It Was a Really Small Plane

It was a really small plane but was able to zoom thru the sky a little faster than the trapeze. Am now in Middletown Ohio where my relatives are competing to offer me Christmas cookies. Life is good.

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Photo by Elsie esq

Ohio SoS to Cleveland: Ditch the Touch Screens

crossposted at firedoglake 26 december 2007

Republican vote tampering efforts in Ohio took a direct hit this week when newly elected Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner cast the deciding vote to get rid of hackable touch screen voting machines in Cuyahoga County.

Cleveland was the center of a hailstorm of objections to the presidential vote in 2004, where polls up until election day had Kerry comfortably ahead. Whoops, look at that, all of a sudden Kerry was behind...and so lost the national election. I'm sure there was a perfectly good explanation why all the exit polls were so wrong.

In 2005, partly in response to suspicions of vote tampering, Ohio voters were offered several good government referenda related to cleaning up election procedures. [Hey---I mean you could always relax and trust Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to do the right thing---right? The very idea that he came close to being governor in 2006! /rant]

As predicted by the Columbus Dispatch poll, which historically has been accurate to within a tenth of a percentage point, the referenda were slated to pass by a 2 to 1 margin. Ooops, look at that, overnight the voters must have changed their minds! The good government reforms LOST by a 2 to 1 margin. I'm sure it was just a "glitch." I hate this word, it sounds so teeny and innocent, and ever so much sweeter than its real meaning: "election fraud."

By November 2006 voters in Ohio had HAD ENOUGH. With rare exception voters cast out Republicans and elected Democrats for state office including Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Treasurer. People I know who have been lifelong Republicans cast their first ever vote for Democrats, probably crying as they went into the voting booth.

Goodbye to Cleveland Touch Screen Voting

Republican vote tampering efforts in Ohio took a nose dive this week when newly elected Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner cast the deciding vote to get rid of suspect touch screen voting machines.

Cleveland was the center of a swirl of objections related to the presidential vote in 2004, where the polls up until election day had Kerry comfortably ahead. Wo look at that, all of a sudden Kerry was behind...and lost the election.

Ohio voters were offered several referenda related to cleaning up the election process in 2005. As predicted by the Columbus Dispatch poll, historically exceptionally accurate, the referenda were slated to pass by a 2 to 1 margin. Ooops, look at that, they lost 2 to 1. Good government reforms? Down the drain.

By November 2006 voters in Ohio had HAD ENOUGH. With rare exception voters cast out Republicans and elected Democrats for state office including Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. People I know who have been lifelong Republicans cast their first ever vote for Democrats, probably crying as they went into the voting booth.

Among the victors was the new secretary of state Jennifer Brunner. She proceeded to investigate voting shenanigans going back the last few years, centering her focus on Cleveland, which had many egregious actions. This week the vote to get rid of the suspect touch screen voting machines was 3-2, with Brunner casting the deciding vote.

As goes Ohio, so goes the nation. We hope.

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I love this photo of the Ohio state flag from DRB62. We have the neatest shape flag, don't you think?