Special Coverage: Democracy and Elections

10 Ways Obama Should Not Imitate the John Kerry Campaign

Drew Westen, Huffington Post. August 26, 2008.
Dems have used the same playbook to guide themselves to losing presidential campaigns for decades. Here are the techniques Obama should avoid.

From the blogs

Trick or Vote: Dracula Encourages Folks to Participate in Democracy

by Mike Connery, Future Majority

Programs like Trick or Vote function as a gateway drug to encourage deeper and deeper political action from their members.

Ohio Secretary of State Predicts Cleaner Vote in 2008 than 2004

by Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet

Democrat Jennifer Brunner says the voting system will be more streamlined.

Siegelman Redux? More Allegations of Politicized Prosecutions Surface

by dday, Hullabaloo

This time, in Mississippi.

A President Elected by Popular Vote?

by Christian Smith-Socaris, Progressive States

Some progress is made on a presidential election compact to where every vote would count.

Michael Moore Dares to Ask: What's So Heroic About Being Shot Down While Bombing Innocent Civilians?

by Liliana Segura, AlterNet

Like Iraq, Vietnam was not a noble cause. It's time we stopped letting politicians and the press perpetuate the McCain War Hero myth.

Ann Coulter, Vote Fraud Criminal

by Brad Friedman, Brad Blog

As Fox News makes more noise about Democratic voter fraud, it ignores its own pundit's record of illegal voting.

Privatization Undermining U.S. Elections

by Ellen Theisen, Voters Unite

A new study finds that corporate control of elections is growing.

Republicans vs. Democrats and the Facts About Voting

by Booman, Booman Tribune

There is a large distinction between how each party treats the American voter.

The Right Way to Report Voter Fraud

by Erin Ferns, Nathan Henderson-James, Project Vote

Behind accusations of voter fraud are efforts to stop underserved minorities and young people from voting.

The Scourge of "Identity Theft"

by Bob Bauer, More Soft Money Hard Law

Noted Democratic Party election lawyer Bob Bauer chastises the Virginia Republican Party chair for fear-mongering and voter suppression.

Seven Ways Your Vote Might Not Count This November

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. August 22, 2008.
Some of the most serious election protection problems can be discovered and fixed before the presidential voting begins.

Who Will Crash the Democratic and Republican Conventions?

Michael Gould-Wartofsky, The Nation. August 21, 2008.
As a new generation of activists gears up to take to the streets in Denver and the Twin Cities, can they create democracy from outside?

Troops Abroad Donate 6:1 to Obama Over McCain

Luke Rosiak, Open Secrets. August 20, 2008.
Soldiers also support Ron Paul over John McCain, suggesting troops want to get out of Iraq sooner than later.

Stephanie Tubbs Jones: Civil Rights Crusader Remembered

John Nichols, The Nation. August 20, 2008.
The late congresswoman was a fierce campaigner for fair elections.

Will Armies of Lawyers in Service to Political Parties Determine Election 2008?

Richard L. Hasen, Loyola Lawyer. August 19, 2008.
The editor of a noted election law blog offers a preview of November's contest.

Are Feds Trying to Aid Republican Candidate's Election?

Tim Kalich, Commonwealth. August 18, 2008.
Developments in the investigation of the failed Mississippi Beef Processors plant may derail a democrat's bid to win a set in the U.S. Senate.

State Voting Machine Problems Won't Be Fixed Before November

Paul Kiel, ProPublica. August 18, 2008.
A series of mainstream media reports find states will still be wrestling with different voting systems for the presidential election.

The Plot Against Liberal America

Thomas Frank, The New Statesman. August 18, 2008.
Conservatives don't want to debate, they want to destroy their opposition.

Ohio's Election Stolen Again? State May Face 600K Voter Purge in Coming Weeks

Advancement Project and Project Vote. August 13, 2008.
Voting rights attorneys say hundreds of thousands of voters could be purged from voter rolls.

Voting Machines Can Never Be Trusted, Says GOP Computer Security Expert

Velvet Revolution. August 13, 2008.
If a Democrat said what cyber-security expert Stephen Spoonamore is saying, he would be dismissed as a partisan conspiracy theorist.

