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ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES SWITCH VOTES FROM BARACK OBAMA TO JOHN MCCAIN

Voters who are trying to avoid the voter fraud and "stolen election" hanging chad scandals of the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections have lined up early to cast their votes. However complaints are already coming in about electronic voting machines which are switching votes cast for Democratic candidate Barack Obama to his Republican rival John McCain.

According to multiple news reports, voters in West Virginia say that electronic voting machines changed their votes from Barack Obama to John McCain when they cast their ballots during early voting last week. Voters in Jackson and Putnam counties have related experiences that when attempting to vote for Senator Obama and other Democratic nominees, including Sen. Jay Rockefeller who is seeking reelection, the electronic voting machine placed the check mark next to the Republican nominee. source

Barack Obama has surged ahead in the polls with a 12 point lead in the US Presidential race. John McCain has continued his smear campaign against Barack Obama with voter fraud allegations involving ACORN.  Many political pundits are arguing that despite Barack Obama's lead over his opponent it is still possible for him to not win by a landslide victory due to the Bradley Effect. Democracy Now discusses switched votes, ACORN and the Bradley Effect at around the  11:50 minute mark.

CNN Investigates Voting Machines Switching Votes In West Virginia!

AMY GOODMAN: Professor Mark Crispin Miller, the Bradley Effect that is being discussed, explain what it is and how you feel it's being used.

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: The Bradley Effect is a theory which holds that African American candidates do better in pre-election polls than they do in elections, because white racists are shy about admitting to pollsters that they wouldn't vote for a black man. So they will tell pollsters, "Sure, I'll vote for him." Then they sneak into the polling booth and listen to the inner Klansman, you know, they vote as racists.

Now, the problem with this theory is that there are almost no examples of its having happened. It's named for Tom Bradley, the mayor of Los Angeles, who ran for the governor of California and did much better in polls beforehand than he did on Election Day. Well, it turns out, if you study that race, that the reason why he lost was that a lot of bad news about his tenure in Los Angeles came out just before the election. That's the reason why people often lose elections. There are only two races that we know of where the Bradley Effect may arguably have obtained, both in 1989: Doug Wilder's run for the governor of Virginia and David Dinkins's first run for the mayor of New York, where Dinkins didn't do as well as we thought he would. Well, in his second run, the polls were dead on.

The point is, we're talking about two races that may form the basis for this idea that Barack Obama, with his enormous lead, may lose because of millions and millions of closet racists, you know, who will say one thing to pollsters, out of a fear of not seeming politically correct, and then vote a different way. I'll tell you why I worry about this. Something that you very, very badly need to steal elections, aside from the apparatus and the volunteers and all the money and everything, is a narrative. You have to have a convincing rationale to explain an upset victory. Four years ago, the rationale was millions of values voters materialized on the horizon at the end of the day, and like Jesus with loaves and fishes, they suddenly multiplied and voted for Bush, and then they disappeared. Well, there's no evidence that that actually happened. But it served as a narrative. This time, I'm afraid the primary narrative will be racism: Barack Obama actually lost, despite all predictions, because so many Americans are racist.

I think that this is, first of all, unverifiable. We don't know that it's true, whereas we do know all the stuff about vote suppression and election fraud. But I'm afraid that people will be encouraged to accept this line to prevent them from taking a hard look at the real reasons why Obama may have "lost"-and I put "lost" in quotation marks.

AMY GOODMAN: Mark Crispin Miller, I want to thank you for being with us. Mark Crispin Miller is a professor at New York University and author of, well, the latest book he edited, this came out just this summer, Loser Take All: Election Fraud and the Subversion of Democracy, 2000-2008. source

In a presidential campaign that has provoked an array of questions about race, one of the most persistent has been whether white people lie to pollsters about whether they would support a black candidate, a theory known as the Bradley effect.

Pundits often discount black candidates' leads in polls, saying support never materializes at the voting booth.

But many political experts say that while racism inevitably will play a role in whether some voters will choose Sen. Barack Obama, white people being surveyed seem to be pretty honest with pollsters about their biases.

The Bradley effect is an idea based on former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley's unsuccessful race for governor of California in 1982. Though a Field Poll showed the African American candidate ahead of his opponent, George Deukmejian, by as much as seven points in the week before the election, Bradley lost the race. Pollsters theorized that some white voters said they would support Bradley but did the opposite once they got into the voting booth.

