PORTLAND, Maine — The head of the Maine Republican Party says Mitt Romney is still the winner of this month’s GOP presidential caucuses following a recount of the votes.
The party last Saturday announced Romney was the narrow winner over Ron Paul, with a 194-vote winning margin out of 5,585 votes. Rick Santorum came in third and Newt Gingrich in fourth.
The party decided to recount the votes after determining that votes from caucuses in Waterville, Belfast and a number of other towns were left out of the final results, and that the tallies for Paul and Romney were reversed in Portland.
Chairman Charlie Webster said the exact vote count of Maine’s nonbinding straw poll would be released Friday afternoon, ahead of Saturday’s caucuses in East Machias in Washington County.
Yeah, but there are still more caucases to come, Charlie. The national spotlight is on you and this fiasco. You should do the honorable thing: admit you were wrong and count the votes this weekend.
Charlie?…….Honorable?……Thanks for the laugh!
Charlie Webster is a disgrace. He is an embarrassment to the State of Maine.
Great Ben Swann update from 2/16/12: http://bit.ly/wC2ery
I have a funny feeling Ben Swann isn’t going to let you off this easy Charlie.
Cactus Charlie should step down, he still continues to have a thing for announcing winners before all the votes are technically counted..
Most of this mess could have been prevented if the Washington County delegation had pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and braved the “snowstorm” like the Girl Scouts did last Saturday.
The head of the Maine republicnan party has been stripped of his job. There is fraud here and the recount is NOT over yet. Mis-information here… at its finest.
Since when has Charlie Webster been “stripped of his job”?
Care to post facts, or just make stuff up as you go?
Are you Charlie’s mommy?
Oh, boy – another member of the “Medical Miracle” club heard from.
And if the people in horror movies listened to you they would
probably still be alive!
Why don’t you answer Spaulding’s question Paul? It is a legitimate question. Unlike your juvenile response.
Did I say Charlie Webster has been “stripped of his job”?
NO jd I did not. I added my 2 cents JUST like YOU did. Why is that a problem? Is this the only comment you find juvenile, why stop with me, why not point them all out for us?
Well I guess you don’t have an answer for Spaulding.
“Is this the only comment you find juvenile, why stop with me, why not point them all out for us?
In one word….Yes
He hasn’t been stripped of his job..yet. But I think we can all agree, even Narantula, that Charlie will never recover politically from this corruption and will eventually be forced to resign or thrown out. I would imagine death threats, real or imagined aimed at ones family would be a wakeup call.
Garbage. From one hour ago…
Maine Republican Party chairman Charlie Webster “has admitted that the state party made numerous clerical errors in counting the state’s caucus results — even omitting some votes because emails reporting tallies ‘went to spam’ in an email account,” Politico reports.
Altogether now – Monty Python’s “the Spam Song”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8huXkSaL7o
You better be ready for the state convention Charlie….we’re gonna have fun with a mental midget like you!!
Not as much “fun” as the GOP will have with you, and your punk buddies, if you try to start any trouble.
Yeah! The GOP knows how to handle dem dar punks!
They are tough mothers, remember how they trashed that sixth grade classroom ?
Wow posting THREATS are we? in your own name, tsk tsk. Wonder how many hundreds of posters have been banned thanks to this looney Narantual screaming..”The threatened me!!”. You are a embarassment to to the republican party. Do not feed.
For anyone unfamiliar with Naran, she is unstable and yet predictable.
Naran 101:
1. Post lies in support of Maine GOP
2. Incite and antagonize strongest dissenters
3. Claim harrasment/threats
4. Ban dissenters
5. Repeat
Please have a little more respect for Naran. She is a woman after all.
When dealing with the Left, the best method is take a polite, chivalrous approach.
It is not good to issue threats against our fellow citizens.
We must be the faction which upholds what is good and honorable in our civilization.
Its easy to threaten people online…i personally think you would get your butt stomped at a rally if you try that with REAL Patriots…
RINO’s unite, take back your party !!!!!!
“They’re for the working class!”
“A boiler man is chairman of the state GOP”
“I like firing people” – Mitt Romney.
His own dog ran away to live a happy life in Canada! (Seamus Gate)
Time to call “Jeb Bush”… he knows how to count votes!
Oooo, good one!
Charlie, how many times will you try to defraud Republican voters? You couldn’t defraud Maine voters last year with your defense of the abolishment of same day voter registration. I guess you thought the GOP was dumber and more easily deceived. I think you have failed again.
lol
And people want these type of people? omg, what a deceptive bunch of morans, are the people running for office in this Country. Not one of them can pass the straight face test. We are doomed.
