Reply #33: Actually, the thing that tipped it for me was the Democrats' blowout...

[Peace Patriot]

...success in new voter registration in 2004 (nearly 60/40)--which I first read about in Steven Freeman's first paper (not too long after the election). Then, the preponderance of the evidence--all of the above--reading TIA and how many different ways that the various numbers showed an impossible official result. It's overwhelming.

But the evidence doesn't even end there. The 86 of 88 touchscreens changing Kerry to Bush. That's a lot of "machine malfunctions" favoring Bush--too many, could not be random error. How could that happen except by a fraud program?

The overt stuff in Ohio just told me that the Bushites were desperate--it was a landslide, and they had to go all out to defeat us, using every in-place operative and every backup plan (except the "terrorist alert" plan, which was only used in Warren County).

Why did the Dem new voter registration tip it for me? Because it felt right and fit with everything else I knew about the campaign. A friend of mine talking to someone she knew who never voted, telling her she MUST vote THIS TIME (and she did!). The Gore 2000 voters were very motivated to get Bush out. This motivation and enthusiasm resulted in so many new voters, and also in Nader voters and independents voting for Kerry in big numbers--and in very big overall turnout, which always favors Dems. Freeman giving me stats on it told me that MY perception of the election was not wrong. (Cheney-Rove gave me pause, with their "invisible" GOTV campaign B.S.--the bloody lying dogs! I wondered-could it be true? (--typical open-minded liberal that I am)).

I didn't become convinced about the exit polls until a bit later. And now, as I said, it's ALL OF THESE. The sheer weight of the evidence--and its manifestation in all number sets and facts EXCEPT the official tally.

The FINAL one for me has been Bush's approval ratings. 42% currently! Bad over the whole of last year. Only 49% on his very "inauguration" day. And dozens of opinion polls showing huge American disapproval of all Bush policies--up in the 60% to 70% range.

My favorite is this, because it touches my heart: 63% of Americans disapprove of torturing prisoners UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. That's a people you can love and trust. They didn't "re-elect" Bush. No way.