Comments on: Recount Day 10: We’re officially near-done but unofficially coming undone http://minnesotaindependent.com/19166/on-day-10-us-senate-recount-is-officially-near-done-but-unofficially-coming-undone News. Politics. Media. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:48:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Richard E Massey http://minnesotaindependent.com/19166/on-day-10-us-senate-recount-is-officially-near-done-but-unofficially-coming-undone/comment-page-1#comment-20756 Richard E Massey Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:17:08 +0000 http://minnesotaindependent.com/?p=19166#comment-20756 Thanks to the Internet we out-of-state folk get a front row seat to the 3-Ring Circus of your never-ending election recount; which ceased to be amusing when Senator Coleman tried, again, to have some good peoples votes stay uncounted so he wouldn’t lose. What a character he is, huh? Even though I only see this guy on TV; I instinctively check to see if my wallet’s still in my hip pocket. Here in Massachusetts, we got John Kerry and Ted Kennedy. Either of them would have seen to it that every last one of those ballots was counted long before now. What’s your guy doing? Bellyaching and putting-up a stink, because he knows damn well if all them votes get rightfully counted, he’ll be the one a couple of bricks shy of a load. So, instead of acting Senatorial and correct, championing for the rights of his constituency to have their votes counted; this culprit acts like a mob mouthpiece trying to keep a crooked election from going legit! That, right there, says volumes about the guy! You folks out there in Minnesota ought to be raising hell over the shenanigans Norm Coleman is pulling, wiping his feet all over our democratic process. Well, shame on that fool for doing it, when he shouldn’t even be thinking about it in the first place. And, this is why we don’t understand you folks, out there, in Minnesota. You’d think the Minnesota VFW, American Legion, Vietnam Vets, Gold Star Mother’s, Families of Troopers off fighting in Iraq, along with a whole bunch of volunteers from the ACLU would be marching on the State House to make sure every last vote cast for the election gets to be counted. Because, at last count, you had over 500 from Minnesota who sacrificed themselves in this recent war, to make sure that when somebody voted – it counted! Thanks to the Internet we out-of-state folk get a front row seat to the 3-Ring Circus of your never-ending election recount; which ceased to be amusing when Senator Coleman tried, again, to have some good peoples votes stay uncounted so he wouldn’t lose. What a character he is, huh? Even though I only see this guy on TV; I instinctively check to see if my wallet’s still in my hip pocket.
Here in Massachusetts, we got John Kerry and Ted Kennedy. Either of them would have seen to it that every last one of those ballots was counted long before now.
What’s your guy doing? Bellyaching and putting-up a stink, because he knows damn well if all them votes get rightfully counted, he’ll be the one a couple of bricks shy of a load. So, instead of acting Senatorial and correct, championing for the rights of his constituency to have their votes counted; this culprit acts like a mob mouthpiece trying to keep a crooked election from going legit! That, right there, says volumes about the guy!
You folks out there in Minnesota ought to be raising hell over the shenanigans Norm Coleman is pulling, wiping his feet all over our democratic process. Well, shame on that fool for doing it, when he shouldn’t even be thinking about it in the first place. And, this is why we don’t understand you folks, out there, in Minnesota.
You’d think the Minnesota VFW, American Legion, Vietnam Vets, Gold Star Mother’s, Families of Troopers off fighting in Iraq, along with a whole bunch of volunteers from the ACLU would be marching on the State House to make sure every last vote cast for the election gets to be counted. Because, at last count, you had over 500 from Minnesota who sacrificed themselves in this recent war, to make sure that when somebody voted – it counted!

]]> By: Ralph Kramden http://minnesotaindependent.com/19166/on-day-10-us-senate-recount-is-officially-near-done-but-unofficially-coming-undone/comment-page-1#comment-19918 Ralph Kramden Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:28:25 +0000 http://minnesotaindependent.com/?p=19166#comment-19918 Jeff - I would say that in order to have faith in this election's validity, you have to look at the integrity or the process at every step, especially from the time the ballot enters the ballot box. - Is there a physical record of the number of ballots put into the box (independent of the counters on the scanners in the box)? Does the number of ballots recounted equal the number recorded at the polling place? - Has each absentee ballot been adjudicated for eligibility to the satisfaction of both campaigns? - In the recount, has every validly cast ballot been scrutinized for voter intent to the satisfaction of both campaigns? The state laws governing this particular recount are fairer than any recent scenarios I can remember. While the process has been tedious to watch, it seems to be careful and open to scrutiny by just about anyone. If the above issues are settled to your satisfaction, I think you can have faith in this particular count. Conversely, if you doubt that the issues were settled fairly (even though both campaigns might agree), or you question the good faith of the people carrying out the process, then perhaps you might doubt the result. If one does doubt the final result, I think it's incumbent to explain exactly what part of the process you don't have faith in. Jeff –
I would say that in order to have faith in this election’s validity, you have to look at the integrity or the process at every step, especially from the time the ballot enters the ballot box.
- Is there a physical record of the number of ballots put into the box (independent of the counters on the scanners in the box)? Does the number of ballots recounted equal the number recorded at the polling place?
- Has each absentee ballot been adjudicated for eligibility to the satisfaction of both campaigns?
- In the recount, has every validly cast ballot been scrutinized for voter intent to the satisfaction of both campaigns?

The state laws governing this particular recount are fairer than any recent scenarios I can remember. While the process has been tedious to watch, it seems to be careful and open to scrutiny by just about anyone.

If the above issues are settled to your satisfaction, I think you can have faith in this particular count. Conversely, if you doubt that the issues were settled fairly (even though both campaigns might agree), or you question the good faith of the people carrying out the process, then perhaps you might doubt the result.

If one does doubt the final result, I think it’s incumbent to explain exactly what part of the process you don’t have faith in.

]]> By: jeff korn http://minnesotaindependent.com/19166/on-day-10-us-senate-recount-is-officially-near-done-but-unofficially-coming-undone/comment-page-1#comment-19917 jeff korn Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:19:04 +0000 http://minnesotaindependent.com/?p=19166#comment-19917 Without getting too detailed, I would just have one question to ask: How can anyone have faith in the validity of the election? Without getting too detailed, I would just have one question to ask: How can anyone have faith in the validity of the election?

]]>