# What does the acronym ACORN stand for? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 12, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634 "2008-10-12T21:24:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/81 "2008-10-16T05:23:51Z")
So you mean that they are obliged to pass them along regardless? What is that, some kind of law, or something? Jeez, why didn’t anybody mention that? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/82 "2008-10-16T05:52:42Z")
Yes, **elucidator** , apparently there is some kind of legal requirement here, that would prevent ACORN workers from just throwing registrations down the nearest storm drain. I mean, I know it sounds crazy, but hey, you heard it from me first! I hope **Carol Stream** reads my posts! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/83 "2008-10-16T07:19:08Z")
Doesn’t sound like much of a plan to me. How could they overwhelm McCain’s huge lead like that? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/84 "2008-10-16T12:46:29Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > For those of you defending ACORN, what good can come of registering bogus voters? Is there… is there some light at the end of the tunnel? I feel a strange feeling. It’s like… hope. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/85 "2008-10-16T12:54:09Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Is there… is there some light at the end of the tunnel? > > I feel a strange feeling. It’s like… hope. Optimist. All that is is the headlight of the Amtrak 251 to Stupidville, population **Carol Stream**. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/86 "2008-10-16T13:11:29Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > For those of you defending ACORN, what good can come of registering bogus voters? What is their reason for doing it in the first place? It’s unlikely that the explanation can be made any simpler for you, so you should probably just accept your ignorance and move on. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/87 "2008-10-16T13:12:32Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Optimist. All that is is the headlight of the Amtrak 251 to Stupidville, population **Carol Stream**. Hey, let me get splatted on the tracks in peace, man. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/88 "2008-10-16T15:16:38Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Tin foil hat territory, perhaps. But it IS possible to do. Speaking of which, very fabric of democracy is in danger of being destroyed by ACORN, according to one John McCain in the debate last night. Not too much hyperbole there, Johnny boy. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/89 "2008-10-16T15:31:18Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Speaking of which, very fabric of democracy is in danger of being destroyed by ACORN, according to one John McCain in the debate last night. Not too much hyperbole there, Johnny boy. He was for ACORN before he was against them. Flip-flopper! ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/90 "2008-10-16T15:38:14Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Speaking of which, very fabric of democracy is in danger of being destroyed by ACORN, according to one John McCain in the debate last night. Not too much hyperbole there, Johnny boy. I guess he’d prefer the old days, when Republican organizers could go into primarily Democrat neighborhoods, get people to fill out registration forms, and then toss them in the storm drain on the way back to Repub headquarters. Now THAT’S democracy. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/91 "2008-10-16T16:12:48Z")
WHY do you people keep engaging Carol Stream? This whole thread hurts my head. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/92 "2008-10-16T16:30:36Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > WHY do you people keep engaging Carol Stream? This whole thread hurts my head. It’s kind of like when you have a toothache, and every time you bite down it hurts. When it stops hurting, you prod it a few times with your tongue just to make sure it’s still injured, and sure enough, it is. Carol Stream is like a mouth full of hurt teeth, that you compulsively agitate with your tongue. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/93 "2008-10-16T16:32:02Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > For those of you defending ACORN, what good can come of registering bogus voters? What is their reason for doing it in the first place? They don’t register bogus voters. They solicit voter registrations, and some citizens are providing bogus registration cards. ACORN has to submit every card it receives. There’s no benefit to anyone. Maybe ACORN solicited someone who just filled out a card to be nice, or to flirt with the volunteer. Maybe the ACORN employee is under some sort of pressure to make a certain number, and it isn’t checked whether they are fraudulent or not. It doesn’t matter, because fraudulent registrations can’t be used without matching ID. If one guy registered 73 times, he can’t show up at the polls and flash his ID 73 times. Nobody benefits, other than the fact that they’ll probably get more legit registrations by accepting all registrations. It’s just a dumb bureaucracy that apparently measures its own performance in a dumb way. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/94 "2008-10-16T17:55:20Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Speaking of which, very fabric of democracy is in danger of being destroyed by ACORN, according to one John McCain in the debate last night. Not too much hyperbole there, Johnny boy. The fabric of democracy needs some mothballs of courage to defend it from the silverfish of liberalism. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/95 "2008-10-16T17:56:56Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > For those of you defending ACORN, what good can come of registering bogus voters? What is their reason for doing it in the first place? This is probably useless, but I’ll add my voice to the attempts to explain this simple thing to you. Some of the many people hired by ACORN on a temporary basis to collect voter registration information were either lazy or incompetent. They turned in bogus information rather than go to the trouble of collecting real information. Once they did that, ACORN had no choice, legally, but to accept the registrations, although they notified the appropriate authorities of the registrations they suspected were bogus. Now, here’s something I want you to really try hard to grasp: the net effect of this problem is probably _fewer_ people getting to vote, rather than imaginary characters somehow showing up at the polling place and fraudulently voting. If those lazy workers had done their jobs, they would have been turning in registrations of real people; as it is, there are probably people who aren’t registered in some neighborhoods precisely because those workers committed fraud out of laziness. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/96 "2008-10-16T18:24:06Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > The fabric of democracy needs some mothballs of courage to defend it from the silverfish of liberalism. Brava! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/97 "2008-10-16T19:56:00Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > The fabric of democracy needs some mothballs of courage to defend it from the silverfish of liberalism. Those dirty sew and sews. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/98 "2008-10-17T00:28:18Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Those dirty sew and sews. I understand **elucidator** is out evaluating lampposts for height and public visibility. He’ll be back with the warrant soon. Sit tight. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/99 "2008-10-17T02:32:00Z")
You know, I was watching this PBS thing about how mama polar bears are having trouble feeding their young, and it got me to thinking… ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634/100 "2008-10-17T04:19:17Z")
Round here, there are multiple places where one can register to vote–the DMV, the library, the village hall, the county courthouse, and etc. Somehow, I don’t think one guy could go to the Carol Stream Library and register 73 times. Why can that guy go to ACORN and do it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-acorn-stand-for/467634.md?page=6)