{Blogged by Brad on the road…}
I’ve been so busy with so many things concerning and since the National Summit to Save Our Elections that I haven’t had much time to write about it. Thankfully, others have. Including the great Bob Koehler of Tribune Media Services with whom I had the honor of sharing 45 minutes or so on stage at the Summit where we were both able to interview each other. (The BRAD SHOW carried that and more from the summit. The Koehler interview is in HOUR 3 of the archives for last Saturday’s show which are now up here.)
More coverage of the weekend was written by DU’s “Autorank” and carried by Scoop (only New Zealand is interested in Democracy in America, apparently). Coverage of Day 1 is here, and Days 2 & 3 is here.
As usual, of course, it’s Koehler who hits the ball out of the park again after this conference, as he did after the Nashville Conference last April with his now-classic “Silent Screen of Numbers” column. (As well as with his “Citizens in the Rain” column which was spiked by Tribune Media Services and thus never ran other than on the net!)
In Koehler’s latest, “Ballot and Soul” he again puts the weekend’s events into appropriate — and chilling — historic perspective. Here is just a taste:
No, please, somebody stop the clock. It’s too soon. We can’t hold the elections until we get our right to vote back.
If you are one of those people who has opened up the can of worms known as the 2004 election and stared appalled at the irregularities writhing around the count in Ohio and New Mexico and Pennsylvania and other swing states — where dirty tricks and outright disenfranchisement (spurious voter challenges, too few voting machines) were blatant in inner-city and other Democratic strongholds and where electronic, no-paper-trail voting yielded results at odds with exit polls in statistically near-impossible percentages — you know what I’m talking about. Our elections, and therefore our democracy, are not safe, and not enough people know or care yet that this is so.
…
We’ve been complacent about our democracy for the past 40 years…The contests between superficially distinguishable candidates seemed to hinge on gaffes and tie color, not issues. Our democracy was dying of indifference.
The 2004 election was a watershed in several ways. Thanks almost single-handedly to George W. Bush, the Great Polarizer, voters surged to the polls in numbers not seen in several generations. And thanks also to George Bush and his friends, the election was dirty enough to spark a citizenship movement.
At last.
“We need a revolution every generation,” Thomas Jefferson said. Now there’s a bit of Founding Father wisdom that hasn’t been worn down to a platitude yet.
Please read the whole thing. And thank you, Mr. Koehler, for giving a damn. I wish more of your media brethren did so as well.
This may be a bit off-topic. The media has ducked many worthy stories not least the matter of election fraud and machine voting irregularities. Lately, there has been a lot of bad news for the Administration which I put to the pressure and insistence of the 6 or 7 at BradBlog, and other pajamahadeen across this country–and the MSM has responded a little by covering things and saying things they never bothered to before. They have put bloggers on the talking head shows (a growing sign of legitimacy and influence for what it’s worth). At the same time, however, I note there are a whole lot more vehement and malicious activities going on the blogosphere–at least I think that is what I am seeing. Tonight I scanned through Huffington Post, AmericaBlog, Eschaton, and GreyMatter— or tried to– after watching the threads develop during the day. All of the above are presently down or being blasted with cut-n-paste posters who seem intent on shutting out the site or the dialogue. Am I dreaming this, or am I perceiving this correctly? If I am right, then I would say the Left Web is being attacked in desperation by the Right Web big time today.
You said it Brad "(only New Zealand is interested in Democracy in America, apparently)" yippee ki ay
mick from nz ,land of the long white cloud and paper ballots…
The Left-Blog empire is under attack by the vicious minions of Karl Rove, sites being hacked down, people "getting phone calls"…..
Be careful Brad! The paranoid losers are out of their mind now.
And what can we do about Curtis testimony? Does anyone here know a prosecutor, an office who will take the case in Florida or right there somewhere?!??
We need to impanel a GRAND JURY!!! Get it together, and stop Feeney and get him indicted!!!!
Doug E.
Okay, I have become paranoid. Sorry. The links are now working. Odd though–the west coast sites were fine, but the east for 20 minutes—- well, nevermind.
GTASH,
I don’t think you’re being paranoid at all. Frankly, I’m fairly surprised the internet is still functioning at all. I would surmise that if it wasn’t for the huge amount of e-commerce that is occurring in this country that it wouldn’t be operational. Many of the Rethuglicans’ favorite corporations would be righteously pissed if they were taken offline and it’s probably pretty difficult to get us without getting them. But I’m sure they’re working on it. Or am I just being paranoid?
Remarks by Al Gore as prepared
Remarks by Al Gore as prepared
Associated Press / The Media Center
October 5, 2005
I came here today because I believe that American democracy is in grave danger. It is no longer possible to ignore the strangeness of our public discourse . I know that I am not the only one who feels that something has gone basically and badly wrong in the way America’s fabled "marketplace of ideas" now functions.
How many of you, I wonder, have heard a friend or a family member in the last few years remark that it’s almost as if America has entered " an alternate universe"?
Just today I heard a local newsman talking about the use of electronic voting machines and how people love to use them.
Just once I’d like to hear them add, "though there’s no way to verify the vote totals are correct if an electronic voting system is used".
Why do the American Corporations think this kind of political system will be good for them? Don’t they appreciate all their legal rights and privileges under a Democracy? Don’t they know a dictator could take all that away and picker winners (not them) and losers?
It boggles my mind that anyone could support Bush, except for blind political party partisan reasons.
Brad! You’re amazingly awesome!!
I can’t quite figure out how you can be out on the road, attending all sorts of events, meeting with tons of people, doing back to back interviews, posting informative, interesting blogs – and STILL remain calm, cool and brilliant!?!
I so wish I was a millionairess and could support you 100%… as it is I will send the little pittance I can and hope everyone else is doing the same!!
Thank you so much Brad!! And I LOVE that photo!! I wonder, did Clint ever got his new puppy? I won the name the puppy contest for a girl name – Spirit!! (still waiting for my bobble-head Brad doll btw!!) :hehe:
I downloaded this picture to my hard drive so I can show my young children just who the "new" founding fathers are in America of the next decade.
God Speed Gentlemen.
Speak truth to power…always.
Aloha.
Have you guys seen this?
Was the 2004 Presidential Election Stolen? Two Experts Face off in Lively Discussion
BRAD OR WINTER PATRIOT – Please get in touch with me regarding BERNIE ELLIS (Brad, I think you met him at the voting rights conference in Nashville)
Thanks
What a great photo!! If Bush talks to God, then you four guys are archangels. Keep up the mighty good work you are doing. Something great is going to come of it. Thank you all.
There were too many signs before the election of the rigging. People even joked about the machines defaulting to bush. I saw cartoons flying around before the election showing kerry votes switching to bush. After seeing bushs agenda it is no wonder why he lied, cheated and stole the election. He had alot at stake. He isn’t finished. Until something is done, 2006 and 2008 will fall again to lies and deception. Thank you all for caring. This is the only place to learn the real news and know there is hope and grace for our future.
Jen (and all the others) – Thanks for those kind words. It hasn’t been an easy week! That’s for sure! 🙂
But it’s all good, with more to come and some interesting meetings as I work my way back down the coast.
I believe Clint receives his new pup in December (to replace the late "Champion" or "Champ" as they called him) and he told me that the final full name for the dog will be "Brad’s Champion Spirit"…I am moved beyond words.
Your support, Jen (received today) again means the world! Thank you!