Obama may win by diminished military vote in key states
Where are all the public officials who should be speaking up for the troops?
I highlighted yesterday the precipitous drop in military absentee ballot requests in key battleground state Virginia.
It’s happening in battleground Wisconsin too, as reported by The MacIver Institute:
At least 30 Wisconsin municipalities failed to send absentee ballots to military voters before the 45 day deadline, according to former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Anthony Principi, and he’s demanding the Government Accountability Board address the problem immediately.
As reported by the website WisPolitics.com, Principi sent a letter to the GAB on Monday pointing out the failure to meet the 45 day deadline is in violation of Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voter Act.
“This violation is particularly unsettling in light of the fact that, only six months ago, a federal court entered a consent decree against Wisconsin and the Government Accountability Board for similar violations of military voting rights,” wrote Principi.
Principi cited a study by the Military Postal Service Agency, which found less than 45 days is not enough time to ensure service members can receive, complete and return in time.
In these states, the outcome may be decided by a very narrow margin. And that margin could be the military voters who never voted.
Update: I received the following email:
Dear Professor Jacobson,
I noticed that you recently blogged about the situation in Wisconsin (https://legalinsurrection.com/2012/10/obama-may-win-by-diminished-military-vote-in-key-states/). I thought you might like some additional facts.
Overall, we have absentee ballot requests from 71,347 voters in 617 municipalities who use our Statewide Voter Registration System to track absentee ballots. There are a total of 1,851 municipalities.
We have identified 6,120 military and overseas voters in our system (3,740 military, 2,380 overseas). As of Sept. 20, we had 4,288 military and overseas voters from 731 municipalities who made requests for absentee ballots.
Of those, ballots were sent on time to all but 44 military and overseas voters in 30 municipalities. All military and overseas absentee voters have now been sent their ballots.
Of the 44 sent late, all but six ballots were sent out in time for there to be 45 days of transit time (from the day sent to the last day for return the Friday after the election).
Of the six, five were emailed to the voters, so they received them immediately. The sixth voter is in basic training in Georgia, and his ballot was sent to him by mail on October 1. He did not have an email address. He also received information about how to use the new MyVote.WI.gov site to receive an absentee ballot immediately online.
The Romney campaign was aware of the late ballots because we provided them with the information from our survey, which involved contacting all 1,851 municipal clerks. Our office has been diligent in following up with the clerks who failed to meet the deadlines, and we are also in the process of contacting every voter who was sent a ballot late.
Prior to moving its fall primary from September to August to comply with the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, Wisconsin was ranked among the top states in the nation for serving its military and overseas voters.
Thanks,
Reid Magney, public information officer
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
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Comments
No surprise here. Obama will supress the vote anyway he can to win and screwing our men and women in uniform is no exception.
For all you Obama supporters just wait and see what happens if he is re-elected. You will become worthless to the “One” and he will screw you as well.
Good thing it’s not a conspiracy! 🙂
Conservative Beaner – he’s screwed everyone with the debt and Obamacare – just some people haven’t realized it yet. The doctors are starting to figure it out, Wall Street as well.
But the average Jane/Joe has their free phone, and that’s as far as they can see into the future.
Oh yes, I forgot about that.
The numbers are mind-blowing. On FOX News they reported requests by military for absentee ballots are in the 10% range compared with 4 years ago. The news reader was just astounded.
It’s really like living in a 3rd-world banana republic now.
A trend that started virtually from day WON…
the Obamabanana Republic; an outlaw gang.
About time that overseas US military personnel joined in a class action against the Obama admin, for damages arising from their disenfranchisement.
There’d be some hair-raising issues regarding the chain of command, but this malicious use of mail ballot delays is as good a cause as any.
Romney should bring this up at the debate, and ask Obama why he’s allowed it in the one area he has absolute control. Perhaps challenge the President to issue an order right then and there for commanders to assist and expedite soldiers’ ballot requests.
