become the guy who sues McDonald’s for 5 million because his coffee was two degrees too hot for his taste. If you’re referring to the [most famous](http://www.vanfirm.com/mcdonalds-coffee-lawsuit.htm) lawsuit against McDonald’s, the coffee wasn’t “two degrees too hot” for the plaintiff’s taste. It was so hot it caused second and third degree burns to the plaintiff.