Would you advocate or perpetrate voter fraud to keep Brown from winning in Mass?

[cherokeeprogressive]

Apparently, Ed Schultz would. Here's what he said on MSNBC on the 15th:

"I tell you what, if I lived in Massachusetts I'd try to vote 10 times. I don't know if they'd let me or not, but I'd try to. Yeah, that's right. I'd cheat (emphasis mine) to keep these bastards out. I would. 'Cause that's exactly what they are."

Don't take my word for it, listen to it for yourself here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB3j9fpTKkk&feature=player_embedded

I'm pretty troubled by this kind of thinking. Perpetrating voter fraud for any reason bothers me no end. Advocating it isn't much better. I don't care WHO'S doing it, or why. There is no justification. Not even "they did it".

[Ozymanithrax]

1. Ed's heart is in the right place, but his ethics are in the shitter.

[cherokeeprogressive]

4. Agreed. n/t

[Teaser]

5. well, since he can't actually do this.

he's just bullshitting.

[cherokeeprogressive]

8. Can't what, vote more than once?

That's a naive notion. I worked for a Registrar of Voters. I know it happens, and the bottom line is that it's not even that hard.

[Teaser]

13. he doesn't live in massachucetts

.

[cherokeeprogressive]

25. If I wanted to, I could vote in Palm Springs, San Diego, El Centro, Yuma, and Phoenix on the same

day, IN PERSON, ON PAPER. I don't understand the point you're trying to make.

I know the system. I worked for a county Registrar of Voters as the Poll Worker Training Coordinator. I know what to look for.

In fact, I would be you money in the form of a donation to DU that I could vote in the Mass. election without ever having lived there or being there on election day. Granted, it's too late for me in THIS election, but I could vote ANYWHERE as many times as I wanted. I know how the system. And, as shitty as this sounds, I could vote ON PAPER, and I could teach other people to do the same thing.

I would never do such a thing, and I would certainly never go on television or radio and state that I could, nor would I joke about it.

[Ozymanithrax]

18. Somethings you shouldn't joke about.

There are better ways to try and show people how important he thinks it is for the Democrats to win.

[Teaser]

21. Oh it was stupid to say it, no doubt

but I really don't expect much from radio/tv blowhards. It's their job to be assholes.

[liberalmuse]

2. I doubt many here would.

I would advocate pushing through reconciliation in the Senate if Brown wins, though.

[tekisui]

3. 'If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying hard enough.'

I overheard that quote in a restaurant tonight.

Not that I agree with it. I don't think Ed actually believes that or that he would do it, either. He was using his mic to make a story and draw attention to how important it is to keep those sons-of-bitches out.

[cherokeeprogressive]

6. LOL the way I heard it was "if yain't cheatin', yain't tryin'."

It's not something I'd use to make a point though. Especially when I have a big forum and am talking about elections.

[BlooInBloo]

9. Variation: "If you ain't falling, you ain't trying"...

In reference to boarding (or skiing, if you're old).

[cherokeeprogressive]

10. Heard that one. Frustrating if you're taking a lesson and doing your best LOL. n/t

[KingFlorez]

7. We aren't Republicans, I don't like to hear anyone on our side saying stuff like that

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. If I lived in Florida or Ohio, I might consider it.

Purely out of revenge motive of course.

Actually I could have voted my then recently deceased grandmother's absentee ballot in 1996 and probably gotten away with it. But my conscience wouldn't let me. The Presidential election was pretty much in the bag already, though it might have helped a little in the congressional election that came down to 700 votes (sadly in the wrong direction)

[Clio the Leo]

12. Ed's middle name is "Hyperbole"....

..... that is a GOOD strategy for football though.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. Not just no.

Hell no

Fuck no

Whatever kind of no makes it clear that under NO circumstances would I even contemplate such an evil thing.

[WeDidIt]

15. No way would I.

I am done with any fucked up pundit that would advocate this shit.