I am starting to not worry about these kinds of things. I don’t think the election is going to be decided by a few votes, I think its going to be decided by turnout. The Dems are completely demoralized, and they know their voters might be willing to sit out because Romney doesn’t seem that threatening. The Repubs are very agitated and the independents, the ones who never make up their minds are desperate for something better and anything is better than Obama at this point to them.
I think this election will be decided by desperation. I real need for change, any change at any cost.
I sincerely hope you’re right (and if you aren’t, the Republic is probably already doomed due to the takers vs. makers ratio becoming unsustainable), for if Obama is perceived to have won the election by Chicago style theft, especially from the military who he’s not treated well, things are likely to get ugly, assuming of course he continues or worsens his style of “governing”.
I have talked to a bunch of Obama supporters, and the funny thing is. even in NY they don’t necessarily want him to him they are actually sitting this one out, meaning they won’t even bother heading for the polls to vote for other dems.
I am actually planning on leaving the country with my family for the election. I think if Obama loses, that there will be riots in the streets across the whole country just like in the Rodney King verdict, and I live in an area that could be affected by such riots. I figure I can replace my car, my business and my home, but I can’t replace my babies.
I have long thought riots would happen because he has deliberately been stoking the fires for them. He won’t mind bringing us to civil war if he thinks he can remain in power via martial law.
This is unbelievable, outright unConstitutional disenfranchisement. Why are we letting them get away with this? Where is McCain and other so-called “leaders”? What about Romney. He’s our candidate. Will he say anything? Incrediby — or not so incredibly — I’d bet my house he won’t say a thing.
It’s almost as if the more outrageous and criminal the Leftist behavior the more reliably the GOP averts its eyes.
The Left has always counted on Republican passivity and good manners and now has taken their abuse to audacious levels knowing they have the media to suppress the stories and that the GOP will avoid ANY issues which require the loaded charge of ideological malice or require any heavy rhetorical lifting.
It’s now open season on American Constitutitional integrity. No, it’s NOT the economy, stupid.
Where’s Eric Holder???
Oh wait… He’s way too busy fighting for voting rights in the form of voter suppression for legal citizens vs. those of illegals, the dead, etc.
Don’t tell me that this country ain’t turnin’ upside down..
This is an issue Romney should and must publicly leverage nationally.
O seems very sure that he’s going to win. I think he has many tricks up his sleeves, this being one perhaps. He’s a Chicago thub from way back. We can only hope that our side is on top of things.
I just made up a word “thub”. Heck, he may be that too for all we know.
Thub = Public sector thug
Credit to Rosalie!
Love it!
Thub is racist.
“failure to meet the 45 day deadline is in violation of Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voter Act.”
Who is going to be fired? Go to jail?
Answer: No one.
Next Question: Why aren’t the Republicans screaming from the mountaintops, convening Congressional Investigations, etc.? Answer? I have no idea. Best guess–Pat Caddell describes the Dems as the “Party of the Corrupt” and the GOP as “Party of the Stupid”.
Unfortunately, as sickening as it is, I’ve pretty much accepted that Obama is most likely going to win next month. Romney has to have way too much go in his favor while Obama can afford to lose a couple of swing states. When I play with online electoral college maps, I can’t convince myself that it’s possible that Romney will win. I really hope I’m wrong but when you consider that Romney is clearly running against the national media as well as the White House, his opposition is formidable. It’s disgusting but true that liberals tend to have a multimillion dollar mainstream media working as one giant campaign commercial on their behalf. Despite my lack of faith, I’ve already early/absentee voted for Romney so if nothing else, it’s my one finger salute to a media establishment that has doubled down on stupid and backed the mirage it sold us in 2008.
Therefore, I really, really, really hope the Republicans can recapture the Senate. Obama gets to appoint a minimum of three SCOTUS judges next term and if there isn’t a Republican Senate to force his hand into appointing moderate judges, I don’t like to think about it. If he gets to appoint three more left-wing extremists, I believe this will be the final nail in the coffin of this great nation.
