NY-20: They Challenged Gillibrand's Ballot. I Am Not Kidding

Fodder for the echo machine (4.00 / 6)

This is not about actually legally challenging ballots that may not be legit.  This is about making trash-talk for the echo machine.  None of this will stand up in court, but it doesn't matter. It's a smoke machine, and they are blowing soot in our general direction.

Earth to NYS GOP: get a mission, get a cause, get a reason, get an argument, get something besides Stone-esque maligning of others.

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by: robinia @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 15:20:52 PM CDT

GOP = Stupid (4.00 / 6)

This is not a real bright move.  It's guaranteed to draw more media attention to GOP obstructionism in the counting of 20th District absentees.

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by: global yokel @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 15:25:25 PM CDT

my thought (4.00 / 5)

exactly.

TODAY is day one. It always is.

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by: phillip anderson @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 15:31:24 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

"Draw more media attention"? (0.00 / 0)

That is the Tedisco achilles heel-- he just loves to draw more media attention to himself, and will do the most utterly foolish things to do so (hokey caps, socks, etc., etc.).

I said before the election that we would know that Tedisco was running his own show if it started seeming to be one long play-to-the-camera.... he may indeed be calling his own shots here, it seems.

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by: robinia @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 18:33:06 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

One would think so, but that's not how it works (4.00 / 1)

As Robina pointed out, this is fodder for the echo machine.  Before this attention getter was created, the media barely touched the absentee ballot process.  Now they have, as lacking in credibility the Gillibrand thing really is.  

What the Republicans have done is to open the door for themselves to throw their spin into the echo machine.  And by the time it comes out they will create a LOT of public opinion of people (and not just talk radio influenced idiots) who believe that the Democrats cheated using NY city people, students, rent control opportunists, and even our military.  

My guess is that particular spin will come in an understatement.  "We were wrong to challenge the single vote of Senator Gillibrand, but keep in mind that this is just one of hundreds of challenged absentee ballots, and we will hold our ground on those remaining-  non-residents."

Forget the win-lose equation for a moment and back away from this particular race as well.  Republicans have long used dirty tactics to sway public opinion for the long term gains.  Win or lose, they can gain-  if we let them.  And we probably will let them, since Democrats are so often focused on the facts of the here and now, and have a difficult time associating with the understanding of dirty tactics such as mental manipulation of voters.

How do I know the effect they wish to have?  I canvassed hundreds of voters-  mostly Dems and Independents, during the election.  The most common objection I heard was that BOTH candidates were equally dirty players-  when we know that Tedisco was frequently downright dishonest-  and Murphy was only mildly negative or exaggerated about matters of record such as 'disco's position on the Stimulus Plan.  

Now one would think that Tedisco's downright dishonesty would have turned around to bite him, especially when it was one of the Tedisco Ads that directed voters to www.factcheck.org which revealed all of Tedisco's blatant lies.  But like magicians, Republicans are masters of deception and by Tedisco pointing to the place that uncovered his lies gained the exact opposite of the seemingly obvious.  He knew people wouldn't bother to go to Factcheck and used that name to build credibility for his words when the reality was quite the opposite.

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by: Patriotic_Reader @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 20:11:40 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Are you kidding? (4.00 / 3)

I know some neighbors who voted absentee because they work 7am-7pm and were not certain they'd get home in time to vote.

WTF?  

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by: nrafter530 @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 15:43:07 PM CDT

That's not legal (0.00 / 0)

They have to vote at a machine if they are not at work from 6AM to 9PM.

Really.

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by: Amherst Guy @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 16:16:55 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Tedisco: Smart but Stupid (4.00 / 1)

This challenge actually has more substance than the other rote challenges based on residency which the Tedisco campaign is filing. If they have evidence she could have voted in the County on election day, there is at least a grey area for a judge to explore; their other challenges have zero basis in existing law and precedent.

So to some extent this is a smarter tactic than the rest from Tedisco. But it's stupid as strategy, because the overall effect will be to bring much more public attention to and scrutiny of what Tedisco is up to.

Murphy might be able to afford to lose Gillibrand's vote; but Tedisco can't afford for the media and public to become more aware of what he's up to.

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by: Hudson @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 17:21:20 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

bingo (0.00 / 0)

pretty much.

TODAY is day one. It always is.

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by: phillip anderson @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 17:39:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Um...that's making a huge assumption (0.00 / 0)

What ballots are WE challenging? Unless I'm told by the campaign themselves, I refuse to believe we aren't challenging votes.

I think we should be 100% sure we want to go down this path before we encourage the media to become aware.

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by: Amherst Guy @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 23:27:48 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Absentee application should have been rejected (0.00 / 0)

If that was the reason they used in their Absentee Ballot Application the county BOE was wrong in sending them an absentee ballot and they should have been notified as to that rejection so they could have machine voted.  If your friends fibbed vacation or whatever on their application, they would be wise to not discuss their voting practices with anyone.  Of course the law is buffered with "intent", and who really knows what the intent of a person is?  I intend to go on vacation forever-  but never really will.  :D

Yes, it's an arcane system, one that really needs to be changed (and maybe it will now that it is drawing a bit of public attention.)  In most states, the reason for voting absentee isn't a consideration.  Frankly, it's none of the government's business if I am on vacation, sick, potentially forgetful, can't drive, too lazy to walk into a voting booth, or whatever.  Furthermore, in Washington, everyone votes "absentee" (by mail anyway, same thing.)

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by: Patriotic_Reader @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 20:35:36 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

"Reason to believe" (4.00 / 2)

A person may vote by absentee ballot of they have reason to believe they will be unable to vote in person. They may even drop off their absentee ballot at the county board of elections on the day of the election thereby showing that they are in the county.

I think it would be fairly easy to show that a US Senator might have reason to believe that they might not be in their home town on a special election day held during session in Washington.

Tedisco is making an utter fool of himself.

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by: Andrew C. White @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 15:56:35 PM CDT

Good point (0.00 / 0)

But I know that if I was on the other side, I'd see want to see what the courts had to say too, because technically, she WAS in the county.

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by: Amherst Guy @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 16:18:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

A Prediction.... (0.00 / 0)

The Republican Judge Brands in Poughkeepsie is going to screw this election up big-time.  Scott Murphy will have to appeal to a higher court to get all the absentees counted, and he will prevail, but only after a great expenditure of time and money.

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by: global yokel @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 16:35:53 PM CDT

Murphy up 47 (0.00 / 0)

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by: daniel.jones @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 16:39:14 PM CDT

Saratoga Absentees.... (0.00 / 0)

Over at Capitol Confidential they indicate that there is a total of 714 challenged ballots in Saratoga County.  They expect to report the results of their counting tomorrow.

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by: global yokel @ Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 17:06:39 PM CDT

GOP (4.00 / 1)

"Getting off...psychologically"

As in, "Tedisco's GOP"

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by: hawkny @ Wed Apr 15, 2009 at 08:45:11 AM CDT