A MUST READ: GOP Was the Real Victim in Fla. Vote

Los Angeles Times ^ | November 12, 2001 | John Lott and James Glassman

[Washingtonian]

John R. Lott Jr. and James K. Glassman are resident fellows at the American Enterprise Institute. Lott has taught statistics and empirical methods at the University of Chicago and University of Pennsylvania.

Last week, detailed statistics were released on voting in Florida during the presidential election. The data for the first time include all of the state's precincts, with not just information on race but on party affiliation.

[arkiegal]

Big blanking surprise.

[gjenkins]

Yep. In Dem districts, they took stacks of marked ballots and punched them for Gore. If the ballot was previously marked for gore, no problemo. If it were marked for bush or anyone else, spoiled ballot.

[Sabertooth]

BTTT

[gcruse]

"Democrats were disenfranchising African American Republicans."

FYI from, gasp, the LAT.

[Moridin]

Maybe there really should be a criminal investigation as the civil rights advocate wants. bttt

[Hegewisch Dupa]

bump-a-freakin-ola. That is the key - the non-Gore votes were spoiled trying to make them Gore votes.

[tgiles]

Fraud. But let's see a statistical analysis and significance posted before reaching any firm conclusions.

The scary thing to remember is that Florida may be tending Democrat, and it's time to reverse that trend. Democrats are NOT good for the country.

[thinktwice]

The ethical disease known as "Democrat" will be hard to cure.

[WIMom]

"In addition, we found that the overall rate of spoiled ballots was 14% higher when the county election supervisor was a Democrat, and 31% higher when the supervisor was an African American Democrat."

This statement suggests that African American Democrats were disenfranchising African American Republicans much more greater than Anglo-Saxon European Democrats.

[the_Watchman]

The result does not sound surprising. Throughout the Clinton years, whenever one heard the Democrats screaming "unfair" [or "mean spirited"] one could be sure that the louder the scream, the more likely that THEY were the guilty party. However, I would like to know how someone could determine that a Republican's ballot was spoiled. That would make for an interesting article.

[elfman2]

As I recall, you had an interest in this.

[Henrietta]

In addition, we found that the overall rate of spoiled ballots was 14% higher when the county election supervisor was a Democrat, and 31% higher when the supervisor was an African American Democrat.

Affirmative action strikes again??

[RetiredArmy]

Why can't johnny read? Because johnny's mamma and daddy don't give a care!

[gjenkins]

This is the issue that brought me to FR. I can not remember the FReeper's name, but the day after the election he wrote a letter to Michael Reagan detailing the statistics of possible voter fraud. It was predicated on taking stacks of marked ballots and running something through the gore slot ... or running them through the voting machine again. Quick and effective, but it would leave a statistical footprint. The dems were calling the telmarketers that night trying to generate a plausible story (confusion), and if you recall they found a dem with the illegal vote-o-matic in his trunk.

[gjenkins]

As I recall, the stats of the spoiled ballots flew in the face of every stat they could index to. Too many spoiled ballots, too many republicans voting for dems or buchanan, too few republicans voting for bush while voting the republican ticket elsewhere. Too few empty votes (protest votes). I could barely follow it at the time, and time has certainly made me forget most of it.

[Jaded]

Sorta takes the wind out of the DNC's sails. But then again, they never bother with facts.

[JoeSchem]

However, I would like to know how someone could determine that a Republican's ballot was spoiled.

Maybe they were going on the basis of spoiled-ballots-per-precinct.

Conservatives need to watch out for false claims, even on our side. Jude Wanninski wrote a piece shortly after the election last year, claiming that in Philadelphia, the number of votes Gore received was higher than the total number of registered voters in the city. Wanninski later had to retract this claim, but the belief lives on, setting up countless conservatives for humiliation in debate.

At any rate, the election is over and it's time to move on.

[KC Burke]

The citizenry of this nation is not as stupid as the Democratic Party thinks they are by actions such as this. Like the universal reaction to events of 9/11, the citizens will recoil with revulsion should the Democrats continue in their subversion of just elections.

[lewislynn]

I would like to know how someone could determine that a Republican's ballot was spoiled.

I would like to know how they determine (by looking at a ballot) if they're "African American" or not.

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

Yep. In Dem districts, they took stacks of marked ballots and punched them for Gore. If the ballot was previously marked for gore, no problemo. If it were marked for bush or anyone else, spoiled ballot.

You got it. I am still furious that this was never investigated, even after a Dem was found with a voting machine in his trunk.

[lewislynn]

Surely the only clear explanation for this is the American Enterprise Institute, Glassman and Lott jr., are all partisan right wingers.

[EdZep]

This is the issue that brought me to FR. I can not remember the FReeper's name, but the day after the election he wrote a letter to Michael Reagan detailing the statistics of possible voter fraud. It was predicated on taking stacks of marked ballots and running something through the gore slot ...

I think this is the piece you are referring to: Evidence shows HOW the Palm Beach Democrats voided 15,000 Bush ballots, 3,400 Buchanan Ballots

And, for old time's sake, here's the Chad-Army Knife I put together during the election SNAFU...

Socialists in Congress? Click on the zeppelin, Grasshopper.

[white rose]

They show that, if there was a concerted effort to prevent votes from being counted in Florida, that effort was directed at Republicans, not at African Americans.

My congratulations to Mr. Lott and Mr. Glassman! They have just re-discovered the wheel!

