Hmm... A Curious Twist

Not going to start getting my hopes up just yet, but evidence is surfacing that the election may — I repeat, may — have been rigged outright in certain Ohio and Florida precincts. Closed counting sessions with no paper trails. More votes cast — substantially more — than voters. Historically Democratic precincts miraculously providing landslide results for Bush. To say nothing of “spoilage” concerns. (For a complete tally of recorded election problems nationwide, check out the VotersUnite! database.)

Yes, the story started in the blogosphere (not that the story’s origin makes it unreliable, though it does necessitate a little more investigation), but it’s starting to gain the attention of the mainstream media.

Again, just something to keep an eye on. After all, there’s nothing legally binding about a concession speech.

Some readers (especially the right-wing freak show contingent — hello!) may argue that even if election fraud should be demonstrated (though given the lack of any paper trail, it’ll be awfully difficult to prove — convenient, no?), Bush should still be allowed to take office. The alternative, presumably in terms of increased rancor and partisan battling, would be worse for the nation.

To which I respond, nothing could be worse for the nation than four more years of this regime. But even so (and historical precedent notwithstanding), an illegitimately elected candidate cannot somehow gain legitimacy by being installed into office. I’m not saying Kerry should be inaugurated no matter what — a legitimate result is a legitimate result, no matter how repugnant the beneficiary — but if Bush did not win legitimately, as these allegations suggest, then there is no way in hell that he can be permitted to continue to occupy the oval office.

To appropriate (and update) Leo Carroll’s famous line from North by Northwest, “War is hell... Even when it’s a culture one.”