Remind voters: An Election is NOT a "Horse Race"

I've been "Shocked" & "Awed" (but mostly just disgusted) at how the Big Elitist MainStream Media has gone to unprecedented lengths to manipulate this presidential primary election.

Of course, "media" manipulation of elections is nothing new. It has been around for practically as long as elections have existed, but it is the extent and form of the current manipulation that has both caught my attention and upset my stomach this past year.

In days gone past, a person could expect a newspaper with the name of, for instance: "The Arkansas Democrat" to sing the praises of their fav-rave (D) candidates, while pointing out the brothel-dwelling booze-swilling habits of all the opposing (R) candidates. That is what "partisan journalism" was all about back then, and most people understood this and kept it all in perspective.

These days, the hapless TV-addled masses have set aside all reason and discernment, and have somehow embraced the big media lie that "all MSM journalists are NON-biased, independent observers just reporting the facts for you to decide." It is enough to make you wonder how the masses can actually be so completely gullible? (Those same herds of sheep, who all believe - secretly or openly - that they actually are "politically savvy")

One important thing that has struck me recently is how the media is all about describing the current presidential election as a "Horse Race."

There are many reasons this is done, though none of them are good journalistic reasons. And, as is the norm when the MSM is involved, it is also deceitful and inaccurate.

A horse race is much different than an election.

In a horse race, the object (for the bettors) is to pick the winner before the race is over.

In an election, the object (for the voters) is to pick the right person for the job.

It is not the job of the voter to pick who is most likely to be the eventual "winner" for any particular elected position. It is the duty of the voter to place a vote for the person best suited for the position.

However, if you listen to the Big Elitist MainStream Media too much or too carelessly, you'd think that the opposite were true. With almost no exception whatsoever, the MSM goads, manipulates, and even coerces you vote for the "winner" as they see it, in their (lack of) infinite wisdom.

"After all," they say, "Americans love a winner. YOU don't want to waste your vote on a LOSER now, do you?"

The MSM, just like the burnt-out gamblers scrounging for loose change outside the stables whilst looking for their next sucker, will be HAPPY to give you the "inside poop" so you can pick the next Trifecta.

But that is not what good journalists should do, and that is not what a good election is about. The purpose of good journalism is to give the audience the best and most accurate information about all the candidates; either without blatant bias or (better yet) disclosing the sources' actual bias clearly beforehand. The purpose of the election is to cast your vote for the person that you believe (based on all the independent research you can manage) best represents the policies you believe in.

When you speak to everyone you know in these next few weeks before the primary election (and I hope you will), please remind them of their civic duty. Their duty to vote for the best person for the job, period. Not the one most likely to win according to the MSM "bookies," but simply the right man for the job.

This year, that man is absolutely and unquestionably Ron Paul.

Concerns about Vote Counting Machines

"Those who cast the votes decide nothing.
Those who count the votes decide everything."

- quote attributed to Joesph Stalin

(Thanks to Jean Smith for bringing the following to our attention:)

I ran across this web site while looking for other info. Very interesting reading regarding voting machine fraud/result manipulation questions surrounding Ron Paul's straw poll voting results in several States.

www.watchthevote2008.com

Following is just a paragraph of one article at this web site that caught my attention since our county [McDonald] uses the optical-scan system which the "powers that be" in county gov't have assured me CAN NOT be tampered with????

RISE OF THE MACHINES
(12/13/2007)

“After one Diebold optical-scan system had been certified, a Finnish computer expert executed what’s become known as the “Hursti hack.” In May 2005, Harri Hursti showed that an optical scanner’s removable memory card could be reprogrammed to alter vote totals. Then, this August, California’s SOS released jaw-dropping findings (conducted by academic computer security experts) about the state’s machines. On Diebold touch screens, ordinary objects could disable the voter-verified printed ballots (needed for recounts). Hart’s optical-scan software could be rewritten to alter vote totals, and its touch screens’ printers could be manipulated to produce multiple records. California’s SOS has since decertified almost all e-voting machines in the state….”

________________________________________________

Additional notes from Bruce:

Speaking for myself, I believe it is madness that all votes in every election are not on paper ("hardcopy") ballots, and hand-counted in full view of the public at each and every election.

Yes, it takes a lot of time, and is labor-intensive. But if an honest voting system is not worth it, then just what on earth IS worth it?

Yes, it means that vote totals will usually not be available for many hours - even a full day - after the polls close. But that is actually a good thing. Exit polls and early reporting made before the close of polls can and do influence the end results (particularly in a nationwide election where time zone differences apply). For instance, when the media reports that Candidate "A" won most of the east coast states, it has the effect of discouraging people* from voting for Candidate "B" in the remainder of the states where the polls are still open.

