This is just about enough to get me to vote Republican:
"If no signs of intimidation techniques have emerged yet, launch a 'pre-emptive strike.'"
That's from the official Democratic Colorado election manual. Ugh.
If Drudge has it right, then the Kerry-Edwards campaign is going to do its damnedest to turn our fine nation into a banana republic.
To these guys, winning office is more important than the sanctity of elections. Holding power is more important than the Constitution. Much as I despise at least half of what most Republicans stand for, they don't seem nearly as willing to trash the system they're trying to run. Too many Democrats, especially at the national level, just don't care that our system, our nation is far more important than any single election.
Yes, I don't trust Republicans much, either. But at least they don't put their planned dirty tricks right in the election manual.
Update: Here's the entire section of the manual, for context.
Posted by Walter at October 14, 2004 12:31 PMWell, no matter who you vote for and no matter what happens, we should plan to buy each other beers shortly after the election. We can drink to the hopeful long-term health of our country, to the elections being over, and to how much you don't trust the Republicans.
Posted by: zombyboy at October 14, 2004 05:11 PMYou can't trust Republicans? Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.
Now. Can you tell me WHY you don't trust 'the Republicans', myself included? To the best of my knowledge we have never met, you know nothing about me, so to make such a biased, prejudicial remark makes me sufficiently curious to know the 'facts' you base your charge on.
Posted by: James C. Hess at October 14, 2004 05:41 PMZomby, we have to wait until after?
James, when I say I 'don't trust Republicans much, either,' right after I criticize Democrats for dirty tricks, that means I don't trust them to behave ethically, and I won't be surprised when they are caught doing something similar. Just because you're a Republican doesn't mean you're guilty, just like (I hope) not all Democrats would resort to what some in their party are doing. In fact, I'm hoping a whole bunch of Democrats would be upset with what their party is doing if they ever found out.
Posted by: Walter at October 14, 2004 07:07 PMAh. One of those wild remarks, the likes of which Kerry is known for: When he charges Republicans are inherently racist, he doesn't mean Republicans, just Republicans.
Like I said: Thanks for the vote of confidence.
Posted by: James C. Hess at October 14, 2004 09:15 PMWow, someone sure is a bit oversensitive.
Dr. Andy says have a beer and get laid; it'll do wonders.
You may now commence with the "Fuck you, Dr. Andy, and thanks for the vote confidence...." yada yada snore nonsense.
Republicans drink beer, too! Of course, we prefer vodka, but still...
This has absolutely nothing to do with "I don't trust Republicans"-gate, but instead I hope to remind us all of the universalitythingy of beer.
James, I don't think you really need a vote of confidence from me.
Let me try this from another angle. In the original story that started this, some Democrats advocated lying to make it appear that Republicans were tampering with the election. I blame Democrats for that, specifically the Democrats who actually did it.
I think some Republicans are capable and willing to try some dirty trick of their own. If that happens I will blame those Republicans. How could it be any other way?
Yes, interesting jpg. Could you give a link to the actual manual, and context, perhaps? The pages before and after? You read them, right? You wouldn't simply accept Drudge as an unbiased and utterly reliable commentator/linker/interpretor, I'm sure, any more than you would, say, Kos or Atrios. (Although I'm planning on faithfully voting for Hillary Clinton for President in a couple of weeks time, since Drudge so enterprisingly revealed to me so many times that she was the sure surprise nominee.)
Posted by: Gary Farber at October 16, 2004 04:41 PM Funny you should ask, I did read that this morning.
I'll put the link up in the post.
One of the nice things about being a Libertarian is getting grief from the left and right.
Here's a context: http://www.democrats.org/news/200410140008.htmlq
Posted by: Gary Farber at October 17, 2004 02:43 AMUmmm, Gary, that's the same link I put up Saturday, about 5 pm.
Posted by: Walter at October 17, 2004 08:17 PMYes, sorry. Did it seem to you that Drudge rather, ah, selectively edited, or not? Do you think the larger quote is remotely as outrageous as what you were originally outraged by?
Posted by: Gary Farber at October 20, 2004 05:40 PMI'm somewhat familiar with these sorts of manuals, and the rest looked about like what I expected it look. The rest of it doesn't seem out of the ordinary. The best defense I can think of for the author(s) is that they didn't mean that one little part to mean what it actually says.
Posted by: Walter at October 20, 2004 09:45 PM