The Politics Hour
It's full steam ahead as advocates for D.C. voting rights push both major political parties ahead of their national conventions. Activists in Maryland gear up for the wave of ballot initiatives coming down the tracks in the fall. And federal authorities give the green light to a new voter identification law in Virginia. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
Guests
Photo Gallery: Follow Flat Kojo At The Conventions
Make Your Own Flat Kojo
Introducing the newest Kojo Show team member: #FlatKojo. Follow his adventures on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can print your own #FlatKojo and send us pictures of him at your favorite places in the D.C. area or around the world.
Politics Hour Video
NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Jealous talked about the organization's agenda at the Republican National Convention next week in Tampa, Fla. Jealous said criminal justice issues, such as voting rights for felons, get the most traction with Republicans. "We seek to really make visible the fact that there are Republican leaders who care about civil rights," Jealous said.
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
Where would America be if the Diebold machines were used, instead of the simple voting box, in the 1960’s when all citizens became empowered because of their new access to the power of the vote? Who thinks African-Americans would have been elected as representatives throughout the South if the infamous Diebold machines were in place in the 1960's?
Why not fully implement election monitoring via exit polls. The late Rod Serling's Twilight Zone re-emerges on Election Day. That is the only day of the year, and the United States is the only place on earth, where mathematical theory of sampling and scientific rigor of data gathering don't function. On other days and in other countries exit polls accurately call election results - Yes, the United States of America entered The Twilight Zone on Election Day. Even with President Obama's election, the final result was inconsistent with the average across the major pre-election polls (Zogbe, Gallup, CNN).
In contrast, Congress just passed legislation that sampling be used to monitor listeria and two other pathogens in our food supply. Sampling works for monitoring pathogens but not for monitoring accurate voting, and it doesn't work only in the U.S., and only on Election Day? Really? Every person who reasonably qualifies to vote should and the votes should be monitored for accuracy. Are these un-American values?
What Have the Exit Polls Shown?
In Freeman & Bleifuss, (2006), with the Forward by Congressman Conyers, the authors write:
Based on the exit polls, Kerry won three states that he would lose in the official count: Ohio (by 8.8 percentage points), Nevada (7.5 points), New Mexico (7.0) had a lead within the polling margin of error in three more: Florida (2.6 points), Iowa (2.3 points and Colorado (1.4 points); and was trailing within the margin of error in three others: Virginia (0.3 points), North Carolina (1.4 points and Missouri (1.4 points). The net result is an electoral victory for Kerry of 282-174, with 82 electoral votes too close to call. (p.135 from Was the 2004 presidential election stolen? Exit polls, election fraud, and the official count).
One can see the old USCOUNTVOTES.org website, and other newer websites, for their scientifically proven methods to monitor the votes.
Why not give the Academy of Sciences, GAO and/or American Statistical Association (ASA) the necessary precinct and exit polling data so that they can determine who wins AND by how much (These data have been hidden from the public because of the excuse that the data belong to the companies conducting the exit polls. The same logic would have the Government excluded from classified information because company contractors built a computer system, or Nevada not auditing the computer programs running the slot machines)
Again, every person who reasonably qualifies to vote should and the votes should be monitored for accuracy. Are these un-American values?
VICTORY: Circuit Court Orders Brandon Raub Released, Dismisses Case Against Marine Arrested, Detained in Veterans Admin. Psych Ward over Political Views, Song Lyrics Posted on Facebook
In an unexpected ruling handed down today by Circuit Court Judge Allan Sharrett, the judge dismissed the government’s case against Brandon Raub, the Marine who was arrested by local police and FBI agents, detained in a psychiatric ward and forced to undergo psychological evaluations based solely on the controversial nature of lines from song lyrics, political messages and virtual card games which he posted to his private Facebook page. Judge Sharrett dismissed the petition for involuntary commitment on the grounds that the petition “is so devoid of any factual allegations that it could not be reasonably expected to give rise to a case or controversy.” Raub is expected to be released immediately.
“This is a great victory for the First Amendment and the rule of law,” said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. “Brandon Raub was arrested with no warning, targeted for doing nothing more than speaking out against the government, detained against his will, and isolated from his family, friends and attorneys. These are the kinds of things that take place in totalitarian societies. Today, at least, Judge Allan Sharrett proved that justice can still prevail in America.”
www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/on_the_front_lines/victory_cir...
I do not like Glenn Beck, Mr. Nnamdi, and really am frustrated that he would cover this story and you avoid it like the plague:
ATTORNEY OF FORMER MARINE DETAINED FOR FACEBOOK POSTS TELLS BECK: PSYCHIATRIST THREATENED TO ‘BRAINWASH’ MY CLIENT WITH MEDS
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/attorney-of-former-marine-detained-for-f...
Unfortunately, no one mentioned that a group of D.C. citizens, traveling on their own dime, will also be in Charlotte to recruit supporters among the 50 states’ delegations to the Democratic National Convention for the purpose of creating a sustainable network of advocates for D.C. statehood. D.C. for Democracy, a member of the D.C. Statehood Coalition, is one of the organizers of this effort (see http://dcfordemocracy.org/). I urge Mr. Nnamdi and his producers to look out for these citizen activists when they are in Charlotte next week.
And I would point out to Mr. Sherwood that the group of young men who went without food for 10-25 days last winter to protest D.C.’s disenfranchisement demonstrated a certain “passion and fire” for the cause. (Everyone is too genteel to mention their "excessive" action now that it is out of the news.)