What is an appropriate punishment for election/vote fraud?

[Stinky The Clown]

Polling place chicanery is a long and proud political undertaking.

So is buying votes.

So is having dead people vote.

So is screwing around with voter rolls.

So is voter intimidation.

So is voter disenfranchisement.

Both sides have engaged in it.

1960's Kennedy/Nixon match-up was famous for it.

But none of this - **none** of it - even comes close to that for which we now see growing evidence. There is evidence of a centrally, strategically coordinated and controlled, organized effort to steal the American Presidency.

Does this crime - if it can be proven - rise to the level of .... shoplifting? Jay walking? Burglary? Grand Theft Auto? Heroin distribution? Assault with a deadly weapon? Murder? Treason? Sedition?

Is it, in fact, a 'high crime' as seen by our constitution's framers?

I'm of a mind that - on the level it appears to have been perpetrated - it comes to at least the level of treason. I'm reasonably comfortable in saying it comes close to being a coup d'etat.

Can anyone talk me out of that view?

If no one can, should this be a theme? Should it be the basis for a push to clean the system up?

Or is the whole notion of our votes not counting for anything very simply too evil, too heinous, too grand, if you will, to even be considered by America's collective 'beautiful mind'?

<edit for abd slepping>

[ThomCat]

1. Not to make light of your post but

it seems that the answer to your question depends on your answer to another one.

Are you a democrat or a republican? If you're a democrat then there are occassionally some minor penalties. If you are a republican then there are never any penalties.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. hahahahaha

Sadly .... all too true, these days.

[NMDemDist2]

2. since more people in the US vote for American Idol than the Prez

maybe we should start a rumor campaign that AI is fixed!

folks will rise up in horror and (hopefully) all electronic voting systems will get a hard look

since that has nothing to do with your question, I'll say it should be considered at least sedition

[lvx35]

4. Treason is treason.

And you know what the penalty for that is.

[Zynx]

11. A Bush Administration job?

[lvx35]

12. Hey, that's cruel and unusual punishment!

A job with the Bush adminstration? Geeze that's harsh. Even the death penalty only costs you your life, but that? That punishment costs your soul! ;)

[Initech]

5. Only in America can election fraud / vote stealing / whatever...

be laughed at, while someone downloading a movie or song is considered a high crime and misdemeanor, equivalent to grand theft auto. Unbelievable, isnt it?

[MissWaverly]

6. Agree with you

How will we have any control over the quality of our leadership when we have no say in choosing
our leaders. We have had 2 stolen elections and the country is trashed. As a result of
neglect or incompetence there are thousands dead and we are trillions of dollars in debt.

[Salviati]

7. I would equate it with treason...

I think that they would definitely qualify asdomestic enemys of our government. I doubt it would ever be procicuted that harshly though. I think a good place to start as far as punishments go would be some hard prison time/very steep fines, followed by a lifetime ban from government employment and elected office.

[1956]

8. I think you pose a good question.

Like most people, I was beyond upset Nov/04 and hadn't cried like that in years! We all got disgusted enuf to revolt, and look how far we've come with the investigations, etc... with a long way still to go, however, I believe Bush's not once but twice theft goes beyond the high Crimes and Misdemeanors category.. it is truly a slap in the face to every voting person in America, including the rethugs.

If only we could really prove it all! More than the other impeachable reasons, and there are too many to count!...I wish we could nail him the most for this fraud, this horrible joke he's played on us, the world!

[MADem]

9. Thumbscrews, public whipping, tarring and feathering, parading the

offenders, naked and shivering, through the street to the jeers of the townsfolk...and that's on the way to the sentencing hearing!!!!

[Metta]

10. Jail time, heavy fines and the rack.

Something for everyone.

[zonmoy]

13. my thought

minimum punishment should be life in the most hellish prison this side of hell.

[laheina]

14. I totally agree with you.

And the least punishment should be exclusion from the process. If the treason can be proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, then they deserve the punishment for treason.

[Stinky The Clown]

15. As they so love to say ....

..... 'all options remain on the table'.

[NativeTexan]

16. DEATH BY PRETZEL