This is total BS. Let me count the votes only like 5000? should not take more than a couple hours and I would do it for free and post the real story.
IF, and that is an extremely large IF, “Crazy” Charlie Webster the Chairman of the Maine Republican Party and the party he leads had any credibility leading into last Saturdays proclamation that Mitt Romney was the winner of the Maine Republican Caucus then his announcement today removes the IF completely. Wouldn’t it have been better to wait until after tomorrows caucuses to re-declare a winner? After all this clown dressed up in real people clothing has already embarrassed not only the Maine Republican Party but also the State as well with his election fixing antics. In the interest of honesty, something that seems to be missing at present in the Maine Republican Party, I am a registered Republican and have been since 1967. The Maine Republican Party is no longer the Party of “The Lady from Maine” Senator Margaret Chase Smith the first women ever to be nominated by a major party for The Presidency of The United States and who will forever be remembered for her “Declaration of Conscience” speech in which she repudiated the then witch hunt being conducted by a radical Republican Senator from Wisconsin, Joe McCarthy. McCarthy divided Americans the same way that “Crazy” Charlie and the current controllers of the Maine Republican Party have tried to divide Mainers. They both conducted bogus witch hunts. McCarthy saw “commies” everywhere similar to the way “Crazy” Charlie sees “fraudulent voters” everywhere. Like Senator Smith did to end McCarthy’s witch hunt it is time for a Republican to step forward and denounce the current leadership of the Maine Republican Party. Or else it will be an exceedingly long time before Republicans regain credibility with the voters much less regain control again of the Maine House and Senate.
Speaking of “credibility” — try posting your smears and insults using your own name, instead of posting anonymously.
If you want anybody to take your cry for “denouncement” seriously, you need to grow a spine, and use your real name.
Only a reckless unthinking fool would use their real name in a newspaper’s online forum.
A wise person knows why that is the truth.
If you live your life ruled by fear, and give up your liberties, that’s your choice., and your idea of “wisdom.”
Not mine.
I continually marvel at how so many people manage to walk around without a spine. It’s a pure medical miracle.
You’re free to, and I support your right to lead your life recklessly.
It is safer for you because you take a conservative stand, anyway.
Oh, I see.
Scot is this Naran kid like … special ?
You see, if so I don’t want to be picking on her.
Does anyone know her and if she is fair sport and like, you know, playing with a full deck ?
See this is JUST part of why it is a good idea to use screen name, Ms. Row-Spaulding.
Seriously.
And please be considerate TO HER, by leaving this up to be flagged by her after she gets to read it. I’m honestly trying to do the gal a good turn, here.
She’s all over the Portland Press Herald forums and As Maine Goes.
She’s quite something, just ask her.
Ask her ?
Nah, , I don’t want to be stalked.
What you refer to as smears and insults most people call the truth. You might want to look it up in a dictionary sometime. Preferably one that isn’t soaked in tea.
Just as soon as you start posting comments using your real name, you can tell me what to do.
ps – sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not a Tea Party member.
Beware the GOP dirty tricksters, bullies and thugs.
They are famous for this stuff.
James Tobin, James O’Keefe, Nixon Plumbers…
They stop at nothing
yessah
What “stuff”? Asking someone to have the courage of their convictions, and post their name on smears and insults directed at another person?
If you want comments with real names check out the Sun Journal.
Yes, it’s always nicer to see someone posting their smears and insults using their real name.
You set a beautiful example for all Naran. Thank you.
lol
WELL SAID.
On point for sure.
So is Ben Swann: http://bit.ly/wC2ery We owe Ben some big thanks for breaking this story wide open.
And now what we are seeing from the Maine GOP defenders is damage control. No way can they concede Paul won and keep face. Even now, the chatter is “mainstream republicans are staying home today because they are afraid of the Ron Paul supporters”. I actually spit my coffee out when reading, courtesy of Naran. Of course its all prepared so they can say it was “rigged” in Pauls favor, thus damage control. Pathetic and criminal. Hope Mr. Webster gets jail time.
The moderator deleted my comment critical of Margaret Chase Smith, and calling the Republican Party a Marxist party.
Romney or Obama means continued debt slavery and endless wars in the Middle East.
The moderator deleted my comments revealing the ultimate truth about the Republican and Democrat Parties. As H.L. Mencken said, “You are free to say anything you want in America, just as long as it doesn’t matter.”