In this presidential race, in which Obama is ahead of his rival, Sen. John McCain, according to numerous polls, many say they are concerned about racism but not a Bradley effect. source

AMERICA'S VOTING MACHINES NOT READY FOR 2008 ELECTION

WV Voting Machines Switch Votes from Obama to McCain

Early voting in the presidential election has already begun in many states, and problems are already emerging at the polls. In West Virginia, voters in at least two counties using touchscreen voting machines have claimed their votes were switched from Democrat to Republican. Six voters reported having this problem in Jackson and Putnam Counties. In both counties, Republicans are responsible for overseeing elections. One voter, a retired nurse named Shelba Ketchum, said, "I hit Obama, and it switched to McCain. I am really concerned about that. If McCain wins, there was something wrong with the machines.” Election officials blamed voters for not being more careful. Both counties use machines made by Election Systems & Software.
McCain Supporters Harass Obama Voters in North Carolina

In North Carolina, over 200,000 residents have already cast ballots in early voting. In Fayetteville, a group of John McCain supporters heckled and harassed a group of mostly black supporters of Barack Obama as they voted on Sunday. The Washington Times reported the McCain backers shouted and mocked the voters as they walked into the voting place. The website Facing South reports the McCain supporters likely broke the Voting Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits anyone from intimidating or threatening a person for voting or attempting to vote. On that same day in Fayetteville, North Carolina, thirty people reported having their tires slashed after attending an Obama rally. source

Three Putnam County voters say electronic voting machines changed their votes from Democrats to Republicans when they cast early ballots last week.

This is the second West Virginia county where voters have reported this problem. Last week, three voters in Jackson County told The Charleston Gazette their electronic vote for "Barack Obama" kept flipping to "John McCain".

In both counties, Republicans are responsible for overseeing elections. Both county clerks said the problem is isolated.

They also blamed voters for not being more careful.

"People make mistakes more than machines," said Jackson County Clerk Jeff Waybright.

Shelba Ketchum, a 69-year-old nurse retired from Thomas Memorial Hospital, described what happened Friday at the Putnam County Courthouse in Winfield.

"I pushed buttons and they all came up Republican," she said. "I hit Obama and it switched to McCain. I am really concerned about that. If McCain wins, there was something wrong with the machines.

"I asked them for a printout of my votes," Ketchum said. "But they said it was in the machine and I could not get it. I did not feel right when I left the courthouse. My son felt the same way.

"I heard from some other people they also had trouble. But no one in there knew how to fix it," said Ketchum, who is not related to Menis Ketchum, a Democratic Supreme Court candidate.

Ketchum's son, Chris, said he had the same problem. And Bobbi Oates of Scott Depot said her vote for incumbent Democratic Sen. John D. Rockefeller was switched to GOP opponent Jay Wolfe.

"I touched the one I wanted, Rockefeller, and the machine put a checkmark on the Republican instead," Oates said of her experience Thursday. source

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BARACK OBAMA WON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE WATCH FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE VIDEO

Who won the presidential debate? During a post debate discussion on CNN David Gergen commented about John McCain's demeanor. "He got over emotional. He looked angry. It was almost an exercise in anger management up there for him to contain himself.  Obama maintained his cool and that changed the tone of the debate.  Obama won the last half hour. I think Obama really did well on education, abortion and healthcare." There have been discussions about John McCain appearing angry during the two previous debates with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. There are other examples of John McCain's personality which some may argue displays anger issues. Many people took offense to John McCain referring to Barack Obama as "that one" during the second debate.  John McCain also publicly vowed to whip  Barack Obama's "you know what " during the final debate. 

The Huffington Post made a youtube mashup of John McCain's angry smirks, shrugs and grimaces during the third final presidential debate. Recaps of the Obama-McCain presidential debate and Joe Biden Sarah Palin vice-presidential debate can be watched on the website www.mydebates.org.   

MySpace and the Commission for Presidential Debates have launched an interactive companion to the 2008 presidential debates, MyDebates.org. The site has the usual social network components (forums, blogs, friends, etc.) along with features to allow people to get up to speed on the issues and compare theirs to those of the candidates.

John McCain didn't just fail to get the game-changer he needed -- he was trounced in this third and final debate, if the instant post-debate polling provides any indication.

The results over at CBS show Obama to have scored the biggest victory to date: "Fifty-three percent of the uncommitted voters surveyed identified Democratic nominee Barack Obama as the winner of tonight's debate. Twenty-two percent said Republican rival John McCain won. Twenty-four percent saw the debate as a draw."

It is, the site writes, "a clean sweep" for the Illinois Democrat.

Over at CNN, a separate poll of several hundred debate watchers again favored the Democrat by large margins: 58 percent for Obama to McCain's 31 percent. Perhaps more importantly, McCain's favorable rating dropped 51 to 49 while his unfavorable rating increased from 45 percent to 49 percent. Obama ended up with 66 percent favorable rating. source

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JOHN MCCAIN CALLS BARACK OBAMA "THAT ONE" SAYS "MY FRIENDS" 21 TIMES 2ND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE VIDEO

McCain Calls Obama "That One"

Watch 2nd Presidential Debate Full Video

Barack Obama and John McCain had their second Presidential Debate in a town hall setting. John McCain chose the town hall format and said "my friends" 21 times during the debate. Watch the full debate video and a "my friends" mashup and you'll see that McCain has an annoying expression to compete with Sarah Palin's wink and overuse of the word "maverick".

