DKOS post on the objection today: Went well.

[DireStrike]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/6/165746/7387

by Hunter
Thu Jan 6th, 2005 at 16:57:46 EST

Well, the January 6th Contest is over. Some initial thoughts:

* I was impressed by how prepared the Democratic speakers were, in both houses, and how very unprepared the Republican speakers were. While Democrats were citing example after example of actual vote suppression efforts, partisan electioneering on the part of state officials, etc., etc., Republicans who got up to speak mainly read from newspaper clippings or otherwise strutted and blustered about. It seems fairly clear that the Republicans weren't actually expecting a contest, and were unprepared for it.

(...)

Many people are peeved that, when it came to a final vote in the Senate, only Boxer voted to object, despite the raft of support she was getting in the debate. Personally, I think is was a good strategic move -- the objection is now on the record, and has been debated, but the vote itself was always meaningless. If the objection is to the process, and not the result, I think it's perfectly legitimate to raise the issues in debate, but in the end vote to confirm the electors so that the whole thing doesn't look like the partisan sniping the Republicans will be attempting to paint it as. If the vote was 70-5, or even 60-15, would it have made any difference? Strategic voting is commonplace, and necessary, in the House and Senate.

This issue got moved about as much as it realistically could, in one day, and moved about twenty times as far as I expected it would even a week ago. There was a Senator. There was a lively debate. Congratulate each other on the fact that, based on how prepared many of them were today, it seems a goodly portion of America's Congress is very aware of the precise voting issues you wanted them to become aware of.

And it's high time we stopped calling people "sellouts" when they don't think or do exactly as we would on every single issue. This is national politics we're talking about, not whether Cindi gets to join our afterschool mall walk. God help Obama when the blogosphere suddenly learns he has opinions on things.

[quaoar]

1. There was also a comment

about how Blackwell came out looking like a complete asshole.

[booksenkatz]

2. Why is it that we Dems are not allowed to do ANYTHING that is

remotely perceived as "partisan?" Look at the Repub votes today: are we allowed to point our fingers and call them "partisan?" Why is occasional partisan action such a bad thing? Criminy, it's not like the Repubs aren't going to call us names otherwise. Hell, I'd like it if we Dems did a partisan action just ONCE in our lifetimes!

[blm]

3. That was my take on it as well. Voting transparency IS an issue and the

Dems were more prepared than anyone thought. The Republicans came off looking lower than dirt because they were BLINDSIDED by this. Kerry and the Dems did what was best fto promote the ISSUE.

[realFedUp]

4. Main thing is that it's in the public and on the record now...

and it gives newspapers finally some cover
to write about the "irregularities, don't call
it fraud" in Ohio and other states.

And when newspapers cover it, we respond.