(Originally published at Amahchewahwah)
I had a bad feeling yesterday, and I need to write about it. I see the video above, and I worry about election day. I think we all know that there have already been massive attempts to suppress the vote by the Republican Party. And this morning The New York Times has a story about registration irregularities in the swing states.
Tens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law, according to a review of state records and Social Security data by The New York Times.
The actions do not seem to be coordinated by one party or the other, nor do they appear to be the result of election officials intentionally breaking rules, but are apparently the result of mistakes in the handling of the registrations and voter files as the states tried to comply with a 2002 federal law, intended to overhaul the way elections are run.
Still, because Democrats have been more aggressive at registering new voters this year, according to state election officials, any heightened screening of new applications may affect their party’s supporters disproportionately. The screening or trimming of voter registration lists in the six states — Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada and North Carolina — could also result in problems at the polls on Election Day: people who have been removed from the rolls are likely to show up only to be challenged by political party officials or election workers, resulting in confusion, long lines and heated tempers.
The Republicans have already said that they will be challenging voters. I expect that there will also be attempts to intimidate canvassers and GOTV community organizers. And after watching the video I wouldn't count out the possibility of mob violence at the polls, especially if McPalin keeps whipping up the racist frenzy. And if I really let my paranoid fantasies get the better of me I see mob violence leading to the shutdown of the election, Martial Law, the end of America. Now that's just MY paranoid fantasy, but remember that you heard it here first.
Now, there's another thing. We all know that the Republicans are going to try to steal this election. And I remember all too clearly the anger, hurt and frustration I felt in 2000 and 2004 when those elections were stolen, and I do not relish feeling those feelings again, but I have to consider this possibility and how I will react to it. So here is the question:
If we wake up on November 5th to find out that this election has been stolen from us, what are we going to do?
When I asked this question yesterday in a comment at dKos I was chastised for "hanging out the crepe". I guess that means that that particular commenter thought I was being negative with my question, but I haven’t seen any plan of action for this eventuality. I think that this is something we should all be thinking about. What will we do? Will we sit at home and watch on TeeVee as another election is stolen? Or will we take to the streets the way the Ukranians did during the Orange Revolution?
In our excitement and joy at the implosion of the McCain Campaign and the prospect of a new progressive era being born with the presidency of Barack Obama, we need to also have a Plan B. And if, as I really expect, Barack is indeed elected and everything turns out all right on election day, then we can then turn it into a really big block party.
h/t: Blogger Interrupted for the video