With the exception of the War Powers Act and appointing judges, I’ve never seen the president as particularly powerful. The framers wisely put most of the power in the hands of Congress but there’s always those pesky judges who seem to have stepped well beyond their roll as an additional check and balance to one of legislators. We all remember what happened with the ACA.
I’ve read an interesting theory that the Republicans have decided that the shifting demographics of the nation mean there likely will never be another conservative president so their emphasis on the Congress. Presidents get all the blame and little credit it seems – especially consertive presidents. Their line of thinking, it’s alleged, is to focus on Congress, where the real power is, and where they can realistically carve out victories and check the power of the increasingly liberal presidents and courts.
The GOP leadership is comprised of idiots.
To the ‘thumbs downers:’ I challenge you to point to any evidence disproving the GOP establishment is not comprised of relative idiots.
Walnutdoor17: we don’t need any Eeyores at LI or elsewhere.
I’m wondering if you are a moby: but if not, just unplug your computer for a month.
In what I thought to be this modern day, if we can’t guarantee that the ballots of those who put their lives on the line to protect this country aren’t counted first … then I’ll just have to agree with Whoopi Goldberg that the moon landings were staged.
Were they staged or staged-staged? Apparently, the distinction is determined through partisan interests.
All DoD personnel need to start pushing their chains of command and IG’s to get their ballots. If that fails, Congresspeople and Senators! But act quickly before all is lost.
What a sad state of affairs. And I would expect the regime to challenge every military ballot and 0 to declare hisself the winner again. If he has to, he will declare the results invalid and somehow annoit hisself as prez until he isn’t no more. Nothing in the thugs’ history shows me different.
that was annoint, by the way.
Where are Scott Walker and John Boehner? It’s citizens of their their states who are being disenfranchised.
The problem, obviously, is the Democrats.
An even bigger problem is the Republicans.
Little can be done about determinedly evil men, which defines Democrats. They are unlikely to change. Worse are “good” man who can stop evil and make a conscious decision not to do so; they are more evil, having willfully and intentionally consigned righteousness to perdition for their own convenience.
Republicans are the problem. Time to start getting rid of them, one by one. Boehner, Cantor, McConnell, that whole crowd of spineless turncoats. They find lots of “good” reasons “why not” when the Tea Party (you know, the folks who give them money and elect them) wants something. But when the Dems and Obama call: Continuing Resolution, Debt Ceiling, whatever “Corruption du Jour”: they put on their knee pads and come a-runnin’.
Time for the Tea Parties to stop their silly masquerade of “non-partisanship.” Time for Tea Parties to start coordinating (instead of bickering internally and with each other), finding and backing strong, conservative candidates, and electing them.
Nobody is DOING anything about this crisis. The Tea Parties are still playing at being humble little local “grassroots” organizations while their leaders bog down in indecision (like Obama, they’re good organizers but lousy leaders) and backstabbing. Loudmouths like Rush Limbaugh lament it, but don’t lean on their powerful friends, worried about losing their precious “access.” (Besides, rampant evil is good for ratings and business). Politicians like John Boehner don’t even bother pretending anymore that it bothers them.
Bottom line: we live in an increasingly authoritarian tyranny. Regardless of the outcome of this election, something will happen. And whatever it is, it will dwarf the Tea Parties in intensity and energy. Pray it is non-violent.
What do you want Rush Limbaugh to do? How can he do any more than he is doing?
It is up to us: we need to take control of the GOP.
Limbaugh just moans and groans.
If he REALLY believes we are, as he says numerous times each day, “About to lose the country,” he could start some kind of active movement. In other words, mobilize his audience. He’s done so, lightly, from time to time in favor of some specific candidates (like Christine O’Donnell.)
Yes, it might cost him his radio show. But if he truly believes the country is on its last legs, he’s obligated to take the lead.
