How do Virginians typically see this Election 2008? The Washington Post interviewed a cross-section of Virginians at the Virginia State Fair, an annual event that traditionally takes place in the last week of September and runs into the first week of October.
Not surprisingly, many different people, in all walks of life, from all areas of Virginia, voiced an opinion.
With one week to go before the election, the surrogates are swarming all over the state. The party faithful and the stand-ins are out en mass trying to carry the candidates’ messages. The candidates, all 4 of them in fact, have visited the Old Dominion multiple times. How will it all end this November 4th?
The last time Virginia voted Democratic, as a state, was for LBJ in 1964. Will it return to being a blue state, after 44 years or will it continue down the red path? Do ordinary people care that much about party affiliation except during a presidential election? Can Virginia even consider itself a red state with 2 Democratic senators and a Democrat for governor?
Virginia is a Red State until we vote for a Democrat for President. That’s when everyone comes out to vote. I’m very worried about reports that in Virginia and Pennsylvania election officials have, once again, deliberately short-changed minority voters by not putting enough voting machines in their precincts hoping that long lines will discourage them from voting. Let’s face it, if not for this tactic, we never would have had to endure G. W. Bush. This time, the choice is even clearer than it was when “W” ran, which could mean the voter suppression tactics will be even more ruthless.
I heard on the news last night that the NAACP was suing Virginia, for the very reason stated by ShellyB. What year is this! Virginia needs to get it right.
AP
Published: October 28, 2008
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia NAACP sued Gov. Tim Kaine on Monday, arguing that the state has failed to prepare for an unprecedented voter turnout in next week’s presidential election.
The complaint, filed late Monday in U.S. District Court in Richmond, alleges that with record increases in voter registration, the state has failed to provide enough polling places.
It asks the court to:
—Get more voting machines and distribute them in a way that cuts projected waiting times at crowded precincts to 45 minutes or less;
—Reallocate the existing inventory of voting machines and instruct poll workers to give voters who face a wait of more than 45 minutes the option of voting by paper ballot;
—Extend poll closing time from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET statewide, giving voters two additional hours to get to their precincts.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People contended in a 27-page lawsuit that the failure to provide more voting machines, particularly in majority black precincts, violates the state and U.S. constitutions and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
“Virginians are going to turn out in large numbers and election officials must act quickly to make sure their failure to prepare doesn’t become a barrier to voting,” King Salim Khalfani, executive director of the Virginia NAACP, said in a news release.
Besides Kaine, a Democrat and close political and personal ally of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, defendants include the State Board of Elections and its executive secretary, Nancy Rodrigues, and registrars and election officials in three of the state’s largest cities — Richmond, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
It could not be determined after court hours Monday when a hearing would be held.
The Board of Elections said in a statement that all jurisdictions have the legally required number of voting machines or voting booths, and that many far exceed the mandate. Virginia has 10,600 voting machines, an 86 percent increase from 2004, the board said.
The board also said an additional 300 polling places have been established, the number of people assigned as election officers or alternates has been increased by 50 percent and the number of jurisdictions using electronic poll books that provide faster voter check-in has increased from five to 17.
“We will work with the office of the attorney general to respond to the suit in the coming days,” the board said in a statement.
The lawsuit comes eight days before the first election in decades in which Virginia is a battleground state. No Democrat has won Virginia in a presidential race since 1964, but new polls show Obama pulling ahead.
It notes that many polling places in Virginia were overwhelmed in the 2004 general election and that turnout records were shattered in this year’s Democratic primaries. In Virginia, Obama won with more than 1 million votes in a state where primaries historically pass with scant notice.
Since January, more than 436,000 new voters have registered in Virginia, increasing the state’s rolls largely because of Obama’s historic position as the first black nominee for president.
“To adhere stubbornly to inadequate levels of resources in the face of the increased registration and increased turnout will result in a meltdown on Election Day,” the complaint says.
Reader Reactions
Posted by ( rafaelva ) on October 28, 2008 at 11:19 am
Virginia has doubled the number of voting machines since the last Presidential Election. I just wonder why, if this was going to become an issue, why did they wait until now to raise a lawsuit. Particularly one that will not even make it to court before the election.
