Reply #97: Yes, and I think other saw it too after the first debate

[LittleClarkie]

We were overrun by volunteers that hadn't been there the day before. Kerry HQ was a freaking zoo that day, full of people volunteering and grabbing yard signs and other swag. It was wonderous.

After a slow start, he looked like a winner. He didn't feel like a Dukakis; He felt like a Clinton. We were so damn sure.

I think it was a combination of hate-mongered GOTV in the form of DOMA amendments, suppression of the Dem areas with use of the provisional ballots and fewer machines despite everyone knowing turnout was going to be insane, and in some cases either faulty or tweeked electronic machines. Machines that stopped counting at a certain point, or that defaulted to Bush (and those were the obvious bits) make me wonder if they were just buggy as all hell, or indeed designed that way.

I think Kerry got gamed, and that only part of those votes lost are recoverable. The votes not cast are not recoverable. The votes flipped won't be recoverable until we can get more concrete, non-circumstantial evidence.

All in all, I think to flip the results would be just about right: 51% Kerry, 49% Bush. And then we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Overall, I think Kerry was a wonderful candidate with the world's worst PR department.