What the Hell is going on in Florida?

The BBQ Pit
#1

[znip]

Something about voter fraud in the Orlando mayoral race demands in investigation by a state criminal unit that reports to the Gov. Jeb Bush, that would be. An election that took place in March.

Background:

Mr. Herbert thinks: “The vile smell of voter suppression is all over this so-called investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.”

Not willing to go that far, just yet. Not willing to post this thread in GD, because we haven’t enough information for actual debate.

On the other hand, it simply isn’t possible to imagine that the politicians who sign off on this sort of investigation are so innocently naive that they could not imagine that this sort of investigation, with its intimidating aspects of police investigation, might have some effect on oppressing the elderly black vote.

(Note: the “absentee ballot” aspect of all this is important only because the Orlando Voters League has encouraged elderly persons who fear they may be unable to travel to the polls to cast absentee ballots, which they are permitted to do.)

And what, pray, is the presumed value of interviews conducted at random in the targeted demographic? Are they imagining that they will turn up some elderly black voter who will blurt a confession, or inadvertently reveal some dastardly plot?

What are they investigating? They won’t tell us, secret, very hush-hush. Ongoing criminal investigation, don’t you know. Why did it take 5 months for this crucial bit of investigation to go forward? See above. Is it likely to have the effect of intimidating a voting population that is overwhelmingly Democratic in a crucial swing state that hangs in the balance? In thier zealous and forthright concern for clean government, this apparently never occured to them. Being entirely innocent of political acumen, and all.

The one thing that speaks for innocence in this is that it is, apparently, confined to Orlando, which is to say, not statewide. Any advantage to be obtained would be minimal and tightly confined. However, in a state where a few hundred votes might well decide the future of our nation, even the smallest advantage may prove crucial.

What the hell is going on here?

#2

For those of us not registered with the NY Times, I found a copy of the article at a German site.

#3

Curses! If I could have gotten just a hundred more innocent Dopers to register at the ultra-liberal NY Times, I might have won the toaster oven!

(Good move, Jeff. Didn’t think of it, thanks…)

#4

From the article:

This is the kind of thing that calls for a loud, public stink by someone like the Reverend Al Sharpton. That’s what he’s good for. I’d love to see him roll into the state with tv cameras in toll, staging rallies and sucking up attention until he forces the governor to publicly assure elderly black folks in Florida that they will not be molested by the state for exercising their right to vote.

With any significant publicity at all in the state, this story could end up backfiring on Jeb to the point that his brother would lose even the four or five black people in Florida who were going to vote for him.

Hell, with some national pub it could cost him minority and elderly support across the country.

Come on, Brother Sharpton, get out the megaphone.

#5

I normally hate this guy, but this may be the only legit reason for his extistence.

Not you DtC, the Rev.

#6

Looks to me like the police have figured out a way to attempt to frighten people into avoiding voting and registration.

After all, the liberal media already shat all over the previous plan to declare people felons, just like was done in 2000. And Kerry’s actually outpolling Bush according to certain pollsters.

And that just cannot be allowed to stand.

#7

If I had to guess, this may have something to do with a lawsuit filed against Mayor Dyer, alleging voter fraud in absentee ballots. A challenger, Mr. Mulvaney, said that a paid Dyer operative had handed out and collected signed but not filled out ballots. IIRC, the lawsuit was eventually thrown out.

This is certainly a new twist on things.

#8

Oh, and one more thing…Herbert seems a bit biased to me, in my opinion. This is not a news article. I’ll reserve judgement until we find out more information.

#9

I’m sure Shodan will be along any minute now to tell us this is all blown out of proportion, and it’s nothing but pot-stirring by leftist groups to derail Bush’s re-election, or somesuch. :rolleyes:

#10

I’ll be glad to tell you that.

You guys are going bat-shit insane. You are seeing conspiracies everywhere and will twist and prod every story you can into OMG BUSH AND HIS BIG OIL CRONIES ARE RAPING ELDERLY BLACK PEOPLE SO THEY WONT VOTE!!!

This is sick.

#11

Well, I’m not so worried about these folks being intimidated out of their votes. They have been through much worse. You don’t want to mess with black folks older than fifty years old. You’d be hard pressed to find a more determined bunch of people.

That aside, this is some bullshit.

#12

Yeah, in the fucking NYTimes for christ’s sake.

#13

outakes from Dune

"…and Paul Atreides asked “Do the Fremen have a name for that little sand-rodent, that shouts political epithets with an all-caps, shrill and squeeky voice, and then scurrys away?”

“We call that one Maud’Dib. He is useful to run in the circular cage that powers our servers…”

#14

Let’s talk about conspiracies.

These things, did they or did they not happen in 2000?

  1. Florida handed over the responsibility to a private firm for identifying felons and removing them from the voter rolls. Tens of thousands of people were removed as a result, mostly black people, including many non-felons who just had the same name as a felon, plus many persons only convicted of misdemeanors.

  2. The GOP hired a mob of people and flew them down to Florida to engage in a demonstration against the Florida recount, where they acted in a sufficiently threatening manner that the recounting was cancelled for the day, even though the recount officials were coming up on the deadline for completing the recount.

  3. Military persons registered in FL filed and mailed absentee ballots after election day.

  4. Bush’s crew pulled out all the stops, patriotically speaking, to corner Gore’s folks into not challenging any of the military absentee ballots.

I know: they acted like that just that once, and anyone who suspects they would ever do it again is a paranoid conspiracy theorist.

#15

Yes, Muad’Dib. It’s just a total coincidence that black voters are being intimidated in the same state, under the same governor, as the massive “errors” that resulted in black voters being turned away at the polls in 2000.

Jesus Christ, is there a single conservative here besides Sam Stone who’s not some loud-mouthed hysterical kneejerk reactionary? You guys make Reeder look calm and rational fercrissake.

#16

John Mace is a very reasonable debater, and his politics are solidly right of center.

#17

RT, you forgot about the roadblocks

#18

I would also add that one need not employ all-caps to be a “loud-mouthed hysterical kneejerk reactionary.”

Remember, one may smile and smile and be a villian.

#19

Dang, elucidator, when I spied the thread title, I thought you were reacting to this little nugget from last night:

Color me similarly awed, nonetheless.

Personally, I can’t imagine how you managed to pry yourself from the teeming naked horde long enough to catch the news, but can you recall anything even close to all these shenanigans in Florida?

#20

I’d really love to pop up with a crisp and pungent rejoinder. My efforts are hampered by not having the slightest clue what you’re on about.