Debating the Vote

A few quick comments on today's historic debate:

Senator Barbara Boxer stood alone among Senators in objecting to the Ohio vote, which was sufficent to force this debate. A handful of other Senators, including Sen. Hillary Clinton, spoke in support of those who are deeply troubled by the chicanery, the cheating that has been established and that is suspected with cause in the 2004 presidential election. These Senators had their reasons for not joining Boxer in voting against the validation of the Ohio electors, but once again Democrats leave themselves open to the charge of trying to have it both ways.

The speeches in the House and even the calls on C-Span demonstrated the deep, deep feeling among voters that there was cheating in this election, and that it may have been rigged.

The U.S.media, that institution of shame and sham, continued to ignore this crucial issue. The media failed to report fully the outrages on election day, and they remain complicit with Republicans in covering up what happened, so that whatever evidence remains will disappear. Only when ANY threat to the integrity of voting, and every voters right to vote and have it counted, is given prominence and reported as a major story, will the sanctity of elections be more than a sanctimonious if not cynical lie.

If people around the world, and even their fellow Democrats, didn't understand what voting rights mean to African Americans, perhaps today will leave a more accurate impression.

The challenge gave the White House the opportunity to support efforts to correct deficiencies in the electoral process, even as it denied there was grounds for contesting the election. To no one's surprise, they passed on that opportunity to be conciliatory and recognize that elections are at the core of American democracy. Clearly, among the things that Republicans hold sacred, voting does not qualify.

Finally, this observation: can't anyone pronounce "electoral"? There is no "i" in it. It doesn't rhyme with editorial. Somebody should do a study on GOPer mispronunciation patterns and their psycho-social significance.