Early voting brings cries of bullying--"Democrat Thugs flooding Florida Polls"

The Sun_Sentinel ^ | Brittany Wallman

[Jacvin]

By Brittany Wallman Staff Writer

October 23, 2004

.........

As a result, with early voting taking place in busy public places like City Halls and libraries, voters are voicing complaints of being blocked by political mobs, or being singled out for their political views. Others say they have been grabbed, screamed at and cursed by political partisans of all stripes.

Republican Rep. Tom Feeney of Oviedo said the antagonizers are "Kerry thugs" out to harass Bush voters.

"If you ask me whether I believe there is an organized effort to intimidate Republican voters, the answer is absolutely yes," said Feeney.

................

According to the affidavits Fletcher released:

One woman who voted early in Boca Raton, at the Southwest County Regional Library, complained that as she stood in line, two men behind her were "trashing our president," Fletcher said, declining to identify the woman. She tried to ignore them. Then the man touched her arm and said, "Who are you voting for?"

"I said, `I don't think that's an appropriate question,'" the woman said she responded.

"Uh oh! We have a Bush supporter here," screamed the man behind her.

For the 2 1/2 hours she had to wait in line, she was heckled by the man. As they neared the voting room, someone in the rear of the line yelled, "I sure hope everyone here is voting for Kerry!" she reported.

That's when the man behind her held his hand over her head and screamed, "We have a Republican right here!" There were "boos and jeers" from the crowd.

"I felt intimidated, harassed and threatened!" the woman wrote in her complaint to the Republican Party.

[Jacvin]

Yesterday we held a Bush rally and two elderly Republican women had their car windows broken in the parking lot.

After that, a car speeding past hit me and two women in the face with a handful of rocks and dirt.

Palm Beach County has been flooded with Union thugs and they are committing serious acts of election violence.

Governor Bush needs to call out the National Guard to protect voters.

[Lurking in Kansas]

"If you ask me whether I believe there is an organized effort to intimidate Republican voters, the answer is absolutely yes,"

Why am I not surprised???

[dennisw]

Same here..... how come I'm not surprised???

[silent_jonny]

Where are the damn cops?

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

For the 2 1/2 hours she had to wait in line, she was heckled by the man

... and yet (Big Point here, people): they STILL were unable to prevent her from casting her vote for GWB.

They can't prevent ANY of us from casting our lawful ballots for GWB.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

[tomnbeverly]

There is no difference between the Democrat activists and the Taliban... Take a camera to the polls with you and start recording the indcidents it will make for a lively broadcast...

[Gorzaloon]

Where are the damn cops?

At their union meeting?

[mrsmel]

I wish the media,the few times they mention these intimidation tactics that are happening,would quit adding the prissy little qualifier,"both sides are doing it". Both sides are NOT doing it. It's been strictly 'rats who have vandalised B/C headquarters,harrassed voters at polling places,attacked Republican speakers(Ann Coulter),ripped the sign from a toddler's hands,and more. There hasn't been one single such act that I know of committed by a Republican supporter,it's been all 'rats,and yet they're the ones crying "intimidation",and the hypocritical media is out there saying "both sides do it",even though everytime they do,it's at the end of recounting yet another anecdote of 'rat harrassment.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

They had it in Daytona here when I voted. man with a large K/E sign blocking the middle of the drive into the parking lot until you got right up on him, then he would slowly move out of the way. While at the same time the Volusia County Sheriff watching the scene from the front door was busy telling the B/C sign holder to stay OFF the gras median (???) while the K/E people walked around the middle of the parking area.

Daytona is so screwed up

The Mayor dissed the Presidents visit here the other week so she could go meet with Edwards. But then she did head a chapter of the NAACP, so what does one expect.

REPORT THUG TACTICS HERE: fairvote@georgewbush.com

[Crawdad]

She should have called 911 and reported an assault. Right then, right there.

[meyer]

Where are the damn cops?

Good question.

[stockpirate]

The NAZI Brown Shirts of the Democrat Socialist Party of America a (Democrat) are out in force.

PING

"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing."

[Jacvin]

At this point the cops don't seem to be taking the election violence seriously.

I hope that will change in the next 48 hours.

[DoctorMichael]

Bttt!!!!!!!!

[Gorzaloon]

I said, `I don't think that's an appropriate question,'" the woman said she responded.

"Uh oh! We have a Bush supporter here," screamed the man behind her.

Tell them "Kerry, of course". I would, of course change my mind the instant I got the ballot. I wonder if this behavior changed any minds in the crowd.

[tgslTakoma]

Maybe we should be encouraging Bush voters to use the "buddy system" when they go to their polling places - someone to watch the voter's back and be a witness if any intimidation or violence occurs. Hmmmmm... maybe we all should also take our cameras with us, too, to do the MSM's work for them. The MSM is not going to be looking for evidence of Bush voters being attacked or bullied. Jeez, it sounds like it's almost as bad as when we counterprotest the lefties out on the streets.

[Crawdad]

Take a camera and a tape recorder if possible.

[Greg_99]

Ladies & Gentlemen,

It's time to visit the polling places with our video cameras.

[meyer]

This thread has inspired me to wear my new NRA "This dog don't hunt" tee shirt. I think I'm going to go trolling for liberals today. :)

[Jacvin]

I have pictures of the broken windows and from now on I'm bring a video camera everywhere I go, but it's going to take more then that.

[meyer]

Tell them "Kerry, of course". I would, of course change my mind the instant I got the ballot. I wonder if this behavior changed any minds in the crowd.