[RLK]

Sounds like justification for criminal prosecution to me.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

In Michigan, one must declare party affiliation to be eligible to vote in a Primary. Your affiliation is recorded on the Roll of Voters. If it is the same in FLA, it takes only a party operative to note "race" (visually) and "affiliation". A small tick-mark takes care of the rest.

This little gem has been a real cause for hilarity. Since the Primary is not federally binding for office, most dyed-in-the-wool, hand-wringing DumocRATS are registered as Pubbies to swing the vote toward an unelectable candidate. (hasn't worked yet - most the Michigan Dums thought Bush was unelectable and voted for him!)

Me? Since the Primary is not federally binding for office, I don't participate in them and then, come election time, there is no party affiliation on the Roll beside my name. That, and now, I have to register in the State of Illinazi.

Truly, if a grassroots effort could be made to eliminate Primary elections, I would join it and pour a ton of effort into it.

[Freemyland]

So simple, but I would not have thought to do this. I hope it's because I am honest, and not because I am dense.

[gjenkins]

Muchos gracias ... and now I find myself looking for my Dred-Zeppelen cd for some reason.

[NC Conservative]

"The ethical disease known as "Democrat" will be hard to cure."

YOU ARE CORRECT SIR. AS LONG AS WE HAVE A YELLOW STREAKED REPUBLICAN PARTY(IE: TRENT LOTT, ETC)

[augustus99]

Yep. In Dem districts, they took stacks of marked ballots and punched them for Gore. If the ballot was previously marked for gore, no problemo. If it were marked for bush or anyone else, spoiled ballot.

You know this because space aliens told you? Or is it in the Book of Revelations somewhere?

[augustus99]

I can't find an explanation of how they came to these conclusions.

And they forget to mention the bottom-line fact that Gore got the most votes in Florida. If Floridians could count votes accurately, Gore would be President. Maybe that would be a bad thing, but that was the will of the voters.

[The Raven]

If Floridians could count votes accurately, Gore would be President. Maybe that would be a bad thing, but that was the will of the voters.

Nonsense!! Bush won Florida.

[JMJ333]

bump and thanks!

[EdZep]

Muchos gracias ... and now I find myself looking for my Dred-Zeppelen cd for some reason.

Hmm... you should have picked "Tort-Elvis" as your screenie.

Socialists in Congress? Click on the zeppelin, Grasshopper.

[gjenkins]

[gjenkins]

Hey, you know you guys are big fat cheaters, but I guess its all ok as long as it is for the cause right?

[gjenkins]

... besides, I was referring to the statistical analysis mentioned in the link in #23.

Who does the DNC call the early morning after the election to handle the indescrepencies in Florida? The election commission? Nope! They call a telemarketing firm. Its all about the spin for you guys.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Already posted here: GOP Was the Real Victim in Fla. Vote, John Lott-LA Times story, Black Republican ballots invalidated in Dem. precincts.

[elfman2]

How does the American Enterprise Institute know the race and political affiliation of the ballots that were declared invalid ?

Two threads now, and no one's asked this…

[elfman2]

" Two threads now, and no one's asked this…"

oops, I never did learn to skim without missing things…

[Nogbad]

autoPing

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

This isn't about stupid voters. Black Republicans are by and large a very courageous and intelligent bunch. These aren't "votes-for-cigarettes" or last minute Dem. get out the vote (even though I'm clueless about the issues or ballots) voters. This is simple Dem. trashing of the Republican African-American vote. It's illegal. It's rotten, and they trashed us for weeks in the media called us racists....dragged our Governor in front of the US Civil Racist Commission interrogators. Where is the mainstream media now? Not even a tiny apology from Florida's AG (Gore campaign mgr) Bob Butterworth? Florida Republicans are going to be angry. We are contacting everyone we know about this story in Florida politics and in the media, as well as the members of the Congress, that Civil "wrongs" report needs amending for the Congressional record. Too bad it isn't as easy to erase the lie in the hearts of people around the world.

[newzjunkey]

However, I would like to know how someone could determine that a Republican's ballot was spoiled. That would make for an interesting article.

I don't know about FL. In CA, the ballots are (by colour too?) coded by party. It wouldn't be hard to know what the series of ballot serial numbers were that corresponded to GOP registered voters and other parties if the same happens in FL.

[newzjunkey]

Stastical analysis based on demographic data can reveal this race/party information.

Further, I don't know about FL but in CA, the ballots are (by colour too?) coded by party. It wouldn't be hard to know what the series of ballot serial numbers were that corresponded to GOP registered voters and other parties if the same happens in FL.

[Terry Mross]

The big surprise here is that this was published in the LA LA Times.

[LoneGOPinCT]

bttt

[solzhenitsyn]

"I can not remember the FReeper's name, but the day after the election he wrote a letter to Michael Reagan detailing the statistics of possible voter fraud."

My memory's not what it used to be, but could that have been Robert E. Cooke (or Cook)?

[solzhenitsyn]

Sir, this story may be of interest to you. It's unlikely to be pursued, but if it were, it could be dynamite.

[nettlsome]

Perhaps for a fee you would submit a biopsy of democrat brain. It would be useful to mankind to know what's in there to make 2+2=5. Theatre, marketing, democrat politics and television sitcoms are a haven for the type. Would that you live in a house and drive a vehicle built with your sense of logic.