Go Ron Paul! Go Alex Jones!
No one in Maine is afraid of Ron Paul. How could he be accused of rigging a loss? You’re bang on, MP, this isn’t shenanigans, it’s savage criminality. Telling their own base their vote is worthless?! Paul won, but the other two not called Mitt should jump on the party too. This is terrible. Obama wins this state without a fight now. If the GOP establishment can’t come up with a candidate that can outwork, outthink,outlast Ron Paul, they should simply call him the boss.
Just think, most of this mess could have been prevented if the Washington County delegation had pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and braved the “snowstorm” like the Girl Scouts did last Saturday.
Was the Washington County’s do over “re- counted” as zero ?
I cannot recall the last time I heard of a vote being conducted after the vote results were announced.
The other thing I am having trouble understanding is why would anyone think that a caucus held after the official end of the caucusing period would count? Didn’t anyone in the Washington County GOP think to question that little fact?
Exactly, what is point of recounting a known major malfunction, a large bore fuster cluck ? Today’s new tally is still bogus.
“As Adopted at Convention on May 7, 2010”
“RULES FOR THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2012 CONVENTION”
“Rule 7 (b)
“Municipalities shall be ***encouraged*** to conduct their caucuses by ***March 1
or on a single date if so specified by the State Committee***. After March
1, the county committee or the Republican State Chairman may call such
caucuses consistent with state law and these rules”
It’s not March 1st…there was no SINGLE date given (I believe they recommended the 4th -11th). Therefore, the way the rule reads, all caucuses done by March 1st are included. The Maine GOP has made their own rules, once they realized Ron Paul was a threat to Mittens victory.
http://www.mainegop.com/about-2/rules-and-by-laws/
You skipped over Rule 7 (a)
The Rules of the Maine Republican Party
As Adopted at Convention on May 7, 2010
RULES FOR THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2012 CONVENTION
Rule 7. Municipal caucuses shall be conducted biennially during the general election year as prescribed by state law, upon call of the Chairman of the Republican State Committee.
a. The State Committee shall prescribe such rules and procedures for the conduct of municipal caucuses, including the date thereof, as said committee shall deem appropriate consistent with state law and these rules.
Why did you skip over Rule 7 (a)?
The State Committee very clearly established “the date thereof” as February 4th through the 11th.
What then is the point of rule 7 (b)? Do they cancel each other out? Do they choose which section of rules to follow, depending on the projected outcome?
Do you often answer a question with a question Brandon?
OK, Brando Rule 7 (a) allows the state committee to set rules and procedures for municipal caucuses including the date “as said committee shall deem appropriate consistent with state law and these rules”. It doesn’t say the state committee must set the date, it only say it may set that date.
So, Rule 7 (b) says, in part “Municipalities shall be encouraged to conduct their caucuses by March 1 or on a single date if so specified by the State Committee.”
Now to answer you questions (please note I answer questions asked):
“What then is the point of rule 7 (b)?”
If the state committee does not set a date (in this case they did set a date 2/4-2/11/2012) then individual municipalities are “encouraged” to set a date prior to March 1st.
~~~~~
“Do they cancel each other out?”
No. Rule 7 (a) allows the state committee to set a date.
Rule 7 (b) says “Municipalities shall be encouraged to conduct their caucuses by March 1 OR (emphasis added) on a single date if so specified by the State Committee.” The operative word in that sentence is “OR”. The state committee specified a “single” date of 2/4/2012-2/11/2012 for the GOP to caucus so the first part of the sentence is null and void.
~~~~~
“Do they choose which section of rules to follow, depending on the projected outcome?”
No, you just have to read the rules and not ignore parts that tend to disprove the desired outcome you are looking for.
You’ll probably find a way to correct me, but a SINGLE date, as specified in 7(b) is not the 4th – 11th…it looks like 7 single dates, which would be a timeframe…nothing single about 7 different days.
Do you really think that little about your position that someone is trying to “correct” you? This is a discussion, nothing more and nothing less.
I have pondered on that phrase myself. Do I have the “correct” answer? Don’t know. I have several theories about the phrase but are they “correct”? Again, I don’t know.
Theory #1 – It is a single period of time where individual caucuses may meet on a single date. It has a definitive start, the 4th and a definitive end, the 11th.
Theory #2 – It certainly meets the definition of “Municipalities shall be encouraged to conduct their caucuses by March 1″ by providing a date range (4th – 11th) from the state committee to meet within.