John McCain did not level obvious personal attacks against his opponent, however, many noted  a low point in the debate when John McCain referred to Barack Obama as "that one."  Many viewers  in post debate discussions said that John McCain's comment was considered childish and disrespectful towards Senator Barack Obama.

John McCain was criticized for his unfriendly demeanor towards Barack Obama during the first presidential debate. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote an open letter to Senator John McCain called "Guess Who is Not Coming to Dinner." Read an excerpt from the letter below.

I do not like you, John McCain. My feeling has nothing to do with issues. It has to do with common courtesy. During the debate, you refused to look Barack Obama in the eye. Indeed, you refused to look at him at all. Even when the two of you shook hands at the start, you used your eyes only to locate his hand, and then gazed past him as you shook it.

Obama is my guy. If you are rude to him, you are rude to me. If you came to dinner at my house and refused to look at or speak with one of my guests, that would be bad manners and I would be offended. Same thing if I went to your house. During the debate, you were America's guest.

What was your problem? Do you hold this man in such contempt that you cannot bear to gaze upon him? Will you not even speak to him directly?
Do you think he doesn't have the right to be running for President? 
Were you angry because after you said you wouldn't attend the debate, he said a President should be able to concern himself with two things at the same time? He was right. The proof is, you were there. Were you angry with him because he called your bluff?

During the debate, Jim Lehrer repeatedly called upon both candidates to speak directly to each other. Obama looked at you. He addressed you as "John," which as a fellow senator is his privilege. His body language was open. You stared straight ahead, or at Lehrer, or into space. Your jaw was clinched. You had a tight little smile, or a grimace, or a little shake of your head. source

That is essentially that conclusion that most debate watchers came to after the second one-on-one meeting between the presidential candidates on Tuesday night. Many saw the moment as pivotal for Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee, who now appears to face a steeper climb to the electoral vote threshold needed to win the White House.

The Times’s Adam Nagourney found the debate to be “largely absent of dramatic confrontations or the personal exchanges that dominated the campaign over the past several days”:

Mr. McCain chose not to use the evening — the second of three scheduled debates — to attack Mr. Obama’s background or character. But in a moment that caught the attention of people in both parties, he appeared agitated in criticizing Mr. Obama for a Senate vote he cast, referring to his opponent only as “that one.”

Mr. Obama placed the blame for the financial crisis on deregulation and the lack of fiscal discipline under President Bush, whom he repeatedly linked to Mr. McCain. Mr. McCain, at every opportunity, presented his opponent as an advocate of spending and higher taxes, while presenting himself as pragmatic, willing to reach across the aisle and sometimes at odds with Mr. Bush. source

BARACK OBAMA HILLARY CLINTON DEBATE TEXAS

Everyone was watching last night's debate to see what the two remaining Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had to say.  Barack Obama has been on a winning streak with 10 straight wins in the latest caucuses.  His strategy was to continue talking about change, while Hillary Clinton made several desperate last ditch efforts to attack her opponent's reputation. Senator Clinton's campaign accused Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama of plagarism after he used a phrase from a speech given by Gov. Deval Patrick.  Hillary Clinton attacked Barack Obama again about plagarism allegations during last night's debate. Listen to some boos in the audience when she mentions Obama xeroxing words.

A few of the major talking points during the debate were immigration, the economy and universal health care. During the debate each candidate was asked to describe a moment in their life when they have been tested the most. Hillary used that opportunity to bring up the Monica Lewinsky sexual infidelity scandal that was covered by the press during President Clinton's presidency. Hillary's reply was simply "well, everyone knows I've lived through some crises and challenging moments in my life." Her response was met by applause. But it sounded rehearsed and more like the answer a political wife who had been cheated on would give to protect her husband. Does being cheated on by a  spouse automatically make a person more qualified to handle the pressures of the presidency?  A person may think that living through public scrutiny would make someone more compassionate. However, everyone doesn't have the insight not to attack and sling veiled insults at their opponents. Both candidates are campaigning for Texas,Ohio,Vermont,Rhode Island primaries on March 4th.

How we bring about the change we seek

Hillary On Obama's Copying: Change You Can Xerox

Hillary Clinton attacked Barack Obama again about plagarism allegations during last night's debate. Listen to some boos in the audience when she mentions Obama xeroxing words.

Hillary Closes at the Presidential Debate in Texas

WATCH THE TALKING POINTS VIDEO ROUND UP TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE.