Does anybody have a plan of action?

[LiberalAndProud]

Working on the premise that the majority of Americans voted for Kerry in 2004; working on the premise that most of those Americans who voted for Kerry either 1) already KNOW that the 2004 election was rigged or 2) strongly suspect that the 2004 election was rigged,

What do we do about it? How do we mobilize?


Conyers did what he could and got ...


.nowhere.


If I live in a state with 5 EVs and I think those 5 EVs really did belong to * ... (sigh) ... What should I be doing?

[Land Shark]

1. Pushing not so much on actual and potential fraud as on

the clear and present reality that government and vendors have delegated to themselves the power to count votes in secret, which is a corrupt power, particularly when the government and vendors obtain their money and power via elections and are acting together to cut out the public's ability to monitor elections.

Just keep building the absolute drumbeat against secrecy in elections, which should be the most transparent thing in our entire country. No justification on the public side for secrecy at all. On the private side if the vendors want trade secrets they can go back to the private sector.

All the people who fought and died for the right to vote didn't fight and die for the right to turn one's ballot in BLANK and have the government fill it out invisibly.

The system of elections checks and balances is being overthrown via a technological coup that eliminates them without serving the values of transparency, security, and verifiability. We don't need to PROVE anything more to prove a crime against democracy.

Now, given the power to count votes without supervision and in secret, and given the control of the world's largest military and only economic and military superpower, and given the world history of billions of deaths over political control, is there a CHANCE PERHAPS that , someone might want to engage in a little nonviolent direct action to alter an election.

Inconceivable conspiracy theory, say some opponents!! That's a losing argument totally for them, when the issues are properly understood.

[emlev]

5. This is one of my favorite ways I've heard you state these points, Sharkie

Especially the first four paragraphs.
You're getting it quite honed.
Thank you for all you're doing.

[Amaryllis]

15. I'll say he's getting it honed....the heart of the matter. To the point.

[O.M.B.inOhio]

2. That's the question

Top of my head:
1) I can make a video documentary, but Unprecendented is out there and didn't rock 'Merica's consciousness.
2) Kidnap Ken Blackwell and get him to spill the beans on his involvement. I'm kidding. Not I'm not. Yes I am. Kidding, really.
3) Buy Diebold, ES&S and Triad.
4) Buy a major media outlet
5) Lure out a whistleblower.
6) Pray reeeeal hard.
7) Hack the next election somewhere so Mickey Mouse wins.
8) Self immolation
All futile, impossible, or painful.
Hell, we're all acquainted with enough evidence that would put beyond 'reasonable doubt' the question of whether 2004 was stolen. This site has had ideas, from marking all your money to marches to letters...

There are several good election fraud web sites, but what does that do for our duped fellow citizens and sleeping corpomedia? Is there something that the news would report,even in their paternalistic ("aw, how cute, a protester") way? Full page ad in the Times or NY Post or Washington Post? Skywriting over sports event ("This just in: an F-16 jet shot down a private plane...") Maybe something that appears to criticize DNC/Dean and Conyers for their reports, but really presents the fact of stolen Ohio as a fact beyond discussion, Fox News style.

Yeah, I'm with you in wishing for some way to break through the Wall of Silence. Maybe the Rove thing will open up an opportunity.

[wli]

11. MSM isn't sleeping

Propaganda is their job, not information

[O.M.B.inOhio]

13. good point; my mistake.

[Kip Humphrey]

3. Yes

A little in need of minor revisions but essentially as accurate now as when I posted it in January:

http://www.51capitalmarch.com/index.html#5

[Boredtodeath]

4. Lots of things going on in several states

But putting them out on a public message board for the other side to read and strategize against isn't the best practice.

Find a local group fighting electronic voting and fight locally.

Most of the local groups are connected to an underground national group and can assist with strategy and planning.

It's just not wise to give our opposition a heads up by strategizing publicly.

[emlev]

6. I'm curious about this sentence

"Most of the local groups are connected to an underground national group and can assist with strategy and planning." Is there more you're willing to say?

If you say it three times, you'll hit your thousandth post!

For those who are not inclined to work in their local areas for whatever reason, I recommend focusing on California. Much more help is needed to keep it from being painted red.
See threads in this forum about what's going on in California.

[Boredtodeath]

7. Nope

Nothing more I'm willing to say publicly.

[Peace Patriot]

8. "Find a local group fighting electronic voting and fight locally."

ABSOLUTELY! The power over election systems still resides in state/local jurisdictions, where ordinary people still have some say. This is where we can and must restore our right to vote.

And beware of any "national solution"--for instance, that may emerge from the private, phony Baker/Carter "commission"--and hope to Heaven that Bush's "pod people" Congress keeps its fingers out of it! They created this electiion system disaster on purpose! They are NOT going to fix it, and could make it much worse.