Theory #3 – It also meets the definition of ” The State Committee shall prescribe such rules and procedures for the
conduct of municipal caucuses, including the date thereof,…” Here is the rule for the GOP caucuses for 2012, they will be held between the 4th and the 11th of February.
Theory #4 – I agree that there is nothing single about 7 different days. But no individual caucus meet for seven days. They all were held on single dates within a range set by the GOP state committee.
Is the point to cause confusion, and be exploited for the usual dirty tricks ?
JD apparently The Girl Scouts and the current Maine Republican Party have differing values. Here is the Girl Scout Law:
I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.
When was the last time any political party was “honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place”.
I believe both parties have been dishonest and unfair with the American people.
I believe both parties have been unfriendly and when has the government been “helpful”.
A political party is “considerate and caring”? Yeah right, when pigs fly maybe.
“courageous and strong” only to themselves.
But here is my favorite, political parties are “responsible for what I say and do”. Shouldn’t that read “do as I say and not as I do”? Ever wonder why Maine Legislatures have “special” blue and red license plates? Well they are exempt from the speed limit laws when the legislature is in session and they are “racing” to Augusta. And here is another example. Those special license plates are issued to ONE vehicle. But there are at least one Maine legislature that believes two license plates are meant for two cars by placing one plate on each vehicle. And here is a third example, remember the Maine legislature that thought he was exempt from the fire works laws two years ago by setting them off at his camp. He was caught and threatened the two law enforcement officers with the famous “do you know who I am” line. He also threatened their jobs by saying “I have your badges”. Yeah….”do as I say and not as I do” comes from both parties.
“respect myself and others”? We KNOW they respect themselves but others?
“respect authority”? Only their own.
“use resources wisely”? Of please, I almost choked on my coffee.
“make the world a better place” Earmarks..Earmarks…Earmarks.
Stalin said, “It doesn’t matter how many votes are cast. It’s who counts the votes that matters,”
Don’t you find it just a little bit peculiar that they wear red, since red has been the color of revolution down through the ages?
Support for feminism + abortion + globalism = Marxism, and Romney is the party candidate. So why do you think they wear red, already?
And who will vote for a man so black-hearted his own dog runs away from him?
All Romney needs is a top-hat, black cloak, and mustache: “Can’t pay your rent, eh? Then let me have your lovely daughter Nel.”
Actually, McCarthy was on to something, as proven by the recently released KGB archives. And do you have any idea who put Margaret Chase Smith up to reading her “Declaration of Conscience” on the Senate floor? The socialist Walter Lippman did, and he wrote the Declaration of Conscience for her.
Everyone is a Paul supporter this weekend….Show them you mean business, Washington County , make Webster choke on his own words.
Why not do it right the first time? Because when you cheat, the outcome is GUARANTEED, the right doesn’t want to take any chances.
Here’s the problem, Charlie is a “know it all” and felt he didn’t need to count the other votes.
Sad part is the spotlight is making him smile where most people with any conscience would be stepping aside and admitting their mistakes.
Give it up Charlie!
The results might be the same, but it’s the process leading to those results that is important. If Romney’s win was allowed to stand by following the wrong procedures, citizens would have essentially been denied their right to vote. That’s not the American way.
Charlie may have made mistakes and I am sure he will make more. Being a leader is a thankless job most of the time. But how some of the Ron Paul supporters speak and conduct themselves is a far greater mistake. This is not how someone should act when trying to gain support for their candidate. How most of them conduct themselves acheives the total opposite.
Charlie has scaled the Washington County into the GOP Memory Hole.
Washington County Caucus?
We don’t need no stinking Washington County caucus…
Yessah
Did any of you see this article in The Guardian?: Maine Caucuses: Ron Paul Seeks New Upset Against Mitt Romney: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/11/maine-caucuses-ron-paul-mitt-romney?newsfeed=true
The article was posted at 11:49 AM EST on 2/11, which means that the interview it refers to with Charlie Webster must have taken place sometime earlier Saturday morning. The article quotes Charlie Webster as saying that the winner of the Maine caucus would be determined by 200 votes. When I read the article, I was struck by how precise Charlie Webster’s answer was considering that the caucuses were still ongoing. Webster didn’t just say it would be close. He put a number on it — 200 votes. Needless to say, I found it even more fishy when, later that night, he announced Mitt Romney the winner by — you guessed it — about 200 votes.