I'm too much of a fighter for that. Besides, there were only two of them. ;)

[silent_jonny]

Excellent--I haven't thought about taking a camera with me, but that might be a good idea. And we Bush supporters SHOULD travel in packs.

[joesnuffy]

Marxist tenets

From each according to his ability to each according to his need.

(Hillary's: "We are going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good")


Force (Violence) is the midwife of any old society pregnant with a new one.

(Kerry's 'brown-shirts' attacking Republican voters...imagine Kerry using the Patriot Act and Homeland Security....against "his" enemies)

[RedEyeJack]

Uniform police are regarded as an act of intimidation against Democratic voters. Not sure why, but during 2000 this was cited repeatedly. The actions described here would be a great scenario for undercover police work...

Beyond that. Republicans should get video cameras and covertly film such activities. Covert because, again, video taping activity at polling places is also regarded as a Republican form of voter intimidation...

We truly are a nation of sheep.

[finnman69]

bring cameras, take pictures, put themm on the net, ping blogs. The MSM will have to cover it then.

[Always Right]

With early voting, why would there be such a long wait? Maybe I am just use to a smaller town, but my wait is usually more like 15 minutes on election day.

[prairiebreeze]

It's fascinating the this FR thread is actually linked at the top of the article.

ping

[prairiebreeze]

THAT this FR thread.....more coffee needed

[WayneM]

Where are our Republican poll watchers? Aren't there laws that prevent electioneering (displaying signs, pushing one candidate over another) at polling places.

Here in Alabama where I live, there are laws against electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place (i.e the door of the building where the voting is taking place). This also applies to those waiting in line. The election workers are supposed to put a stop to this, and poll watchers can video, take pictures, and call the law as necessary.

You folks who live in areas where this is occurring need to help put a stop to this. I don't want to preach, but this is an obligation. How many Freepers live in Florida in these areas? Freeping John Edwards or sKerry may be fun but poll watching gets the job done. Get out and do it.

You don't need to be trained, or signed up, or registered, or "permitted" to do this. Just get out and go to a problem polling place. It is your RIGHT to be there and observe.

Stuff like this makes my blood boil, and I have NO DOUBT that I would be there if I lived near such as area.

[silent_jonny]

The best place to vote, I think, is a court house. If you can't bring to cops to the polling place, then bring the polling place to the cops. Those out-in-the-boonies polling places, operated by a bunch of naive old ladies is just the kind of place that these punks look for.

[ezoeni]

can they throw rocks at 950 fps?

[Republican 42]

If I were that woman , I would have said " I refuse to vote for a self proclaimed war criminal !"

[Nataku X]

I think that's just the referring URL.

[sport]

She should have had him arrested for assault after he touched her without her permission.

[Gorzaloon]

"Tell them "Kerry, of course". I would, of course change my mind the instant I got the ballot. I wonder if this behavior changed any minds in the crowd."

I'm too much of a fighter for that. Besides, there were only two of them. ;)

In my state, I cannot take my gun into a polling place.

[Jacvin]

The fools in Tallahassee forgot to include electioneering rules in the early voting law.

For regular voting it's 50 feet in Florida State. We are trying to put a stop to it.

[meyer]

can they throw rocks at 950 fps?

Heh Heh! I can. :)

[ivanhoe116]

attacked Republican speakers(Ann Coulter)

(?) Can I get more info on this, please?

[aberaussie]

bttt

[Josh in PA]

Somebody at work was trolling around looking for Kerry supporters.. He came to me and said something about Kerry,

Then I said,.. "I'll think about voting for Kerry after I'm leaving the voting booth."

[RKBA Democrat]

I think our lexicon is inadequate to describe these organized efforts at political intimidation. Perhaps a new term is appropriate to describe the breaking in of political offices, destruction of campaign materials, use of thugs or bullying techniques, etc....

For your consideration, I propose to use the verb to roehm to better describe this kind of behavior. For example: "The thugs in Florida roehmed elderly voters to prevent them from voting for President Bush." Or: "The torching of the GOP campaign office was roehming at it's worst."

Of course the verb roehm recognizes Ernst Roehm, notorious leader of the Sturm Abteilung, who used these sorts of intimidation tactics in Germany during the 1920's and 1930's.

[Peach]

This is awful!!

The RNC should ask for volunteers to stand outside the polling place and videotape the line of voters to prevent this kind of thing!!!

[silent_jonny]

Ann Coulter was hit with a pie--where have you been?

[RandallFlagg]

GRRRrrrrr! Note to all: Take videocameras with you when you vote.

[NCPAC]

"Thug" has truly become synonomous with "Democrat" these days.

I'm taking my digi-cam on election, and colleague is taking his video-cam. We have our cell phones (the numbers of which have been advertised to the local GOP offices in case of intimidation efforts) and, we will be trolling the metro area to check on/capture for posterity any unusual Dem "tactics."

[right way right]

E mail links to this article to everyone in your address book.

[jpthomas]

I voted in Florida yesterday, October 22nd, in Okaloosa County at the Supervisor of Elections office. We are in "Bush Country", a county that went in 2000 for Bush with 74% of the vote. There was about an hour's wait to vote, but the folks in line were congenial and there were no nasty incidents. The heavy and steady turnout in our county bodes well for Bush here.

[EllaMinnow]

I was wondering about the electioneering rules. Al Gore is coming to Tallahassee tomorrow to hold an early voting rally right outside the courthouse, which is the only early voting site in Leon County.

[btcusn]

850 and 230 gr is good enough for me!!
Jack