*The sad reason this happens is too many people "don't want to take a chance that they might vote for a loser" - which is idiotic reasoning of course... You must always vote for the best candidate for the position. Always.

I know that many of the election officials and poll workers genuinely believe that electronic vote counting machines are beneficial and trustworthy, for various reasons. But speaking as someone who has over 20 years of professional experience working with electronics, computer systems and networking, I can assure you that NO electronic/computer system can ever be fully secure. Not ever. It is the nature of the "beast" that electronic methods of vote counting can always be tampered with. And no amount of security features and procedures can stop this anywhere close to 100% of the time. One of the biggest problems with electronic voting systems is this: Detecting tampering is extremely difficult, and beyond the ability of all but a scare few expert technicians. It is actually easier to tamper with a system, than it is to detect such tampering!

Any election (even one using paper ballots) can be tampered with in many ways. There has been vote fraud of one sort of another for as long as elections have been held.** But there are good and common sense ways that such fraud can be avoided.

**(I refer you back to the Stalin quote at the top of this post for one good example. If you don't trust the "vote counters" then you better find someone you do trust to "watch the counters" or watch them yourself!)

The best time-tested and proven way is: Paper ballots, placed by the voter's own hand into large opaque boxes supported by a simple table (where it can be seen that no "false bottoms or sides" could exist), carefully sealed and inventoried as they become full (but still left in full public view), and then each ballot hand-counted by trusted representatives of each campaign (and each side of every ballot issue), in the full view of the public (on a space-available basis - but all reasonable efforts should be make to allow for adequate spectator room).

Time consuming? Yes.
Labor intensive? Yes.
Fair and Trustworthy...?

Yes.

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Any person who does not care enough about their
freedoms, liberties, and voting rights
to conduct an election properly,
simply does not deserve the
privilege to vote at all.

- quote "attributed to" Bruce Arnold on 12/30/2007

Another Straw Poll Landslide for Ron Paul

Southwest Missouri is the conservative stronghold in the Show Me State. Its very well known that if you don't win Southwest Missouri, you don't win the state.

On November 1st, voters picked their choice for the Republican nomination for the 2008 Presidential election.

During the last 20 years, every Republican Presidential winner has made a campaign stop in Southwest Missouri (the fastest growing part of the state). Reagan in 1980, 84, Bush Sr. 88, 92, Bush Jr, 2000, 04. Other Candidates that made appearances were Pat Buchanan in 1996 (he Won the Missouri Primary that year); and Matt Blunt the current Governor of the State is from Springfield and has a home in Southwest Missouri.

The results of tonights straw poll show overwhelming support for Texas Congressman, Dr. Ron Paul who received 78% of the vote.

The results are as follows:

Ron Paul - 85 votes
Mike Huckabee - 11 votes
Mitt Romney - 6 votes
Fred Thompson - 2 votes
Rudy Giuliani - 1 vote
Tom Tancredo - 0
John McCain - 0
Allan Keyes - 0
Other - 4

"Spam" the polls

The Corporate Media has expanded their official definition of the term of "Spammer" to include any American citizen who has the audacity to support Congressman Ron Paul in the Republican Presidential Primary.

Fine... We urge all Patriots and Lovers of Liberty to legally "Spam" all the polls, all the way to the election box!

We must demonstrate that there is extensive grassroots support for Dr. Paul, and that our support comes from the heart.

Congressman Ron Paul is the last of the true "Taft Republicans" willing to put America and Americans First!

Ron Paul Wins Newton County Missouri Straw Poll

UPDATE:
It appears that our initial information from the Newton County Fair Presidential Straw Poll was somehow inaccurate. As it now turns out...

Ron Paul WON this Straw Poll!

Here are the long-awaited official results of the Straw Poll conducted by the Republican Party at the Newton County, Missouri Fair on July 11-14, 2007:

% / VOTES / Candidate


12.82% / 10 / Paul

11.54% / 9 / Thompson

05.13% / 4 / Brownback

03.85% / 3 / Giuliani

03.85% / 3 / Romney

02.56% / 2 / Huckabee

01.28% / 1 / Gingrich

00.00% / 0 / McCain

58.97% / 46 / Undecided


Official results provided courtesy of:
Newton County Republican Party
Nick Myers, CPA
myerscpa@swbell.net

OUTRAGE! Big Media "gatekeepers" Spin yet another poll

Read it and scream:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/21257762

In a post dated Oct.. 11th 7:21PM ET, Allen Wastler (Managing Editor, CNBC.com) tried to spin the poll shenanigans...

An Open Letter to the Ron Paul Faithful
http://www.cnbc.com/id/21257762

Excerpts:
"...I haven't seen him [Ron Paul] pull those kind of numbers in any "legit" poll. Our poll was either hacked or the target of a campaign. So we took the poll down."

