RE: University Researchers Challenge Bush Win In Florida

["Banta, Will" <Will.Banta () broadwing com>]

> As for source code or other security vulnerabilities in closed- or
open-soure vote tabulators, there is little point in rigging such 
> schemes, and less point in exploiting them. Good old fashion
statistical abberations exploited for the benefit of the party that
finds >them first will win every time.

This sounds like a more nuanced version of the general election fraud
conspiracy theory making the rounds now. I must admit to 
being tempted by the idea that fraud, whether through overt manipulation
of counts or certain "statistical aberrations," was 
at work in this election. However, with much more discussion and
analysis of the results having occurred since Nov 2 I'm
convinced that the GOP just did a really thorough "snow job" on the
electorate.

<snippity-do-dah, snippity-day>

> If anything, that is what I believe is most likely to have happened in
2004. Bush elected through the (fair ?) exploitation of 
> statistical anomalies tied to misbehaving or ill-conceived electronic
voting equipment. Teamed with the fact that partisan, interested >voters
are in charge of the process this is very plausible...

With the vote being as close as it has been in the past two elections
your idea carries more weight, however I think a more plausible
explanation of the result of the 2004 election centers around what
shaped the dominant political discourse available to the American people
during this election year. Instead of focusing on their real agenda,
which was pretty clearly observable to anyone who cared to look at the
Bush Administration's first term record - tax breaks for the rich,
increased corporate welfare, more environmental degradation, making the
workplace a more dangerous place to be and the waging of an unnecessary
war in Iraq - the GOP focused on terrorism and gay marriage. They made
the election about safety and morals which clearly hit home with more
people than did the milquetoast mumblings of John Kerry, who thoroughly
failed to define himself as a leader and let himself be characterized by
the likes of Karl Rove. IMO Kerry and the Democratic Party clearly have
the high ground on many issues that affect people's day-to-day lives
more than the threat of terrorism, but they frittered it away AGAIN.

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