What happened in Bon Homme Co., S.D.?

CNN ^

[kevao]

I read in an earlier thread that, as of the March 2002 primaries, Bon Homme County had some 2,200 registered republicans and some 1,900 registered democrats. CNN shows that Johnson received 1,858 votes (nearly 100% dem turnout) versus Thune's 144 votes (only 7% republican turnout). How could the republican turnout be so low? Just a 50% republican turnout would have put Thune way over the top.

[Grit]

CNN typo exposed in another thread. The real number according to SD SOS is 1444.

[Quilla]

Wow, 3302 voted out of 3340 voters - some turnout (97%)!

[AmishDude]

Check here for numbers on Shannon county. Far more obvious.

[pariah]

some turnout (97%)!

But it hardly matches the 100% turnout in some democratic precincts in the 2000 Presidential elections...

My gut instincts tell me SD was 'won' through voting fraud, but we would need to find a smoking gun in order to challange it, either in court or in the US Senate. And that probably won't happen.

[KriegerGeist]

"My gut instincts tell me SD was 'won' through voting fraud, but we would need to find a smoking gun in order to challange it, either in court or in the US Senate. And that probably won't happen."

So you believe that Thune and the Republicans are going to roll over and let Johnson have it?

This won't be good and here is why:
#1. That would add one more seat to Dems.
#2. Louisiana run-off election in December will probably go Dem...that make 2 more for the Dems...
#3. Then Lincoln Chafee switches parties either by money (as I have read Jeffords may have) or a wispered "remember Vince Foster" in his ear by Hillary Clinton. Murder is not out of these people's bag of 'dirty deeds done dirt cheap"

Does that not make a 50-50 Senate again?
We need every Republican we can get and continue to increase the margin to over-ride and/or break fillibuster and roadblocking.

[no dems]

With all the voter fraud on the part of the Dim-o-rats, especially on the Native American Reservations, Thune needs to by-pass the recount and file suit asking for an indepth federal investigation. By SD law he can't have both; the recount and a lawsuit. I heard a report earlier today that one Dim lady has already been arrested for forging signatures on absentee ballots. I say SUE !! SUE ! ! SUE !

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Chafee isn't going to leave because if he did the Republicans would still have control. (tie breaker goes to VP) No reason for Chafee to leave.

[No Truce With Kings]

"Does that not make a 50-50 Senate again?"

Nope.

Republicans lost Arkansas.

Democrats lost Georgia, Missouri, Minnesota.

LA and SD (both Democrat seats) still in play.

ALL other seats won by incumbant party.

Net gain right now: R+2 (without LA and SD).

Lincoln Chaffee jumps to D: R+1.

We have a winner! (Jump, Lincoln, jump!)

[Salvation]

**My gut instincts tell me SD was 'won' through voting fraud,**

Gotta agree!

[Spiff]

My gut instincts tell me SD was 'won' through voting fraud, but we would need to find a smoking gun in order to challange it, either in court or in the US Senate. And that probably won't happen.

Not so much a smoking gun...but if someone went up to Shannon County and started asking people their party preference and whether they voted... If you found a few dozen who said they didn't vote yet were registered Democrats you'd be able to strongly imply voter fraud. Then they'd have to match the names with people who say they voted or did not - find enough for which votes were cast yet who says they didn't vote and you've got a case.

Do we have any FReepers in or near Shannon County, SD?

[Russell Scott]

If they can prove Thune lost because of fraud, Tommy Boy is in huge trouble.

[Verginius Rufus]

Even with the revised figures it still sounds a little fishy. The recent Presidential votes for Bon Homme Co. were:

1988: Bush 1826...Dukakis 1574
1992: Bush 1212...Clinton 1294...Perot 836
1996: Dole 1428...Clinton 1569...Perot 391
2000: Bush 1901...Gore 1162

Johnson's numbers seem too high for an off-year election (particularly as a percentage of his party's registration). There is an Indian reservation in the county immediately to the west of Bon Homme County, but nobody from the reservation should be voting in Bon Homme Co.

[Ohioan]

In 1960, Nixon let the result stand without demanding a thorough investigation, even though the Kennedy forces in Chicago had suddenly discovered a net block of 25,000 uncounted Kennedy votes--I think about ten A.M., the morning after--miraculously swinging Illinois--and the election--back to Kennedy. Republicans have probably paid an enormous price, ever since, for this mistaken gesture. It was not really good sportsmanship, because the will of the electorate is not really a sporting event. Nor was it really patriotic, since it set a precedent with disasterous consequences for our institutions.

We should raise a hue and cry, until all questions in South Dakota--and elsewhere--that smack of corruption in the vote or count, are thoroughly addressed and answers obtained.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[BohDaThone]

The whole state of south dakota had higher turnout than in 2000. Quite remarkable, across the state. Total in 2000, c. 300,000 -- this time, c. 335,000.

[Verginius Rufus]

Illinois had 27 electoral votes in 1960. If they had gone to Nixon he still would have come up short in the electoral college, but there were several other states where fraud was suspected and Kennedy won very narrowly...notably Texas (24 electoral votes), where the Democrats eked out a 47,000 vote margin out of 2.3 million votes cast. Having LBJ on the ticket paid off. If Kennedy had not been blackmailed into selecting Lyndon as his running mate, he probably would have lost.

As far as the Democratic claim that Gore "won" the popular vote in 2000, it can be argued that Nixon really won the popular vote in 1960. The totals usually cited give Kennedy a 118,000 vote plurality, but that is counting all of Alabama's 354,000 Democrat votes as Kennedy votes. The 11 Alabama electors split their votes, 6 for Harry F. Byrd and 5 for JFK. It would be interesting to know what the Alabama voters knew before election day about what the Democratic electors planned to do--how many of them thought they were voting for Kennedy and how many wanted to vote for Byrd?

[Sal]

...Nixon let the result stand without demanding a thorough investigation... It was not really good sportsmanship, because the will of the electorate is not really a sporting event. Nor was it really patriotic, since it set a precedent with disasterous consequences for our institutions.

Not good sportsmanship and not really patriotic. No. It was TREASON. It is the overthrow of the LEGITIMATELY elected government, and it goes way past sportsmanship and patriotism. And, IMO, it should be pursued and prosecuted accordingly.

[Verginius Rufus]

No doubt Nixon would have been better for the country than Kennedy (and I think Nixon becoming President in 1961 might have done a better job than he did when he became President 8 years later), but it might have been impossible to prove the vote fraud in Illinois and Texas...the perpetrators would have done a good job destroying the evidence, and the country might have lost patience very quickly. When LBJ stole the Democratic Senate primary race in 1948, the evidence disappeared pretty quickly ("accidentally" thrown out by the cleaning lady).

[Sal]

I take your point, but we'll never know whether we could have proved it or not or whether the country would have lost patience or not. Remember that Americans still had an attention span at that time.

My point is that vote fraud isn't just "dirty tricks" or naughty cheating. It is an actual attack on the legitimate (elected) government and should be treated that seriously.

IMO IF Nixon had contested the election, the cheats would have at least had to be more circumspect and less blatant in their cheating in the future. At the least that means less cheating. IF someone had actually gone to JAIL for vote fraud, the effect would have been even greater whether or not the election results were changed.

That's why I want the S.D. vote fraud followed up on NOW. Maybe they won't find enough to change the election (Hah!), but, if somebody gets caught and goes to jail, we've got a better chance for a true result next time. It'd be even better if the fall-guy/gal gave up the party perps...