Reply #25: "Wiped clean" of what? Votes that weren't recorded?

[Orangepeel]

I never understood this criticism. Nobody with any sense can deny that New Mexico's vote was fucked up in 2004. But the problem was that votes were lost by the machines. If the machines kept accurate records, there wouldn't be a problem and we wouldn't need a paper record. The machines didn't keep accurate records. Recounting them would have done the same thing that recounting in Florida in 2006 did. Nothing. You can't recount votes that disappeared.

Richardson gets a lot of shit for not supporting a recount effort strongly enough. And, if somebody wants to hold him responsible, that's his or her right.

But, I don't. I have a friend who works for the Democratic party in New Mexico who watched paper ballots being recounted until Thanksgiving and says that Richardson did what he could do. When nothing more could be done, he worked for the bill that fixed the problems.

Again, blame Richardson if you want (I know Palast does, although people I trust that were there don't understand why), but I think that Richardson has done more to fix voting problems in New Mexico than any other leader has done in any other state.