Has anyone called him out on this? To me it just gives more credence to the case for vote fraud.
From what I understand, New Hampshire held it democratic caucus at the same time time the GOP held theirs, guess who came in second to Obama?… Ron Paul.
That said, what a tangled web the GOP weaves… You have to look at it this way. Ron Paul would win the Presidency with combined democrat and republican votes. The independents will make it a landslide.
The democrats and republicans are responsible for sending jobs overseas. They are responsible for the derivatives mess, they are responsible for the banking (mortgage) fraud, insider trading and a list longer than the St. John river of other issues.
The election issue at hand is fraud and they have been caught red-handed. It’s now like a murder of clowns piling into a tiny car (and I am not too far off making that statement), tripping over their own ‘shoelaces’ circling back around to do it all over again.
Try some basic research. There was no “election.” The caucus involved a straw poll, which has the same approximate “worth” as an online survey asking whether readers prefer the color pink, or blue.
Definition of election:
1. a. The act or power of electing. b. The fact of being elected.
2. THE RIGHT OR ABILITY TO MAKE A CHOICE.
Aren’t the Republicans making a choice Naran Row-Spaulding?
In this case they weren’t electing a person to any position. They were selecting delegates based on preference. And those delegates are not bound by anything to vote for the “preferred” choice that came out of the caucus.
This was more like a popularity contest from High School. Cast your straw ballot for who you “like” and end the end it means nothing because the results aren’t binding on anyone.
Naran, sorry about the typo, it should have been KLOWNS!
Unite under the nationalist banner to save our nation.
No more debt slavery, no more endless wars in the Middle East.
Vote early and vote often. – Al Capone
Ronmulans take note.
The people who cast the votes don’t decide an election, the
people who count
the votes do. – Joseph Stalin
Can’t recount the caucuses if some of them haven’t voted yet . . .
Stalin was right: it doesn’t matter who votes; it matters who counts the votes.
This is interesting? Try and make contact at/or through the State of Maine GOP website in regards to the Webster issue. Temporarily out of service???? Hmmm????????
Fox Chicago is saying that ROMNEY’S LEAD GROWS AFTER MAINE RECOUNT! http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpps/news/romney-lead-grows-after-maine-caucus-recount-dpgonc-20120217-kh_18037494
How can that be? All of the errors reported so far should have favored Ron Paul and narrowed Romney’s lead. Since the results still haven’t been made public, how does Fox Chicago know Romney’s lead GREW? Does anyone know what is going on?
Also, it is now past Friday afternoon and into Friday evening. When are these results going to be released? What’s the hold up?
One more post on this issue and that is this, State of Maine GOPers a question? First it was Webster leading his charge against the so-called voter fraud. He lost! Second and now it’s his idiotic bungling of the state’s GOP caucus and his very recent futile attempts to blame the excuded votes on e-mail spam folders?
This individual lacks the integrity and honesty frankly to manage anything more than his plumbing business and is now willing to make our state the nations laughing stock. Vote him out NOW!!
CNN is reporting the new numbers: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/17/maine-gop-chair-romney-will-maintain-win/
Now they are saying Romney won by 239 votes! And, Charlie Webster said there was nothing to recount because they threw away the paper ballots. So how exactly did they reach this new total and why should anyone believe it?
The D’s have had their own share of caucus problems. Nobody’s immune.
***********
2008 article on the Democratic caucuses.
———–
http://www.thebollard.com/bollard/?p=5066
Caucus System: The Shame of Maine
February 14, 2008
By Colin Woodard
It should have been the Maine Democratic Party’s finest hour.
Sunday’s presidential caucus drew a massive turnout. Thousands of
party newcomers…. swamped caucus sites, eager to play a part in the
selection of the next leader of the free world…..
Instead, many were exposed to the shameful reality of our state’s
caucus system, a system designed to discourage broad participation and
to ensure the popular vote has little effect on the selection of
presidential nominees.
http://www.thebollard.com/bollard/?p=5066
Read more at the link above.
And that makes it OK?? Just because they did it? Yes it was their turn to look like idiots, now it the repugs turn, so take it and like it!!
No, it doesn’t make it OK.
But I think the point that should be taken from the above article is this: “Instead, many were exposed to the shameful reality of our state’s caucus system, a system designed to discourage broad participation and to ensure the popular vote has little effect on the selection of
presidential nominees.”
The caucus system is a JOKE. Look at any of the caucuses held to date in the U.S. and what was the voter turnout as a percentage of registered party members. One was under 2%!