It’s not unusual lines for lines during elections. Yes, there will be lines, I am sure if the Govenor thinks it’s necessary he will extend the hours when and where it is deemed necessary.
Over the years, Virginia has experienced very few voting irregularities.
One thing is for sure, If long lines do develop, the sample ballot passer outers are gonna be standing out in the street, or up the block, because they are not allowed to be that close to the voting lines.
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Posted by ( Posts as Pinko ) on October 28, 2008 at 10:53 am
Weird headline (but attention getting, which I suppose is the point). They’re suing for more voting machines. Interesting!
The other issue is people standing in line get disgruntled and cause problems or they just leave without voting. Can you imagine someone with small children waiting for more than an hour to vote? How about people who have to get back to work? This is something to think about. Seems more machines wouldn’t be THAT hard to come by.
Inside Nova .com
CB
On our local level, plenty of paper ballots will be in each voting place and the city registrar will have plenty of election officials inside each polling place (the goal is 20 in each). Election officer training is Wednesday and Thursday evening, 7PM at City Hall in the council chambers. You may be still able to make application, get your voting done before election and get involved inside the polls if you act today. Let’s hope nasty tactics will not be done by either side. One good thing this long presidential campaign has done for the younger vote is it has engaged them into talking, researching and getting active within political circles. That’s a good thing. When I reached the age to vote the landscape of voters were older and elderly. While those generations have been faithful to show up to vote, we did need to include the younger generations and give them opportunities to teach us what they’ve learned. While traditionally the presidential election is the one most show up to vote in, understanding the impact of local elections is equally as important. The late, great Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill said “all politics are local”. I would not dispute this fact.
In order to believe in the electoral process, we need the ratio of voting machines to registered voters to be THE SAME in diverse comminities as it is in the rich non-ethnic areas. This inequity is always rationalized by saying “minorities just don’t vote” so therefore certain areas get less machines. That is B.S.
People of color are motivated to vote. We have learned our lesson just like everyone else in America thanks to the Bush catastrophe. But we are busy people with families to feed just like anyone else. If we are forced to wait in the cold for six hours, like they rigged it in Ohio, less of us will vote. The result: Bush-type leadership in the White House.
It’s better for America if minorities are allowed to vote with the same amount of convenience and, therefor frequency, as white people. Minorities are less likely to be blinded by “divide and conquer” politics because we are accustomed to a world that is more complicated than “them vs. us”. We have all BEEN the “them” at one time or another, so we are not going to fall for it when the current them is a different minority (Muslims, gays, people with funny names, etc.)
Without minorities as a healthy part of the electorate, it is difficult to compensate for those who vote based on resentment and fears. Only a diverse electorate can be trusted to wise choices for the common good.
Sarah Palin reaches out to Latino voters
Governor, let me ask you about immigration. How many undocumented immigrants are there in Alaska?
I don’t know, I don’t know. That’s a good question.
As governor, how do you deal with them? Do you think they all should be deported?
There is no way that in the US we would roundup every illegal immigrant -there are about 12 million of the illegal immigrants- not only economically is that just an impossibility but that’s not a humane way anyway to deal with the issue that we face with illegal immigration.
Do you then favor an amnesty for the 12 or 13 million undocumented immigrants?
No, I do not. I do not. Not total amnesty. You know, people have got to follow the rules. They’ve got to follow the bar, and we have got to make sure that there is equal opportunity and those who are here legally should be first in line for services being provided and those opportunities that this great country provides.
To clarify, so you support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants?
I do because I understand why people would want to be in America. To seek the safety and prosperity, the opportunities, the health that is here. It is so important that yes, people follow the rules so that people can be treated equally and fairly in this country.
And the last question would be about politics. You only have two more weeks left…
Yes
What is your strategy? How are you planning to win the latino vote?