How to Put Karl Rove Away for Years

David Swanson, davidswanson.org. August 11, 2008.
Bringing Karl Rove to justice for ignoring House requests to talk about the firing of several U.S. attorneys could be just the beginning.

2008's First Disenfranchised Voters: Injured and Homeless Veterans

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. August 11, 2008.
Despite new legislation in Congress, the VA is poised to prevent registration drives at its facilities before the November election.

Big Business Is Making Sure It Wins the Presidency

Matt Taibbi, RollingStone.com. August 9, 2008.
It's the same old story: Money talks, and bullshit walks. And don't be surprised if we're the ones still walking after November.

Homeless Face Barriers With Registering to Vote

Dan Seligson, electionline.org. August 8, 2008.
Lack of ID and permanent addresses baffle voting officials.

Justice Department to Question Former Lawyers in Politicization Probe

Murray Waas, Huffington Post. August 6, 2008.
As the Bush era comes to a close, the Justice Department starts to question the administration's selective enforcement of voting rights law.

The Youth Vote: A Matter of Access, Not Apathy

Michael Connery, The Nation. August 6, 2008.
The biggest obstacle to young voters is not apathy, but removing barriers that complicate the process for new voters.

How Washington's Right-Wing Wrecking Crew Robbed Us Blind

Thomas Frank, Tomdispatch.com. August 6, 2008.
Conservatives have turned a vast government built for our protection into a device for exploiting us.

Needed Now: A Constitutional Amendment Ensuring the Right to Vote

Advancement Project. July 30, 2008.
The time has come to amend the Constitution to guarantee the individual right to vote, a prominent civil rights group declares.

GOP Computer Guru Controls Key Congressional Websites

Robert Fitrakis, Free Press. July 30, 2008.
Bush loyalist Mike Connell controls Congressional secrets as his firm serves Karl Rove.

States Fail to Offer Voter Registration to Millions of Low-Income Voters

Art Levine, AlterNet. July 29, 2008.
Another big election year and once again low-income voters are on the sidelines.

MoveOn Is Not What You Think It Is

Christopher Hayes, The Nation. July 28, 2008.
Capable of dominating a news cycle with a single ad and raising millions of dollars with one e-mail, MoveOn is a major political pioneer.

Three States Accused of Illegally Purging Voter Lists

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. July 25, 2008.
The states are swapping data files to find duplicate names, but civil rights attorneys say they are not following federal law to remove them.

Nine Senators, Including Obama, Introduce Bill to Help Vets Register to Vote

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. July 23, 2008.
At issue is whether injured vets living at VA facilities will be helped to vote for president in 2008.

Arizona Activists Outline Evidence of 2006 Electronic Vote Theft

Bill Risner, Election Defense Alliance. July 22, 2008.
The attorney who won the country's first case declaring electronic voting records are public now summarizes the case for vote count fraud.

ACLU Sues to Reverse Alabama Ex-Felon Disenfranchisement

The American Civil Liberties Union. July 22, 2008.
At issue is the Alabama attorney general's list of crimes that prevent former offenders from voting.

The Internet Is No Substitute for the Dying Newspaper Industry

Chris Hedges, Truthdig. July 22, 2008.
The decline of newspapers is about the rise of the corporate state, the loss of civic and responsibility to inform the public.

Scary Politics in Alabama: How the GOP Framed Gov. Don Siegelman

Larisa Alexandrovna, Ig Publishing. July 21, 2008.
Once a popular governor of Alabama, Siegelman was framed in a crooked trial and sent to prison by the corrupt Bush administration.

Redistricting: A Shadowy Process Needs Sunlight

J. Gerald Hebert , Susan Gershon, Campaign Legal Center Blog. July 18, 2008.
As insiders ponder redrawing the political map, voting-rights lawyers say the process needs less secrecy and more public input.

VA Ban on Voter Registration Drives for Injured Vets Becomes National Fight

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. July 18, 2008.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs rejects a request by 19 secretaries of state to allow voter registration drives on VA facilities.

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