On October 28 in 2003 I
suggested a strategy on this list for Dennis Kucinich in his quest to
be President. I had strong hopes for Kucinich, hopes that only faded
when he announced that he would support the Democratic candidate
whoever it turned out to be. To my mind, he became part of the
problem, not part of the solution -- the greatest problem on this
globe is unfettered corporatism, fueled by capital greed, directed by
callous rich white men. The only candidate who shares this view
with me is Ralph Nader. I have taken some curious delight lately in
watching Nader actually doing some of the the things I suggested to
Kucinich -- I called it the Committee of the Vote count; he calls it
the Democracy Activist Corps. He has used the third parties to get on
various ballots, and rallied the resources of Republicans who can't
bring themselves to vote for the sophmoronic Bush or the elitist,
get-in-front-of-the-parade Kerry.
Here's my posting of
October 28, 2003, followed by a Nader release yesterday.
Dan Scanlan
----------------------
Here's the strategy:
1) Dennis Kucinich seeks (and wins) the Democratic nomination by
convincing Democrats to vote for him in the primary election. During
the campaign, he chastises the Democratic Party for its numerous sins
and works to improve it by speaking strongly against its dependence
on corrupt corporate cash, its penchant for war and its failure to
tend to, or remember, its own progressive vision, and its failure to
keep the nation's airwaves unfettered by corporate constraints.
2) The Green Party nominates Dennis Kucinich, even though he is a Democrat. There is precedence for this -- Ralph Nader was not a Green Party member. By so doing, the Green Party says that it values the end result -- the taking back of the country from the international corporate cartels -- and is not mired in knee-jerk "party politics" at any expense.
3) Renegade Republicans nominate Dennis Kucinich for the Republican ticket, and introduce a proposal to allow non-Republicans to vie for the nomination. The nation has a history of this. It is only unusual in our time.
4) Dennis Kucinich seeks the nominations of the American Independence Party, the Natural Law Party, the Peace and Freedom Party and other small parties.
2) The Green Party nominates Dennis Kucinich, even though he is a Democrat. There is precedence for this -- Ralph Nader was not a Green Party member. By so doing, the Green Party says that it values the end result -- the taking back of the country from the international corporate cartels -- and is not mired in knee-jerk "party politics" at any expense.
3) Renegade Republicans nominate Dennis Kucinich for the Republican ticket, and introduce a proposal to allow non-Republicans to vie for the nomination. The nation has a history of this. It is only unusual in our time.
4) Dennis Kucinich seeks the nominations of the American Independence Party, the Natural Law Party, the Peace and Freedom Party and other small parties.
5) Kucinich, individuals and groups develop and use a vocabulary
that highlights the fact that the nation is at a crossroads that
demands quick, exciting, unusual and strong moves to save it for the
benefit of all and for our posterity, and by extension, the
well-being of the planet itself. This vocabulary gives voice to the
fact that there is room for all in the tug toward survival. Greens
and Democrats pulling in concert, for starters, followed by other
parties and organizations. The vocabulary becomes its own media and
causes the corporate news industry to scramble for new
relevance.
6) Dennis Kucinich creates a Committee of the Vote Count which
is comprised of a wide variety of citizens, from high school age to
elders, who are skilled in law and computer technology and who donate
their time and skills to correct the flawed vote count in this
country. The vocabulary makes it clear that counting is the first and
simplest of computer functions and that "secret and
proprietary" vote-counting software is fundamentally corrosive
to American democracy and an affront to common sense. The
verifiability of the vote count becomes a major campaign issue.
The Kucinich campaign will be -- and will be seen and celebrated
as -- a multi-pronged, multi-party, unifying American experience that
is actually capable of returning the country to the folk. This
enumeration of a strategy leaves out hot-button and other issues
since it is aimed at roots.
------------------------
Nader For President
2004
P.O. Box 18002 - Washington, DC 20036 - www.votenader.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For Further Information:
P.O. Box 18002 - Washington, DC 20036 - www.votenader.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For Further Information:
August 12, 2004 Kevin
Zeese 202.265.4000
Nader Urges Florida: Protect Voters from Paperless Electronic Voting and Stop Abusing Voter Registration
Washington, DC: Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader visited Tampa, Florida today to address two issues of importance in the upcoming election - paperless electronic voting, which limits the confidence voters will have that their vote is counted correctly; and efforts to limit the number of African-American voters through manipulation of registration rolls.
Regarding electronic voting, Nader noted that some of the most populous counties in Florida will be voting with paperless electronic voting machines this November. Nader noted that the Miami-Dade County Republican Party sent out a mailer this month urging Republicans to vote by absentee ballot in order to avoid the paperless voting machines, warning that the machines do not have a paper ballot in case a recount is necessary. Nader announced two actions on electronic voting:
1. "I am offering my campaign as a vehicle for individual democracy activists who want to be poll-watchers. They can be credentialed to be inside every precinct in Florida, to monitor and report the observable problems with e-voting. This is an offer I am making to citizen activists throughout the country," said Nader. In many states, citizen poll watchers are required by law to represent a candidate or party to be granted access to the schools and city halls where voting takes place. Whenever people are given incomplete ballots, machines crash, or touch screen systems record votes for someone beside the voter's selection, credentialed poll-watchers will be there to record the information.
2. "I have sent a letter to President Bush and Senator Kerry urging them to encourage their poll-watchers to do the same. We need to create a Democracy Activist Corps on Election Day, to ensure that this election produces results we can trust," said Nader. Nader wrote Bush and Kerry this June 2nd urging them to join him in calling for a paper record of every vote cast this November 2nd. There has been no response from either candidate.