I will tell you, I wish that there were more hours in the day so that we can get out there and to more of the communities with such the strong Latino vote that is out there and really tell them that we desire to work for them. We are asking them to hire us and let us work for them.
http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml?chid=3&schid=10414&secid=25534&cid=1716304&pagenum=2
Gov. Kaine can fix this. It’s not too late. Hopefully early voting will also help. I hope the minority areas know about early voting.
Did you guys read Dana Milbank’s piece in the Washington Post today?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/27/AR2008102702544.html
There are several parts that made me laugh out loud, but this was the gem of gems:
Palin/Huckabee 20-oh-12!!!
The only Republicans who remain certain of their partisan loyalty are now maniacs for Sarah Palin (and lukewarm on McCain).
My view is they’ve got it backwards, but who am I? Just a pragmatist who once believed that meant I had a home with the Republican party.
Should the GOP rebuild the party using Palin maniacs as their base, and remake the party as a rallying cry for hate and culture war?
Or, should they rebuild the party with a sensible, practical, centrist platform, similar to that of Obama/Biden, only with an opposite stance on key issues (depending on where Obama/Biden screw up over the next 4 years)?
I vote for the latter.
I think the pragmatists in the party are going to do some soul searching after this election, and, depending on who grabs the reigns, we may be forced to stay away from the GOP forever. Truth be told, we have more in common with Obama/Biden than we do with the ideologues and hate-mongers who have taken over the McCain/Palin (or Palin/McCain) campaign.
If there is any hope for the party, the Marty Nohe’s, Mike May’s, and Maureen Caddigan’s must prevail over the Greg Letiecq’s, Corey Stewart’s, and John Stewart’s. By the way: this would also be a lifesaver for Prince William County.
This election, thankfully, will be over in seven days. That’s when the real battle will begin.
Who will take the reigns of the Republican party?
I think that’s the second reason why the pragmatist Republicans are supporting Obama. This may yet be the best way to salvage the Republican party. Only a landslide will send the message, you don’t get smaller and nastier in the face of a challenge; you become more inclusive and forward thinking. Otherwise you eat your own until you die.
I can see Russia from my townhouse.
WHWN,
What do you think of the Libertarian Party? That’s about as pragmatic as you can get.
I would like to see the rise of the LP out of the ashes of the republican party. The republican party is more or less hollowed out IMHO. The power of the evangelical bloc is a problem though.
I think there’s much truth in your statement. With the electorate just about evenly split between Democrats, Republicans, and Independents any campaign that concentrates on the hate-mongering wing of the Republican party to the exclusion of the middle will more than likely lose. The logical place to play would be the middle with the hope of picking up Independents and more conservative Democrats who have not moved into the Independent group. As an Independent I think this is an exciting time when we’ll really make a noticeable difference in the election’s outcome.
NGL had a good idea, put the same ratio of polling stations to people in each district. That would ensure a fair election as far as that goes. I’m not sure if that ratio is currently off and if it is, by how much but sounds like a good idea.
Has anyone noted the irony that it was a democratic governor and administration that has been sued? Not taking sides but it is not the scenario I would have imagined since everyone always talks about republicans trying to silence poor people. Just an observation.
Just because one is bad doesn’t mean the other is preferable. I consider Obama/Biden both to be enemies of the constitution.
Michael Badnarik said something insightful about this situation. He said ‘when you vote for the lesser of two evils, you still vote for evil.’
Resident, that is odd for a democratic governor and administration being sued by the NAACP for something like this.
Maybe voter registration has been higher in minority communities this year and an obvious adjustment is needed. I was under the impression that voting machines were doled out at an equal proportion to the population. I guess that’s a mistake.
We are all making adjustments to the Real Virginia, the inclusive and multi-cultural Virginia. Even Democrats, as much as they benefit. These are changes like Virginia has never seen before. I certainly don’t think Gov. Kaine is looking to pull a Kenneth Blackwell on Virginia, and neither does the NAACP. But the voter registration has been huge, and turn-out will be huge. They just are not prepared for this in certain precincts, and where things are left up to local officials, there is a potertial for abuse.
But for those who might delight in pointing out such things, Kenneth Blackwell is African American. This is not a race issue. It is about the integrity of our democracy as Hello points out (thanks Hello!).