All respect, Cal, but that seems to be what most (if not all) of us are doing – wringing our hands in (mock?) angst and sitting on our lead-laden butts. We’re either too busy with our day-to-day routines, too afraid of having cuffs slapped on us by pro-union-pro-Demoscum cops (and can we admit it to ourselves that a lot of them will not be on our side when the SHTF?)…
…or we’re all going ga-ga over Gaga (as in Lady), or, “Ooooooh, look at Kirstie Alley cut that rug on Dancing with the Stars!!!!”
This is our problem: We don’t fight back. We all want to be “better” than the Left, whatever that means. We want to be “above the fray”. We want to take the “moral high ground”.
Until we stop caring what Brian Williams, Katie Couric, Bob Schieffer and Georgie-Porgie Snuffleupagus think of us, we will always be subservient to them. Until we can tell RINO jackwagons like Bill O’Reilly, Chuckie Krauthammer and Widdle Joey Scarborough to go pound sand, we’ll be under their thumb, too.
What’s going to need to happen first is that some RINOs in key positions in the GOP – and that can either be at the upper levels or down in the precincts – need to be shoved up against a wall with a forearm to their throats (literally, if necessary), and told in no uncertain terms, “Get out of the way.” These are the imbeciles who tell us “oh, this country’s going off the cliff, but we’ll just do it more slowly” (I actually had a RINO tell me this once) – and they’re the ones we need to throw off the cliff.
Only then will we advance as a party. Only then do we have a chance to take our country back.
(Incidentally, I include myself in this – I’ve been far too timid for far too long when it comes to standing for what’s right and what needs to happen – so don’t think I’m throwing anyone under the bus without tossing myself there, as well. I’m as guilty as anyone on this, probably moreso.)
I’ve thought about your points extensively. You’re right. With a caveat:
People stand up and take all kinds of punishment for their convictions, but only if they think it’ll do some good. Few people are willing to be a lone dissident, giving speeches in a moral wilderness, seemingly noticed only by the secret police and by the population only when they are punished.
Our biggest problem is there’s not a formal “Take over the GOP” movement, per se. The Tea Parties are still playing at being non-partisan.
I’m active in the “Repeal Obamacare” movement, and am working on a “Take over the GOP.”
Man, are you off-base here. The guy is a national hero. Even’s even a hero to people who hate him, because is doing the job of the Fourth Estate (where the purported Fourth Estate in our country has been completely corrupted) and protecting their freedom by protecting Constitutional principles.
He’s the biggest voice we’ve got. If you want to trash anyone on our side, trash John Boehner for his cowardice and his gross failure of leadership.
Limbaugh is a bigger-than-life personality and a genius. He is brilliantly articulate about conservative matters. He is also pants like a star-struck schoolgirl around Republican politicians (Cheney, Bush, Boehner) with whom he has “connections,” and even allowed Boehner to come on his show and lie about “there is no deal on the Debt Ceiling,” when Boehner had his kneepads on in the Oval Office, cutting just such a deal instead of pushing “Cut, Cap, and Balance.”
Limbaugh was an enthusiastic member of the cabal that conspired to destroy Gingrich. On the Friday before the FL primary, Limbaugh took part in the coordinated nuking of Gingrich, breathlessly peddling the lie, based on doctored video, that Gingrich was condemning Reagan.
Limbaugh gave Gingrich no credit for running the kind of campaign Limbaugh advocated. He allowed blatant lies about Gingrich to go unchallenged, while parsing every word Gingrich spoke and finding a reason to attack him for it. He chortled gleefully about the attack ads against Gingrich, condemned Gingrich for responding in kind, and sneered at, cut off, and practically hung up on Gingrich supporters who called his show.
Then, to prevent a Gingrich comeback, Limbaugh endorsed Santorum, effectively splitting the conservative vote. The whole thing felt dirty when Santorum dropped out the day before the PA primary, which he was never going to win but didn’t even have the honor to lose with dignity.
If Limbaugh had simply endorsed Santorum early on, that would have been the end of Gingrich. Instead, Limbaugh played dirty, passive-aggressive games that got us Romney.