Nader also expressed concern about recent reports that Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood was using a list of "potential felons" in order to remove voters from the registration lists. The flawed list was filled with errors that would keep legitimate voters from voting. The list did not include Hispanics, who coincidentally tend to vote Republican, but did include African Americans, who vote heavily Democratic. Nader applauded the media in Florida for uncovering major errors in the list that favored Republicans and urged their continued vigilance.
Nader Urges Florida: Protect Voters from Paperless Electronic Voting and Stop Abusing Voter Registration
Washington, DC: Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader visited Tampa, Florida today to address two issues of importance in the upcoming election - paperless electronic voting, which limits the confidence voters will have that their vote is counted correctly; and efforts to limit the number of African-American voters through manipulation of registration rolls.
Regarding electronic voting, Nader noted that some of the most populous counties in Florida will be voting with paperless electronic voting machines this November. Nader noted that the Miami-Dade County Republican Party sent out a mailer this month urging Republicans to vote by absentee ballot in order to avoid the paperless voting machines, warning that the machines do not have a paper ballot in case a recount is necessary. Nader announced two actions on electronic voting:
1. "I am offering my campaign as a vehicle for individual democracy activists who want to be poll-watchers. They can be credentialed to be inside every precinct in Florida, to monitor and report the observable problems with e-voting. This is an offer I am making to citizen activists throughout the country," said Nader. In many states, citizen poll watchers are required by law to represent a candidate or party to be granted access to the schools and city halls where voting takes place. Whenever people are given incomplete ballots, machines crash, or touch screen systems record votes for someone beside the voter's selection, credentialed poll-watchers will be there to record the information.
2. "I have sent a letter to President Bush and Senator Kerry urging them to encourage their poll-watchers to do the same. We need to create a Democracy Activist Corps on Election Day, to ensure that this election produces results we can trust," said Nader. Nader wrote Bush and Kerry this June 2nd urging them to join him in calling for a paper record of every vote cast this November 2nd. There has been no response from either candidate.
Nader also expressed concern about recent reports that Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood was using a list of "potential felons" in order to remove voters from the registration lists. The flawed list was filled with errors that would keep legitimate voters from voting. The list did not include Hispanics, who coincidentally tend to vote Republican, but did include African Americans, who vote heavily Democratic. Nader applauded the media in Florida for uncovering major errors in the list that favored Republicans and urged their continued vigilance.
"We need to avoid even
the appearance of election manipulation, especially in Florida, after
the 2000 experience. If anything, we should take steps to err on the
side of letting as many Americans as possible vote and making sure
every vote is counted accurately. This election is too important to
risk with faulty registration lists and inaccurate vote counts,"
said Nader.
------------------------
August 9, 2004
George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
John F. Kerry
901 15th Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
Re: Allow Citizens to Monitor Paperless E-Voting on Election Day
Dear President Bush and Senator Kerry:
I wrote you in June urging that we jointly take steps to make sure every vote is counted accurately on Election Day in ways the voters will trust. There continue to be growing concerns
about paperless electronic voting systems, which make it impossible to conduct a meaningful audit or recount. While some states and counties are taking action to protect the vote from paperless electronic voting, others have not done so.
As a result, I have today offered the auspices of my campaign to citizens concerned about paperless electronic voting, so that they can become credentialed poll watchers inside the voting precincts and therefore better able to monitor and report the observable problems with paperless electronic voting. In many states citizen poll watchers are required by law to represent a candidate or party to be granted access to the schools and city halls where voting takes place. I recognize that the most serious potential problems with paperless electronic voting-namely computer errors and intentional malfeasance (e.g., hackers) with voting software-are not observable. However, citizen activists will be able to observe machine crashes and malfunctions such as incorrect ballots, incomplete ballots, improperly operating "SMART" cards, and the like. Having citizens monitoring this election will better ensure the integrity of its results. I urge you today to offer your campaigns for similar purposes. We need to create a Democracy Activist Corps on Election Day - credentialed citizens monitoring the election inside voting precincts throughout the United States and, in particular, monitoring this new technology; paperless electronic voting. This should be a common concern and objective for all candidates for whom we should try to set an example.
August 9, 2004
George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
John F. Kerry
901 15th Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
Re: Allow Citizens to Monitor Paperless E-Voting on Election Day
Dear President Bush and Senator Kerry:
I wrote you in June urging that we jointly take steps to make sure every vote is counted accurately on Election Day in ways the voters will trust. There continue to be growing concerns
about paperless electronic voting systems, which make it impossible to conduct a meaningful audit or recount. While some states and counties are taking action to protect the vote from paperless electronic voting, others have not done so.
As a result, I have today offered the auspices of my campaign to citizens concerned about paperless electronic voting, so that they can become credentialed poll watchers inside the voting precincts and therefore better able to monitor and report the observable problems with paperless electronic voting. In many states citizen poll watchers are required by law to represent a candidate or party to be granted access to the schools and city halls where voting takes place. I recognize that the most serious potential problems with paperless electronic voting-namely computer errors and intentional malfeasance (e.g., hackers) with voting software-are not observable. However, citizen activists will be able to observe machine crashes and malfunctions such as incorrect ballots, incomplete ballots, improperly operating "SMART" cards, and the like. Having citizens monitoring this election will better ensure the integrity of its results. I urge you today to offer your campaigns for similar purposes. We need to create a Democracy Activist Corps on Election Day - credentialed citizens monitoring the election inside voting precincts throughout the United States and, in particular, monitoring this new technology; paperless electronic voting. This should be a common concern and objective for all candidates for whom we should try to set an example.
As I said in my previous letter, we must share the goal of having an election result that voters can trust, based on an accurate vote count. Our joining together to achieve this objective will ensure both a proper result and the public's confidence. Why have neither of you responded?
Sincerely,
Ralph Nader
