Comments on: My Hamstring! My Calf! My Spleen! http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/10/15/my-hamstring-my-calf-my-spleen/ DEVISING A SYSTEM FOR REMEMBERING EVERYTHING Sat, 20 Mar 2010 06:48:10 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Monponsett http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/10/15/my-hamstring-my-calf-my-spleen/#comment-111839 Monponsett Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:55:30 +0000 http://scalzi.wordpress.com/?p=3290#comment-111839 If things get really desperate, Barack is going to change his last name to O'Bama and campaign heavily in the working-class Northeast districts as a swarthy Irishman. If things get really desperate, Barack is going to change his last name to O’Bama and campaign heavily in the working-class Northeast districts as a swarthy Irishman.

]]> By: sng http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/10/15/my-hamstring-my-calf-my-spleen/#comment-111516 sng Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:34:13 +0000 http://scalzi.wordpress.com/?p=3290#comment-111516 Nice summary of why there's little to nothing to all the screaming and whining about ACORN. http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/hendrikhertzberg/2008/10/voter-fraud-fra.html Nice summary of why there’s little to nothing to all the screaming and whining about ACORN.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/hendrikhertzberg/2008/10/voter-fraud-fra.html

]]> By: John H http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/10/15/my-hamstring-my-calf-my-spleen/#comment-111497 John H Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:23:45 +0000 http://scalzi.wordpress.com/?p=3290#comment-111497 Perhaps if the GOP weren't the little boy crying wolf every other year -- claiming voter fraud only to find a handful of actual problems -- they might get more sympathy to their cause... Perhaps if the GOP weren’t the little boy crying wolf every other year — claiming voter fraud only to find a handful of actual problems — they might get more sympathy to their cause…

]]> By: John Scalzi http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/10/15/my-hamstring-my-calf-my-spleen/#comment-111496 John Scalzi Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:22:54 +0000 http://scalzi.wordpress.com/?p=3290#comment-111496 Skar: "Under what circumstance could a political party push for investigations of voter fraud, in good faith or otherwise, and NOT have that action be construed as being, somehow, politically motivated?" Skar, per the story linked to @ 130, probably when they're not so obviously politically motivated. That said, I would grant that at this point the GOP is going to be looked upon with skepticism even if its motives were pure, simply because it's gone to this well so many times. Skar:

“Under what circumstance could a political party push for investigations of voter fraud, in good faith or otherwise, and NOT have that action be construed as being, somehow, politically motivated?”

Skar, per the story linked to @ 130, probably when they’re not so obviously politically motivated. That said, I would grant that at this point the GOP is going to be looked upon with skepticism even if its motives were pure, simply because it’s gone to this well so many times.

]]> By: Skar http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/10/15/my-hamstring-my-calf-my-spleen/#comment-111495 Skar Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:18:32 +0000 http://scalzi.wordpress.com/?p=3290#comment-111495 Registration deadline where I live isn't until Monday the 20th but I take your point. I'm fairly sure, however, that the whole ACORN thing started before most registration deadlines ran out. So, to repeat myself, "Like now for instance?" "Which is the other ... challenges are politically motivated." Under what circumstance could a political party push for investigations of voter fraud, in good faith or otherwise, and NOT have that action be construed as being, somehow, politically motivated? In this country it seems the GOP always does it for political gain while the donkeys always do it to "lift the oppressed" or some such. I just don't buy that. Registration deadline where I live isn’t until Monday the 20th but I take your point. I’m fairly sure, however, that the whole ACORN thing started before most registration deadlines ran out. So, to repeat myself, “Like now for instance?”

“Which is the other … challenges are politically motivated.”

Under what circumstance could a political party push for investigations of voter fraud, in good faith or otherwise, and NOT have that action be construed as being, somehow, politically motivated? In this country it seems the GOP always does it for political gain while the donkeys always do it to “lift the oppressed” or some such. I just don’t buy that.