If someone better comes along (hard to imagine, but DiMaggio came after Ruth), I’ll be on the “dump Rush” bandwagon. I don’t forgive or forget political crimes like Limbaugh committed for what seem to be purely personal, probably ego-based, reasons.
[…] Obama may win by diminished military vote in key states […]
Hinds County, MS failed to send ballots on time for the troops (video here): http://www.kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2012/10/lets-get-ready-to-ruuuummblllle-video.html
I am shocked that this can happen at all in America – but Wisconsin has already faced up to the problem through the courts. Despite the court’s intervention, neither the Republican governor nor RNC Chairman Reince Priebus (a resident Cheesehead) thought the problem needed to be monitored.
This is indeed a strange election. As Rush mentioned today, there are almost no yard posters or bumper stickers for Presidential candidates anywhere (I have seen none here in Indiana).
Folks, the news is that requests for absentee ballots by our military are way down. Not (apparently) that ballots are not being sent out (that may be the case) but the inference is that our military are not requesting the ballots.
The military is overworked and over-deployed.
Having been deployed during the 1998 midterms, I can tell you that voting takes a low priority to mission and personal duties. When you’re that busy, particularly if you’re overseas or headed there, especially now with a war on (something I didn’t have to deal with in ’98), you tend to lose track.
It’s the government’s job to make sure you get those ballots. Funny, how it was a huge issue to make sure it happened in 1944, when the Democrats controlled everything and were likely to continue doing so.
The onus falls on Speaker of the House John Boehner.
Tragically, he is negligent in his duties. If he were in the military, he’d face a Court Martial.
I concur with you there.
Words do not exist sufficient to describe my contempt for John Boehner, a Democrat deep mole, or a darn good imitation of one.
Boehner surrenders constantly, presides over nothing but failure and defeat, but nothing is ever his fault:
2006, Majority Leader, presides over huge losses (NOT HIS FAULT, says con-media: Scandals, Bush, War, etc.)
2008, Minority Leader, presides over disastrous losses (NOT HIS FAULT, say con-media: Scandals, Bush, Obama, etc.)
2009, Minority Leader, his people say Obama is so awesome they expect even bigger losses in 2010 (NOT HIS FAULT, says con-media: Bush, Obama-love, etc.)
2010, Bailed out by Tea Party.
2010-present, Speaker Boehner era: “Can’t do anything” to Tea Party, “Yessir, let me get my knee pads,” to Obama (Debt Ceiling, etc.)
We need to find a very good conservative candidate for the 2014 primary, spend big money, and run off Boehner. Or damage him so grievously that even if he survives 2014, he won’t be Speaker anymore.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/dod-slams-report-that-military-absentee-ballots-are-down-due-to-dod-error/article/2509597#.UGs_jlGs31U
1. I see at least four possibilities which are not mutually exclusive. In no particular order:
a. The troops may be less interested in this election because neither candidate is a veteran.
b. The administration may be trying to suppress the military vote.
c. Per a link in Bill’s previous post:
In other words, between Congress’s grandiosity and the federal bureaucracy’s incompetence, the MOVE Act may have worsened the problem it supposedly solved.
d. Reports of a problem are exaggerated.
2. If the Romney campaign doesn’t pursue due diligence on things like this—I say ‘due diligence’ because they’ll look like fools if they raise a stink and they’re wrong–, they deserve to lose.
3. As our host has noted, the suppression of layoff notices at defense contractors is a related issue.
“In other words, between Congress’s grandiosity and the federal bureaucracy’s incompetence, the MOVE Act may have worsened the problem it supposedly solved.”
Whaaaat? Are you suggesting that the government could address a problem and not only fail to solve it and actually make it worse??? Why, that’s just crazy talk.
For sure, I am one wild and crazy guy…
It is good to read Mr. Magney’s response. I wonder what the other states would say if approached? I’m sure each state has a person in the SoS office, elections office, wherever who is responsible.
This would take legwork (you know, what the MSM used to do) it would be good to get the rest of them on record.
[…] Obama may win by diminished military vote in key states […]