I have a green question and it comes from inexperience , not from drinking, lol!
Why is it that the 3rd party does not get much media coverage as the R and D ticket?
One day at a time and counting down (lol)
A PW County Resident,
I thought the same thing. Strange. But it probably needed to happen and I guess you sue the governor since lawsuits are often shotgunned. I think others were sued also.
I wondered how anything could be done about it before the election. I must not have read that part carefully.
NGL, I am certainly not taking any delight in this. I was disenfranchised myself a few years back. I was told that I had moved, which was really a surprise for me. The state obviously knew something I didn’t. My only option? Try to find a judge to authorize my vote. Didn’t happen.
Hi NGL, see, I can agree with someone I don’t normally agree with if I agree with what they are saying. I’m not all bad as ShellyB would like you to think. Your suggestion seems like good logic, I’m kind of surprised that they don’t currently do it.
Sorry, Here is the link I meant to send. ( sharing the computer)
http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_102608_news_dmv_facial_recognition.150c9dd6a.html?ocp=2#slcgm_comments_anchor
Well, give ME a drink as I don’t understand what just happened ( and no I am not drinking tonight) I tried to post, thought it went thru and forgot the link ( as usual) but I see the link shows up but not my comment? Anyway…..
The link above is in response to A PW Resident’s scenario described @ 19:15
Crap, that sucks PWC Resident. The first time I voted I was really afraid that something would go wrong, but I have never had a problem. By “delight” I just meant the irony of the fact that an African American was so diabolically successful in disinfranchizing other African Americans that he singlehandedly reelected Bush to a second term.
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1854243,00.html
How is Bobbit doing these daze? Just kidding.
I give CREDIT to:
(blog surfing and found the article on)
http://tooconservative.com/?p=2332
NGL, I just wanted to make sure you knew my motivation. I just found it curious. Sometimes, I wonder what political party demonizes and which one doesn’t. I am an independent because I think both do.
I want a day in which the end result isn’t power but success. Won’t happen before I die I am afraid.
of course this might be too late for people, but they should check their own voting eligibility with the link below
https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/PublicSite/PublicMain.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
“Sometimes, I wonder what political party demonizes and which one doesn’t. I am an independent because I think both do.
I want a day in which the end result isn’t power but success. Won’t happen before I die I am afraid.”
This is the American dream! We all have the same intention, to live it, dream it or PRESERVE it 🙂 QUESTIONS are good. FEAR is not 🙂 Ask away. KNOWLEDGE is power and power comes by knowing…ask, ask, ask. COMMUNICATE 🙂
okay, that waz cheesy101 but I was moved and it is the TRUTH 🙂
Wolverines 🙂 lol
A PW County Resident,
Probably both parties demonize. I have been disappointed at how much McCain is playing that game. People are just evil towards each other at election time. It amazes me that anyone even runs for office.
I used to think that it was just in modern times that people were so nasty. Not so. Even back in the 1800’s they started smear campaigns about each other and did crappy things like starting gay rumors and philandering rumors. They probably were even more prone to fistcuffs then also. And to think, no TV to stir it up.
I finally figured your name out—Wolverines
One of my favorite all time films too! 🙂
Mackie, I don’t know enough about LP to answer without insulting you. Sorry. Wondering, how can Republicans attract Libertarians?
CB
Libertarians in my view are conservative liberals. They believe in as little government as can be had. Self reliance and personal responsibility is big with them.
Liberty and freedom is another biggie. The liberty and freedom ‘to’ not ‘from’. And low to NO taxes is another. It’s a sort of ‘live and let live’ philosophy. With the way things are going for the GOP, the LP might just find dissatisfied Republicans looking towards another party affiliation. That is if there is a cap put on campaign financing. Taking the HUGH $$ out of campaigns and setting some term limits might make some sense. Changing the countries mindset about a two-party system is complex. But maybe after this endless presidential campaign, the country might want this option on the round table for discussion.
Those on the ‘left’ believe in freedom for your personal life but slavery in your economic life.
Those on the ‘right’ believe in slavery of your personal life and freedom (not anymore) in your economic life.