Send the caucus system packing and replace it with a primary system like we do for EVERY OTHER ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THE STATE!
We hold primaries for Governor, U.S. Senate and House, etc….But the most powerful person in the country what do we do? We hold a caucus and the results of the vote are NON BINDING. It is a JOKE of a system.
The winner will be announced BEFORE the Washington County caucuses??? Stay home folks, because it isn’t who votes, it’s who COUNTS the votes, and Herr Vebster has his marching orders from people who think you are worth little more than dung beetles that Romney has already won.
What are you going to do when you vote, Paul wins, and Herr Vebster declares Romney the winner. Will you still blindly support Herr Vebster and his ilk the same way you stood by him in iron-clad partisan fashion, or will you FINALLY wake up and smell the coffee???
No, I think the point of the above article was this, “Instead, many were exposed to the shameful reality of our state’s caucus system, a system designed to discourage broad participation and
to ensure the popular vote has little effect on the selection of presidential nominees.”
The caucus system is a JOKE. Look at the turn out on a state wide level of any caucus across the U.S.. It is a JOKE. Want something that really makes a difference? Hold a primary election like we we do for the
I don’t think the problem is the caucuses, but that all of the votes were not tallied out in the open. There might be lower turnout for a caucus, but that means only those most engaged and aware of what is going on will turn out to discuss the issues and vote. It is better to have the most informed people voting than more people who happen to also be less informed.
A primary system that uses computer voting machines and has no paper receipts would be much easier for the politicians to fix and harder for the people to challenge. That is why I think the parties are pushing for a primary over a caucus. Since paper ballots wouldn’t be collected and read out loud in front of the people who attended, the party could fix the machines ahead of time and people would have no basis to challenge the results. (This was an interesting write-up that someone posted the other day on how the SC Primary vote may have been fixed: http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/The%202012%20SC%20GOP%20Primary.pdf)
We all need to start demanding paper receipts for our computer votes so that we can challenge incorrect results. If anything, this primary season has shown us that those running things cannot be trusted – whether because of incompetence or foul play. Hence, we all need to be watchdogs over our government to ensure its integrity.
Dr. Bin do you receive a “paper receipt” when you vote by paper ballot? I never have. Once I drop that piece of paper in the box and walk out of the polling place I have to trust that the people counting the ballots will count them correctly.
My paper ballot has no markings on it that would identify the vote as mine. How would a “paper receipt” be any different?
How would you “challenge” the count? Would everyone that voted and received a “paper receipt” have to show up to have their “receipt” compared with the recorded vote? And what of those people that do not challenge their vote, does their vote stand or does it get thrown out?
“Rigged” elections have been occurring since people started to vote and you don’t need a computer or optical scanner to accomplish it. Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago is alleged to have stuffed ballot boxes in the 1960 Presidential election and delivered a 8,000 vote victory for JFK. He didn’t use computers for it, just good old paper ballots.
Another example of rigging elections was Mayor James Michael Curley of Boston. Denied by the then Republican governor a place in the Massachusetts delegation to the 1932 convention Democratic Convention, Curley engineered his selection as a delegate from Puerto Rico under the alias of Alcalde Jaime Curleo. Some say his support was instrumental in winning the presidential nomination for FDR.
If people want to “win” an election for a specific candidate they will find a way. The method of voting will make little difference to them.
I agree that it is easy for them to rig elections and it’s been going on forever. I just think computers used in primaries/elections make it easier since there is nothing physical to recount.
Also, it seems to me that caucuses would be harder to rig than primaries. First, at a caucus, everyone can see exactly how many people attended/voted; whereas during a primary people vote all day and don’t stick around so no one but those running the show really knows exactly how many people voted. Since no one knows how many people voted, it would seem easier to stuff the ballot box in a primary.
Second, at a caucus, the votes can be collected and tallied immediately in front of everyone who attended so they can watch/verify the count. If they can’t take the ballot box out to count the votes in secret, it would be harder to rig the vote. If everyone in town who attended the caucus immediately knows the results of their caucus, they would be able to challenge the party officials if they released different official numbers. That is exactly what happened in Belfast. See (starting about 3 min in): http://youtu.be/LR_bJry3lC4 Whereas in primaries, you vote and leave so you have to rely on the officials or the machines to do the counting. Thus, it is much easier to rig and you have no way to challenge the results — especially when there is no paper trail as with computer voting.
No RINO Romney