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Huck Plays The USSR Card
In a race that's been marked by GOPers noisily competing to claim the mantle of Reaganism, Mike Huckabee seized an easy opportunity on CNN this morning to resurrect the old foe: "That is not what we do in American elections... Maybe that's how they used to conduct it in the old Soviet Union, but you don't just throw people's votes out and say, 'well, we're not going to bother counting them because we kind of think we know where this was going.'"
Well, the Washington state GOP chair Luke Esser was successfully bullied into finishing the state's count earlier than he'd planned -- and finally getting "as close as we can" to counting 100% of the vote.
That accelerated rate has put the GOP closer to that goal -- now it's at 93%, up from 87% when Esser decided to call it quits Saturday night. But assuming that they eventually get there, the counting is sure to get plenty of scrutiny. And given that this was a caucus with only about 13,500 Republicans turning out (with a couple hundred votes the difference between Huckabee and McCain), what would be otherwise minor charges of disenfranchisement take on greater importance. The Huckabee camp is already citing reports of supporters getting elbowed aside (see the "irregularities" campaign chairman Ed Rollins claimed last night) -- in particular three supporters say that those running the caucus didn't follow the correct process. One in particular is most outspoken:
Kim Davis of Lakewood in Pierce County outlined her experience in an e-mail...."I think that was the trigger that fired the shot," [Huckabee Washignton volunteer leader Joseph] Fuiten said.
In an interview, Davis said she "absolutely" thought McCain supporters rigged voting in her precinct because she and a Ron Paul supporter were denied a chance to run to be delegates.
"They didn't follow the process. No one got to talk. No one got to vote," she said.
"I felt like what they did was wrong," she said. "If they could do that to us, I wondered how many other places could that have happened."
We'll see.
Josh
Zachary
Go (F)Huckabee!
February 11, 2008 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
When Comrade McCain dies, will they place his body in a glass coffin, and put it on display in Redneck Square!
February 11, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I also have heard of problems in Pierce County.
My libertairian buddy is a Ron Paul supporter.
He said there was pressure to "get behind the nominee and not embarass McCain." Precinct leaders discouraged votes for candidates that dropped out, and one tried to say that the uncomitted fraction could not receive a delegate.
My friend stood up to object and got over these problems - however he was not elected a delagate.
I told him peer pressure is part of the caucus process.
February 11, 2008 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Man look at the anger in hucks face and the timber of his voice. I think the GOP is in for a can of southern spite from Huckabee. They are going to regret pissing this man off.
Fried squirel eaters are mean son om fa bee itches when they are crossed.
Let the shoot out begin!
February 11, 2008 2:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
I live in WA. and my daughter attends public elementary school. The WA. schools put on an excellent counting program for the kids (in 1st & 2nd grades if I recall correctly). My daughter actually learned to count to over 10,000 in this program. Perhaps the school system could lend some of their 1st & 2nd graders to the Republican Party to get this count done. The kids would get an object lesson in the importance of learning to count and the Republicans would get the expert assistance they appear to need.
The overall count did appear to exceed 10,000 statewide, so perhaps a little patience with the state Republican Party is in order. But if the kids could help, it would clearly be a "win/win".
February 11, 2008 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
New GOP Motto:
"The GOP: where 87% is close enough for guv'mint work"
February 11, 2008 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
A republican will do anything to get his canidate elected. Even by eating his own.
There must be some connection between their war machine,their cannabalistic ways, and the process of water torture.
"Throw the christian to the lions!"
February 11, 2008 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just when I was starting to feel depressed over the departure of the Giuliani and Romney traveling comedy road shows, Luke Esser comes to the rescue! GOP-on-GOP electoral fraud has a particularly wonderful aroma.
February 11, 2008 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is my first primary election since I moved to Washington, and I went to the caucus on Saturday, but as a Democrat. To understand the process beforehand, I went to the League of Women Voters WA Website for info.
Regarding the Republican caucus, they wrote:
So while I have compassion for Ms Davis, she was doomed from the start by the Republican Party's procedure.
If she were a Democrat, her vote would have actually counted, the numerous people checking and counter checking the votes would have served as a firewall against shenanigans, and the delegates elected would have proportionally represented the caucusers' commitments to their candidates. At my caucus, even the uncommitted votes were counted when allotting the delegates.
Our results? 95 people from our precinct attended, the first round (with 91 present) had 63 for Obama, 23 for Clinton, and 5 uncommitted. The second round, after chances for each candidate and the uncommitted position to speak once for and once as response, resulted in 69 Obama, 26 Clinton and 10 and 4 delegates, respectively.
WA Republicans? If you want democracy, change your system at the party level.
February 11, 2008 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, screwed up the quote from the Green Papers. I'll try again:
February 11, 2008 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Roberta, I'm trying to reach you. Find Eric Stepp's blog posts and follow the links to his place. Register and join the Cafe "refugees."
♪♪♪
February 11, 2008 10:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
so if they don't actually vote candidate preference at their caucuses, what the heck is it that they're counting? and how is it that McCain gets to be declared the "winner" of Washington State? sound like a coronation to me, as it appears that they know better than to allow foolish democratic practices like "voting" at their republican caucuses here.
February 11, 2008 9:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Republicans… rigging elections and using strong-arm tactics? fetch the smelling salts!
I prefer to see it done against one of their own, though I have no doubt that they will turn their sleaze on the Democrats soon enough.
February 12, 2008 1:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
You know, peaceMF, I can't answer your question. My news tonight had the story about Huckabee's complaint, and the numbers still have McCain ahead by a tiny margin. What it means? Dunno.
They count the primary on February 19, of course, and then the rest of the 40 delegates come from the party.
It's a pretty screwed-up system.
February 12, 2008 2:31 AM | Reply | Permalink