Please, tell me why we should get our hopes up - When they'll cheat?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

I've been calling Dems w/moveon - which really
makes you feel hopeful on the election. But I just can't
shake this horrible feeling, in the back of my mind.

If we truly believe that 04 was stolen, which I
do, you can not help but think they will not
relinquish power and they will do it again.

So we try and try and none of it matters. Because
the real election result will never be seen. A
phony, manipulated one will. And I am so sick of
hearing - "Oh, election malfunction will be isolated."
(i.e. Ed Schultz Show today).

The 5 remaining toss up senate races, NJ, TN, MT,
MO and VA are virtual ties. We need 3 - they need
two to get to 50. Watch them all miraculously
turn to Repuke. And watch the media spin it
that the public stayed with the incumbent in a
time of war or some other bullshit.

And I am not a pessimist - rather an eternal
optimist. But even an optimist knows when there
is no possibility.

[Cooley Hurd]

1. I have no doubt about the "will of the people..."

...and I'm fairly well-versed in the methods the VRWC uses to cheat in elections. However, I think, for the first time since 1998, the will of the people will actually usurp their cheating methods.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

4. Oh, I too have no doubt it is the will of the people to kick the

bums out. But what makes you so sure they aren't primed to tap
into the computer systems in each of the tossup states? No
one but Rove and the programmer would have to know.

I hope you are right.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

2. From Now Till Tuesday Is There Anything You Can Technically Do To Stop It?

If the answer is no, then spreading the fear of it will amount to nothing but feelings of negativity. If there's nothing you technically can do to stop it in the next week, then you might as well clench your teeth and hang in there with the positive vibes best you can until afterwards. Keep phone banking and keep motivating people however you can. But since fretting isn't going to change a damn thing at this point anyway and it's always better to be positive than negative, then you might as well wait until Nov 7th or 8th to start worrying over the election fraud. Right now it is pure speculation, whereas by that point it would have some reality behind it, if that was to be the case. You can follow up on it then, as will many of us.

But again, if there is technically NOTHING you can do in the next 7 days to eradicate the threat, then fretting about it is an exercise in futility and will only serve to bring people down. Might as well wait a week to see if the threat was real then, and in the meantime keep the GOTV efforts up with as much positive charisma as possible.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

6. you're right. thanks for the scolding -- I needed that.

[freeplessinseattle]

11. Excellent, you should start a separate thread with this post

I remember reading studies when I was in college that concluded that being optimistic was a stronger motivator than being pessimistic, and that being pessimistic is essentially a cop-out. wish I could find those studies, I need to get on the Uni computers.

[cally]

3. I'm optimistic about the House

There are about 40 to 50 contested seats. Many of those are in states with Democratic Governors or less tainted Secretary of States. I think it's easy to steal an election in one or two states, but difficult at this time in every state. Further, I think registrars will think twice about holding a corrupt election with all the press telling them the Dems will win. Everyone knows, the Dems will have subpoena power and will investigate.

I can think of a million ways to steal this, I just don't think they will try with the House since it's too likely to be detected and involves too many folks. I think they will try in Missouri, possibly NJ, and maybe a few other states. We'll see.

[flyarm]

7. NJ we have a dem governor..and he is balls to the walls!! n/t

[cally]

8. Sorry about that, I got my states mixed up

[flyarm]

5. because when record numbers of dems vote ..they will not be able to steal it

and not be caught!

we need to all vote and pull..by the the fingernails.., embarrass friends..kick and scream ...BUT get everyone we know to the polls!!

Vote..that is the only sure way to keep democracy..vote and get everyone you know to vote!!

do some driving of seniors..drive disabled people..volunteer..do something ..but more important than anything..VOTE!!

FLY

[greeneyedboy]

10. exactly! was typing the same thing, more slowly, while you posted.

[greeneyedboy]

9. 1) if you don't win, they don't have to steal. 2) large margins insure against theft.

1) suppose no Democrats show up to vote, because they don't think it matters, because every other thread on DU is about "THE FIX IS IN! THE SKY IS FALLING!" . then what? if we don't have an actual majority of the votes cast, why fret about votes getting stolen? we need to win fair and square.

2) with large margins, elections become impossible to steal. remember, we are not all voting in one centralized HAL machine (G@d forbid!)--this is hundreds of races & thousands of precincts involved. close races can be tipped against the people's will (and have been, as we know), but landslides can't.
the playing field is tilted against us, as we have seen in 2000, 2002, & 2004, but there's only so much shaving that can be done per precinct, and only so many places where it matters. beefing up our margins in the close races will close the deal for us. http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/10/25/13291/514

now is not the time to sit biting our nails and moaning. it's time to WIN.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. That is SO sad. We have to have a wide margin enough

to win. Not that we are in because we won by one vote - the way it should be.

Unfortunately, for the senate - all the tossups are just that - tossups - and easy to steal. Piece a cake. That's why Rove and Asshat are walking around with shit eatin grins - they know - we're/they're within the margin of fraud error.

Your first statement is just crazy - reread it. We have to have a majority to win fair and square. That's the whole point - you CAN NOT win no matter what. It is impossible.