Posted on 11/01/2006 8:23:54 AM PST by weegee
I voted for Gibbs yesterday. She has good advertisements out in my area, so it wasn't too difficult to know what to do. But if she wins, be prepared to hear the Dems complain that the new voting machines were too hard for them to figure out. The new system definitely favors folks who are smarter than John Kerry.
It's hard to win as a write-in and it's never happened in Texas. But this is an unorthodox year.
Repulbican former Rep. Bob Barr actually endorsed the Libertarian, the only other candidate besides Lamposn who is actually on the ballot:
http://www.bobbarr.org/default.asp?pt=newsdescr&RI=778
I don't believe that any official agency of the Republican Party is supporting him. To the extent that they have done anything, it's been on behalf of Schlesinger. There is no Republican Senatorial Committee flowing into Lieberman's coffers.
And if they did send out campaign literature, they would be required to disclose that they sent it. This is written and sent out by the DSCC without any disclosure that it is the DemocRATS sending it. In fact they are trying to make it look as if a Republican organization is sending it.
"And if they did send out campaign literature, they would be required to disclose that they sent it. This is written and sent out by the DSCC without any disclosure that it is the DemocRATS sending it. In fact they are trying to make it look as if a Republican organization is sending it."
Is this 'legal'?? That's what I want to know!!
the flu shot deal really pisses me off... heard about it on the radio for the first time last night....
I don't think it's legal if the organization sending it does not disclose itself.
I have a friend of mine who has sent in a complaint against a campaign for a Texas House race in which the wife of the DemocRAT candidate sent out a letter to voters in that district without disclosing that it was her husband's campaign that paid for and sent out the letter. You might think that's just an oversight, but the candidate is being funded by trial lawyers upwards of $400,000 so far. Everything sent out by the DemocRAT candidate's campaign is probably screened by several trial lawyers.
You mean the former Republican? Doesn't he still work for the ACLU?
I'm not saying Shelley is going to win, but if she loses, I doubt it will be over mailers like that one. At least the democrats are having to funnel a lot of $ into a race that should have been an easy win.
I must make a correction, I'd heard that "The electronic ballot supposedly has a limit on name length and Kinky Friedman appears as 'Richard Kinky F'" but just did early voting at lunch and saw all candidate names in full.
I clicked on "straight party" voting and made changes. The system did alert me that I was deviating from "straight party" vote when I deselected Lt. Gov (no vote) but the FIRST change I made was to vote for Kinky instead of Good Hair (who should still comfortably beat Chris Bell(D-S)) and generated no such warning.
Also while Vietnamese ballots were still paper in the previous election, they were electronic this go around (at least in early voting).
Dems would do anything to win that seat. They know they would get clobbered in a straight fight and hence they are attempting all sorts of dirty tricks to try to win it. I think Texas voters are way more smart than Dems give credit for, and Delays seat would stay under Republican control.
Wouldn't be the first time in Harris County that Democrats have solicited candidates with similar names just to cost Republicans votes.
So what group does the mailing say paid for the mailing?
Shouldn't it have to say "this message paid for by the DNC"? Or are they allowed to have front groups and shadow organizations?
From Lonestartimes.com: "Monday I got very torqued over a plan to induce low income minorities to come down to the polling place to get a free flu shot with the intent to induce people to vote. I am still quite torqued over it. It is wrong, it is discriminatory, and it is electioneering at the taxpayer expense. BUT apparently it IS NOT TECHNICALLY ILLEGAL. Since there is no direct quid pro quo exchange, only an implied one, it is not specifically black letter law illegal, just unethical as hell. I firmly believe that a case could be made in court that an implied inducement exists and a reasonable person would understand that there is an implied inducement to vote. But the law is a bit vague when it comes to the definition of “inducement”."
Lots of links to law and details on the story at the above article link.
I'm still undecided between Kinky and Gov Good Hair. I don't like the TTC and think that all of his "I'm so protecting the border" ads is just cover for his failures. However, Kinky is likely incompetent.
I defintely have a problem with the multi-lingual ballots. You need to show proficiency in English to become a citizen.
Giving money to Lieberman or Nader's campaign isn't the same as the national party buying ads saying "Vote for Nader, he's more socialist than the Democrats will ever be" and then masking it behind a front group.
I have a SERIOUS problem with multi-language ballots.
Our laws are written in ENGLISH (with borrowed latin legal terms).
When our laws are challenged in the courts (including what a ballot initiative "really meant") it comes down to the ENGLISH language of that intitiative.
The translations are inadequate in framing the ballot issues. Then again the government wants all current ballot initiatives passed without question (I voted NO on all of them, we just built an $81million park downtown, there is NO money shortage in Houston with that kind of expense, there is a problem with PRIORITIES for public spending). Not a dime more.
To the best of my recollection, again from memory only, I saw words printed on the mailout in a small font that identify the DCCC/DNC as the sponsor.
If you haven't already seen this discussion from the staff of LoneStarTimes.com on a recommendation for Texas Governor, I suggest you take a look.
LST: Kinky Friedman for Governor
For the record, contrary to the endorsement of LST, I've decided to vote straight-party Republican in 2006.
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