I don’t know why I read the NY Times anymore- all it does is piss me off. Today, Paul Krugman makes sure all the bases are covered regarding the election:
A lot can change in 11 days, and Mr. Bush may yet win convincingly. But we must not repeat the mistake of 2000 by refusing to acknowledge the possibility that a narrow Bush win, especially if it depends on Florida, rests on the systematic disenfranchisement of minority voters. And the media must not treat such a suspect win as a validation of skewed reporting that has consistently overstated Mr. Bush’s popular support.
Talk about trying to deligitimize an administration before the election has even happened. Krugman is just following the DNC playbook, preparing us for a long court battle after the election, and putting the GOP on notice:
Even if you win, we are going to act like you didn’t.
I guess this is not that big of a surprise really, when you consider the source. After all, the NY Times is openly partisan, bltantly political, and not only did they never find anything wrong with Saddam Hussein’s elections, but they openly admired the Iraqi voter turnout.
Slartibartfast
I challenged a guy to supply some actual evidence (as opposed to the bare opinions of Greg Palast) that there’d been systematic disenfranchising of Florida by Republicans in this aptly named thread over at Obsidian Wings, and he evaded almost frantically. He never even supplied one piece of data to support his claims.
I expect your post will attract some rather delightful moonbattiness.
ToddZilla
Remind any of the Democrat hacks that after the 2000 election, there was a big investigation by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.
Their findings? No findings of anything remotely resembling disenfranchisement, systematic or otherwise, of Florida voters in the 2000 election. *None.
Wanna really make ’em squirm? There was a big fuss over the “felon purge list” that allegedly prevented tens of thousands of registered voters (including a disproportionate number of black voters) from voting, even though they’d never been convicted of a felony.
Remind them that the US Civil Rights Commission investigated the matter and couldn’t find one single person who was erroneously included on the “purge list” and was prevented from voting.
Be careful, they have been known to roll their eyes back into their heads when they hear that :)
Slartibartfast
JFTR, the USCCR did claim that systematic disenfranchisement did occur. They just didn’t back the claim with force of evidence or analysis. And it’s got to be said that their many statements in their final report tend to be vague and/or mutually contradictory. A poor piece of work, IMO>
So, although they did claim to find widespread disenfranchisement:
Bobby
This is a vile and libelous assault on the integrity of Professor Krugman! Very frankly, Mr.Juice, you are not worthy of wiping Krugy’s great and glorious behind.
Hal
He certainly is sniffing it a lot, though.
M. Scott Eiland
“Even if you win, we are going to act like you didn’t.”
And this is different from how the Democrats have been acting for the last four years, how?
Just Passing Through
“Even if you win, we are going to act like you didn’t.”
The literal meltdown of the left if Kerry loses the election, from small blogs to the national media, is going to be mindboggling. The left will wreck the Democratic Party. This is not good for anyone who values plurality in politics come the 2006 midterms and will possibly still be the case in 2008.
Visiting the more rabid bush hater joints online 11/3 will both be vastly entertaining and vastly disturbing if Kerry loses. I expect to see the last traces of camo come off those folks in a complete and utter rejection of democracy. They’ll show this two ways. By rejecting that ‘moron america’ and the ‘sheeple’ have the right to participate in and determine an election against what the elites (in their own minds) decided was in their best interests. And they’ll show this by declaring an absolute hatred and contempt for the fascist republicans ‘stealing another election’ that the left could not have lost legitimately without ever seeing the projection and irony (this part is already in full swing) far beyond what we’ve seen so far.
The last small differences between DU and Kos/Atrios will disappear. They will all call for shutting down the country, marching on DC, leaving for better prospects abroad (to english speaking countries under the US defense umbrella), taking to the streets in revolt etc etc without even the faintest hint that it was their ideas and not their rights that were rejected.
It is already as much disturbing as it is entertaining to visit those sites and both dimensions will increase by magnitudes on 11/3 if Kerry loses. Disturbing because it won’t only come from the far left, but the moderate left also and these are not stupid people. They can argue persuasively in a closed venue, and a lot of fringe dwellers are listening.
CadillaqJaq
On the other hand… the DEMS have made it clear that Kerry will avoid Gore’s mistake of conceding; even if they lose they will claim a victory and Kerry has said he will make public the names of his administration and will begin the transition immediately. Jesus… talk about complete anarchy; all this while 10,000 DEM lawyers are tying the country up in knots, and most likely with the MSM backing them to the hilt 24/7.
These people scare the hell out of me.
Paul B.
These people scare the hell out of me.
Which is why, for the first time ever, I will vote straight R here in Florida.
Gary Farber
“…not only did they never find anything wrong with Saddam Hussein’s elections, but they openly admired the Iraqi voter turnout.”
I’m sure you read something that gives you that idea. I’m equally sure it’s completely ridiculous. But, since it’s your blog, I’ll ask if you have a cite, and then I’ll possibly decide I don’t want to go to the effort of looking for one.
;-)
But since it’s your blog, it might be nice if you started with a cite for this more than somewhat hard to believe assertion. I mean, you really find it plausible that the NY Times “admired” the last Iraqi
“voter turnout”? Do you have any idea how ludicrous that is?
S.W. Anderson
I think the DNC playbook calls for making it clear the Democratic candidates are not to be mistaken for doormats.
Before getting on your high horse about this, you’d do well to acknowledge the inevitability of the GOP waging a long court battle if its powers that be think doing so will get them four more years.
Lastly, given the current media climate in America, I feel for you and your displeasure with the Times the same sympathy I feel for Bill Gates for being down a few billion this year.
Pal, if you can’t find umpteen far-right, pro-Bush, free market uber alles broadcast, cable, cyberspace and printed outlets by simply reaching out in any direction, you’re just not trying. Like filling stations in the ’60s, there’s one on every corner.
I’ve come to believe neoconservatives spend so much time steeping themselves in the party line and the comfy ideology from all those sources, and giving each other attaboys and me too’s, that when they come upon one that doesn’t cater to their viewpoint, it’s like being dumped into a cold shower. Moderate seems like liberal. Genuinely liberal seems like nutso radical.
It’s something to consider, anyway.