Thoughts on the recount idea

[mopinko]

from will pitt


March 22nd, 2006

I had a wild and crazy idea tonight. I was thinking of Democratic party superpower David Axelrod outraged and up in arms about the goings on with the vote-counting in Cook County. I was thinking that here is a powerful Democratic insider whose candidate has been shafted. I was thinking that the three things the election reform/electronic voting movement has needed is money, muscle and mainstream exposure. I was thinking that David Axelrod can provide these three things in an afternoon of work with his big, fat bankroll and his big, fat Rolodex. I was thinking that the issue of election reform is a hell of a lot more important than any grassroots animosity towards the guy who basically made Duckworth’s campaign viable. I was thinking an alliance with Axelrod on the issue of election reform would bring the main party and the grassroots together on an issue of signal importance.

Chris Bowers on the MyDD blog is thinking along similar lines:

I heard earlier today that according to Illinois election law, any candidate, no matter how much s/he was behind on the first ballot count, can trigger a recount for a fee of $75,000. Even if a candidate lost 99%-1% on the first count, they can trigger a recount if they pony up $75,000. If this is true, and I don’t know if it is, I think the way that the DCCC, the Illinois Democratic Party, and other members of the Democratic establishment can make nice in IL-06 is to pony up the $75,000 for a recount.


http://blog.pdamerica.org/

[Freddie Stubbs]

1. If you want to raise $75,000 to pay for the recount, more power to you

Considering how much trouble Ms. Cegelis has raising money in the primary, I doubt that this is an achievable goal.

[mopinko]

2. yeah, that's why no one is proposing it.

one more way money gets more democracy.

[Nailzberg]

3. I think it's more important to use that $75,000 in the general.

Seriously. Why should the democratic party pony up $75,000 to challange a democratic primary? That's money needed for November.