State/local people power! And how right it is that that is the solution!

[FogerRox]

9. I have been networking with grassroots groups since Nov 4th--

So when My county in NJ moved on selecting new voting Equipment-- we were prepared.

I have a tactical doctrine floating around DU-- email me if you cant find it.

[Kip Humphrey]

18. Roger you are inspiring!

I've been meaning to acknowledge you for everything you have been doing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[Kip Humphrey]

17. The ONLY federal legislation I would support is a full repeal of HAVA

County and State solutios are the only way (that's why itwas 51 Capital March NOT Capital March!).

[garybeck]

10. we're trying

there are coalitions, advocacy groups, all kinds of things going on. one big problem is that as of yet we haven't gotten support from any big organizations like DFA, MoveOn, not to mention DNC. there are also some important cases pending, in which we're waiting for judges to make a ruling. if you want to get involved check this page:

http://www.solarbus.org/election/volunteer.shtml

[FogerRox]

12. AS Mike MKalloy on AAR likes to say -- kick ass and take names

[anaxarchos]

14. If you actually ask Conyers...

He will tell you that it is better today than it has been in twenty years. His was a REALLY lonely voice in the wilderness during the Reagan years. Now, he gets dozens of Congress people to go down in the basement with him to "hold hearings".

If you are waiting for "investigations", cub reporters, "legislation", "smoking guns", "Republican defections", John Kerry (he was a prosecuter you know), or "proof of fraud", you have more disappointments to come...

But, if you are in for the struggle, hell you could do a lot worse than emulate Conyers...

We build our case and our cause... We go for Democracy (the real thing), not some election and not some crap program. We pin the pubs back and not let em up once we have them (otherwise they always come back). We call out the "other", disenfranchised half (more like 40% but hey). We put out 1 million people at the polls in 2008 (but no lawyers). We go to referendum politics if they keep taking legislatures and go to the streets if they shut that down (that's what Conyers said and so did Jesse).

Is that what you mean by a "plan of action"? In that case, we have not even begun to fight...

[Kip Humphrey]

19. The time is getting closer for another 51 Capital March, if

we can organize into a real movement, November 2nd falls on a weekend and I'm thinking hitting the streets, not just in 41 capitals with 3,000 people but in all 51 capitals with 300,000, no, 3,000,000 people. Anyone interested?

[anaxarchos]

23. Sure, but...

...to get 3 million, the issue has to be MUCH broader... Have to get beyond simple voting machinery (process as well as ballot type) to the broader electoral issues. Google for 'voter registration' or 'felony disenfranchisement' or 'DC statehood' and you get dozens of sites, organizations, and publications. At the next level, take a look at the same day registration legislation initiatives of organizations like the PIRGs or the NAACP's mobilization for the renewal of the Voting Rights Act. Also, in 30 plus states, Republican legislators or majorities have led fights to restrict voting or registration rights that have thoroughly embittered local parties.

IMHO, it has to be even wider than that. The issue has to be nothing short of "Democracy" and include everyone from those concerned with the Supreme Court composition to those that worry about "nuclear options". The breadth of the alliance is the key to a "plan of action".

[Kip Humphrey]

24. Agreed...We need the Democracy movment, the Dmocracy revolution

[existentialist]

16. New Mexico?

Just guessing. I'm not entirely sure what to do either, but I do believe that public opinion must be mobilized somehow. I think we have a good start in the last few days with the Rove Scandal, I think we've been making incremental progress since the Schiavo debacle. I think that the situation in Iraq can only get worse until we get new leadership.

Therefore I am hopeful that things can be done, and although it cannot be the only step we have to get the public informed and involved as a first step.

[Stevepol]

20. I've suggested picketing the local elections boards or supervisors.

I think this is what it will boil down to eventually. If the American people can be educated to how the vote is counted RIGHT NOW in our election system, the volume will grow so loud they'll have to take notice and change the system from the bottom up.

I agree with nearly all the posts here. It's inspiring to hear so many voices raised and so many good ideas.

We have to have: EITHER A PAPER BALLOT HAND COUNTED

or: A PAPER BALLOT PRINT-OUT AND REQUIRED AUDITS FOR EVERY ELECTION.

[garybeck]

21. this is one of my action plans

http://www.solarbus.org/election/cd/

it will be going out any day now

[hunter]

22. Lean hard on your local election officials.

I always hope there are good people willing to do this all over the United States. The rotten election officials can be outed:

http://lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=1013&IssueNum=55

(Andy mentions the Mischelle Townsend story in one of the many memorials posted here on DU.)