]]> By: John Scalzi http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/10/15/my-hamstring-my-calf-my-spleen/#comment-111494 John Scalzi Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:04:11 +0000 http://scalzi.wordpress.com/?p=3290#comment-111494 John H: My error in terminology. Sorry. Another link, this one from ABC News: <a href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=6049529&page=1" rel="nofollow">McCain Acorn Fears Overblown</a> Key grafs: <blockquote>McCain's voter fraud worries – about Acorn or anyone else – are unsupported by the facts, said experts on election fraud, who recall similar concerns being raised in several previous elections, despite a near-total absence of cases. "There's no evidence that any of these invalid registrations lead to any invalid votes," said David Becker, project director of the "Make Voting Work" initiative for the Pew Charitable Trusts. Becker should know: he was a lawyer for the Bush administration until 2005, in the Justice Department's voting rights section, which was part of the administration's aggressive anti-vote-fraud effort.</blockquote> Which goes back to why everyone else not in the GOP tank rolls their eyes a bit at this stuff. John H:

My error in terminology. Sorry.

Another link, this one from ABC News:

McCain Acorn Fears Overblown

Key grafs:

McCain’s voter fraud worries – about Acorn or anyone else – are unsupported by the facts, said experts on election fraud, who recall similar concerns being raised in several previous elections, despite a near-total absence of cases.

“There’s no evidence that any of these invalid registrations lead to any invalid votes,” said David Becker, project director of the “Make Voting Work” initiative for the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Becker should know: he was a lawyer for the Bush administration until 2005, in the Justice Department’s voting rights section, which was part of the administration’s aggressive anti-vote-fraud effort.

Which goes back to why everyone else not in the GOP tank rolls their eyes a bit at this stuff.

]]> By: John H http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/10/15/my-hamstring-my-calf-my-spleen/#comment-111488 John H Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:01:56 +0000 http://scalzi.wordpress.com/?p=3290#comment-111488 John @ 122: There is only one attorney general at a time. The scandal was in the firing of US attorneys who wouldn't do what AG Abu Gonzales wanted them to do -- suppress minority votes... John @ 122: There is only one attorney general at a time. The scandal was in the firing of US attorneys who wouldn’t do what AG Abu Gonzales wanted them to do — suppress minority votes…

]]> By: John Scalzi http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/10/15/my-hamstring-my-calf-my-spleen/#comment-111384 John Scalzi Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:46:31 +0000 http://scalzi.wordpress.com/?p=3290#comment-111384 Skar: I'd prefer "before registration deadlines are closed," since we now run the risk of depriving actual people the right to vote (or alternately forcing them to vote with provisional ballots, which often are not counted). Which is the other aspect of the timing. If you believe that most of the people newly registered are Democrats, and the challenge on their registrations comes a) from the GOP, b) after the registration deadline, it's not difficult to entertain the notion that the challenges are politically motivated. Skar:

I’d prefer “before registration deadlines are closed,” since we now run the risk of depriving actual people the right to vote (or alternately forcing them to vote with provisional ballots, which often are not counted). Which is the other aspect of the timing. If you believe that most of the people newly registered are Democrats, and the challenge on their registrations comes a) from the GOP, b) after the registration deadline, it’s not difficult to entertain the notion that the challenges are politically motivated.

]]> By: Rodney G. Graves http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/10/15/my-hamstring-my-calf-my-spleen/#comment-110292 Rodney G. Graves Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:40:39 +0000 http://scalzi.wordpress.com/?p=3290#comment-110292 Kelson @ 126, Must be a proxy thing then. Kelson @ 126,

Must be a proxy thing then.

]]> By: Kelson http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/10/15/my-hamstring-my-calf-my-spleen/#comment-108631 Kelson Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:32:47 +0000 http://scalzi.wordpress.com/?p=3290#comment-108631 @123: Link's fine. @123: Link’s fine.

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