Who is left in the republican party? Evangelicals…but their influence diminishes with each year. And they are republican because they’ve got nowhere else to go. Nativists? Closet bigots? People terrified of another terrorist attack? These are all people who believe in big gov’t to promote their social agendas.
They are only united by fear. That isn’t something to build on. There is no positive philosophy these disparate groups can unite around.
The center doesn’t hold.
At the core of Libertarianism is freedom. And freedom is life. It’s a positive and inclusive message. People naturally respond to freedom.
But freedom is scary. People seeking security economically or socially turn to the dems or repubs respectively.
Can repubs attract libertarians? Probably not any longer. Bush has ripped the constitution to shreds.
Mackie, Actually that makes a lot of sense:
Welcome Chet.
M-H,
Did we just agree on something?
Like I said, vote Bob Barr.
Mackie, what do you think governments should fund? Too many people who claim to be Libertarian have told me that they are against paying to support government. (I realize that they may be the extreme.) But we’re no longer an agrarian society. Even if our wars magically went away, we have interstate highways, schools, other infrastructure that need to be funded.
Straight from the LP website:
Just Defend Our Rights
Libertarians believe that if government’s role were limited to protecting our lives, rights and property, then America would prosper and thrive as never before. Then the federal government could concentrate on protecting our Constitutional rights and defending us from foreign attack. A federal government that did only those two things, could do them better and at a small fraction of the cost.
How Can We Cut Taxes?
Instead of tending to the basics, government has grown into a bloated conglomerate of political services that gets larger every year — with no end in sight.
For example, politicians spend millions of dollars to urge people not to smoke — while spending more millions to subsidize tobacco farmers. They send billions overseas for foreign aid — while the federal deficit swells. They spend millions to subsidize public art — while working families struggle to pay their taxes.
Politicians also run trains, bail out savings and loans, construct houses, sell insurance, print books, and build basketball courts — you name it! But the fact is, every service supplied by the government can be provided better and cheaper by private business.
Replace Welfare: Cut Taxes
The bulk of your welfare tax dollars goes to pay the handsome salaries of well-educated welfare workers. The poor get little from government welfare except meager handouts and a cycle of despair. Let’s get government out of the charity business. Private charities and groups do a better and more efficient job of helping the truly needy get back on their feet.
Mackie, apparently so. Scary, ain’t it? Must be the old school tie catching up with us.
Mando, Didn’t Bob Barr used to be a social conservative?
Mackie, would you consider yourself a libertarian? You might have answered this question before.
“I would like to see the rise of the LP out of the ashes of the republican party. The republican party is more or less hollowed out IMHO. The power of the evangelical bloc is a problem though.”
I think the evangelical “bloc” is the LP’s greatest hope. As Vox Day puts it:
“(Libertarianism) is the only political philosophy that is truly in accordance with Christianity. The Christian religion posits an all-powerful God who nevertheless permits humanity to turn its back on Him. This shows an extreme respect for free will and for the very sort of individual choice that is banned by Democrats and Republicans alike as they attempt to enforce their will upon the people through the power of government.”
“Mando, Didn’t Bob Barr used to be a social conservative? ”
Look at his voting record and decide for yourself:
http://www.ontheissues.org/GA/Bob_Barr.htm
I wouldn’t label him a former or current social conservative.
Mando,
Libertarians would not ban gay marriage. Republicans are more than eager to do so. There go the Evangelicals.
Then there’s the issue of abortion. There are many libertarians who support abortion as compatible with libertarian philosophy. That’s very strange to me. The right to choose is important but after conception, there are 2 lives at stake, and I can’t reconcile the woman’s right to choose as supplanting a baby’s right to live.
Thanks for the views on LB, Bob Barr, etc. I am too busy today to respond, but am taking it all in.
I meant LP. Libertarian Party.
M-H,
I agree with much of the Libertarian platform. It is grounded and constrained by a clear philosophy, of this earth, that can actually be worked out and debated on it’s merits. And there’s room for everybody as long as you don’t believe in using the state to arbitrarily impose your will on others.
But I don’t really like placing a label on myself.