"But you also ruined the purpose of the poll. It was no longer an honest "show of hands" -- it suddenly was a platform for beating the Ron Paul drum. That certainly wasn't our intention and certainly doesn't serve our readers ..."

I guess they don't consider anything that doesn't support their self-annoited frontrunners "legit" - even ones conducted OFF-LINE by county Republican parties - where Ron Paul has dominated.
See: http://www.ronpaul2008.com/straw-poll-results/


I urge you to read between the lines of these shallow platitudes.

1: They didn't like the results they were getting.

2: They were worried that Ron Paul might gain some positive traction from the results.

3: They tried to sweep the results under the rug to serve their elitist masters.

4: They've been swamped with responses from outraged (and hopefully now FORMER) viewers, and are puckering up to our "cheeks" to try to stop the avalanche already in progress.

Folks, this is just typical of Big Media. They want it all their way. They are owned (literally) lock, stock and barrel by the elite few that run this country, and they will do anything to retain their power. They recognize that Ron Paul is a threat to their continued gravy train. And they'll do anything to stop him. Taking down favorable polls is just one of the first steps...

Americans: You need to recognize your true emeny! It isn't the taliban, al-qaeda, the communist chinese, or anything the Big Media tells you to fear... The TRUE ENEMY is the elitist-run BIG MEDIA themselves! The major media (run by less than a dozen companies) have been manipulating you with the aid of, and to the benefit of their elitist masters.

If you don't recognize how serious this is, you need a big wake-up call. Before you dismiss my OUTRAGE here as "extreme" - consider for a few minutes what the Big "MainStream Media" and their elite masters (such as the CFR) are doing to you, and the country you claim to cherish.

If, like many of us, you've taken an oath to protect and defend the constitution of the United States (from enemies BOTH foreign AND DOMESTIC), then you need to re-focus TODAY on your true enemies: The elitists and their propaganda wing... The "MainStream Media."

If you agree with me, then express YOUR outrage to these would-be "gatekeepers" - starting with Mr. Wastler at: politicalcapital@cnbc.com - and continue the fight onward from there...

If you still don't agree with me, don't bother commenting on this to say how it's just a misunderstanding... And I really shouldn't be so reactionary... And I really should calm down... Don't bother doing anything at all. To paraphrase Samual Adams: "We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."

To all other true patriots: Don't relent... Keep the heat on the Media in EVERY way possible. Don't let them sweep Ron Paul under the rug. When (not IF) Ron Paul wins one or more of the January primary elections, big media will go on full-attack mode to ruin Ron Paul. (Don't pretend otherwise - it is THEIR necks that will go to the chopping block if he is elected, and they know it.)

Show CNBC what our "blowback" is... Donate some extra $$$ to Ron Paul TODAY, and show Big Media what a jump in donations Ron Paul gets when they attack him.

Don't forget to join and participate in your local Ron Paul Meetup group. Don't be discouraged by anything your would-be masters on TV tell you - keep getting the truth out about Ron Paul. He SHOULD WIN, and he CAN WIN with our help. DO IT TODAY. For the future of you, your family and loved ones.

Ron Paul features on LewRockwell.com

The good folks at Lew Rockwell have collected their most popular Ron Paul information on this new page, entitled:

"Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Ron Paul"
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/rp-everything.html

Good stuff... Pass it on!

Below are just a couple of the interesting articles you may be interested in...

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I Know Who "None of the Above" Is
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig7/bothwell3.html

Excerpt:

"The latest AP-Ipsos poll has found that the leading Republican presidential candidate is "none of the above." According to the related Associated Press report, "More Republicans have become apathetic about their options over the past month," during which time the number of those polled who are indecisive has jumped from 14 to 23 percent.

Maybe this is sheer speculation on my part, but I'm guessing that "none of the above" is actually a guy by the name of Ron Paul.

That’s right, the candidate who’s cultivated widespread grassroots support – he relies primarily on speaking engagements, appearances on counter-culture television shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, and Internet resources like Facebook, MySpace, and Meetup to get his message out – is still struggling for inclusion in many traditional public opinion surveys. After all, how well can you be expected to poll when even pollsters in your home state refuse to put your name on most ballots?"

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Ron Paul Leads in Polls of People Who Have Heard Him Speak

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/haman1.html

Excerpt:

"Just as Ron Paul spoke of blowback in the context of military interference in foreign affairs, unless the mainstream media ends the Ron Paul blackout and misinformation drive, they will lose the next generation who is seeing it as a biased, manipulating, election-fixing force not to be trusted.

When Ron Paul gets heard or seen, he is liked. As soon as people who do not own computers are able to see him or read his message his numbers in the national polls will rise just as they have done on the Internet. In general, the American people are saying they want liberty and freedom: Now, if only the MSM would listen."

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." ~ John Quincy Adams