10 October 2008

You start with an anomaly.

Then you play it up on the GOP Sound Machine. Yesterday, my wife heard a report about voter registration problems in Ohio on the Sinclair Media station (well known for bending the news.) Supposedly the story had been reported in the NY Times. I wasn't able to find anything in the Times, although it may have been there.

You'll hear these stories where you live, too, in the next month or so as the GOP tries to push the "voter fraud" angle.

Earlier this week, I heard a long interview with one of US Attorneys who was fired by the Gonzales Department of Justice. He explained how well-timed announcements and investigations can work to reduce voter turnout because people who ARE qualified to vote, but feel that they might be prosecuted if there is even a tiny error on the forms they filled out, simply don't show up to vote.

The media bought into this story in New Mexico and the GOP chairman called on the US Attorney to get on the team, but after 2 years of investigations, he found zero cases he could prosecute. The one that came closest to being something he might be able to take to court involved ACORN. (I make no defense for ACORN. Clearly there is a problem with the group, just as there was a problem 4 years ago with Swift Boaters. Just as there is a problem this year with the pack of lies, half-truths, and distortions presented in Obama Nation.)

To the GOP, "voter fraud" is a very big deal even if it doesn't exist. But the talking points memo goes out and Rush parrots the line in the afternoon, O'Reilly repeats it at night, and a host of other "pundits" read from the same script day after day, word for word.

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