[Land Shark]

16. Ed's fessing up to the motive EVERYONE has in all races, and that some ACT on.

Election fraud is an ever-present risk, it's just rare at the voter level (because ineffective in changing results and highly punishable) and more common at the insider level - but very unreported even when count-rigging happens. (See the two criminal convictions concerning Ohio 2004's presidential election recount, where the maximum punishment for rigging an entire election count or recount is less than for a single case of double voting - as are the punishments in most states disproportionate in this same way)

[frog92969]

17. No

Democracy doesn't work that way.
This Ed guy sounds like a puke.

[Skink]

19. You have to get to the machines.

You can vote once also.

[The Magistrate]

20. As The Man Said, Sir: "Just 'Cause They're Dead Don't Mean They Stopped Being Democrats"

[Tippy]

22. It's to bad someone didn't tell Ed about the nude photos of Brown

My sister-in-law told me her Dr. told her...back when he was in college he did a centerfold for a magazine he was chosen as the most eligible bachelor in Boston....

[LWolf]

23. No. nt

[peace13]

24. No n/t

[frazzled]

26. How stupid: it's near impossible for an individual to commit voter fraud

Your name and address are on the register. I voted in Massachusetts a million times. What are you gonna do ... go in and keep saying you are your neighbors or others in the town?

The only kind of fraud I guess you could commit is if you moved from, say, Somerville to Arlington over the past few months and your name had not yet been removed from Somerville. You could conceivably be registered to vote in both places still. But I doubt that this would apply to many people, or that anyone would take the time or expend the energy.

The only fraud that could occur is from the people who run the polls (the election judges, the counters--but there are people from both parties there overseeing each vote counted.) Voters do not commit fraud, at least not easily. That doesn't change elections.

[cherokeeprogressive]

28. Oh, it's not stupid at all. All it takes is the will to do it. I could be 500 different people.

If I wanted to, I could have 500 birth certificates in my hand, more if I wanted to. All I need to do is search a county's birth and death records, which are all in the public record.

You need to do a little research.

And yes, I could vote in ANY county in Massachusetts ten times. Or 500.

[inthebrain]

27. It's too bad for Ed that the people of this state ARE MUCH BETTER THAN THAT

Ed Schultz can stay out of my state for all I care.

[DFLforever]

29. It's typical Schultz hyperbole

He's just saying in his usual over-the-top way how important he thinks this election is.

It's not meant to be taken literally.. or seriously.

[cherokeeprogressive]

30. The fact of the matter, now that Mr. Schultz brought it up, is that anyone who wanted to

could vote as many times as they wanted to. All it takes is the will to do it. And, of course, the willingness to get caught and suffer the consequences, which would amount to not much more than a slap on the wrist, and a felony on your criminal record.

Give me a county's birth and death records, and I could come up with a birth certificate. Once I had that birth certificate, I could get a driver's license and a social security number.

Hell, for that matter I could get a clean credit record and buy whatever I wanted on credit. Then I could trash the documents that got me those things, and move.

[Wardoc]

31. Never. I'd rather lose with my integrity than "win" through fraud. (nt)

[argonaut]

32. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

We're better than that.

[lunatica]

33. That's what got us in the trouble we're in now

Just think, we wouldn't have any idea of who George W Bush is if it weren't for voter fraud and the devastating Supreme Justice selection. He would be long forgotten as the Village Idiot who thought he could run for President.

[jumptheshadow]

34. Absolutely not, he is SO wrong (nt)

[CBR]

35. Why would he say this? Really disturbing. nt

[CTLawGuy]

36. Ed, maybe you wouldn't have to do that

if you didn't spend all day every day on your show "wondering" whether progressives were going to abandon Obama over this or that.

[MrSlayer]

37. Yep.

They've done it many times to us. What's good for the goose and all that.

[woo me with science]

38. Disgusting. nt

[bigwillq]

39. No

and it's crazy to suggest that people should.