NationStates Jolt Archive

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iyCjg56QEYy3r8Gz2X09TnpaWOMwD9317JU00
Democrats post big gains in voter registration

By JULIE PACE and STEPHEN OHLEMACHER – 7 hours ago

CLAIRTON, Pa. (AP) — Five days a week, Linda Graham trolls tattered neighborhoods of this once thriving steel city outside Pittsburgh for unregistered voters she can sign up as Democrats — one of thousands of unknown volunteers whose work outside the limelight has already altered the basic arithmetic of the November election.

The epic nomination battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton helped put millions more Democrats on the voter rolls while Republican registration declined. Now Graham, 45, has taken three months of unpaid leave from her job at Pittsburgh's Central Blood Bank in the hope of adding to those gains before the presidential vote.

She's encouraged by the response here. "They're all feeling the crunch" of lost jobs and a sagging economy, Graham said. "But people are feeling empowered. They're feeling like, you know what, I hold a little bit of power in this."

To counter this effort, the Republicans are counting on a formidable, high-tech get-out-the-vote operation that has helped them win the past two presidential elections.

Since the last federal election in 2006, volunteers like Graham combined with the enthusiasm generated by the Obama-Clinton struggle to add more than 2 million Democrats to voter rolls in the 28 states that register voters according to party affiliation. The Republicans have lost nearly 344,000 thousand voters in the same states.

The Democrats hope their voter registration efforts can boost Obama to victory in competitive states like Pennsylvania, Nevada and Florida and perhaps even give him a shot at winning traditional Republican states like Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Both Obama and his Republican rival, John McCain, are fighting for independent swing voters, and many of the new Democrats had been unaffiliated voters.

The number of unaffiliated voters dropped by nearly 900,000 since 2006. Many joined the Democratic Party to take part in the primaries and caucuses, and now they will now be targeted by an aggressive get-out-the-vote campaign.

"We feel that our supporters are more enthusiastic than we've seen in previous cycles," said Jon Carson, Obama's national field director.

The Obama campaign is taking the lead among the party organizations and labor unions that traditionally work on voter registration efforts.

Because party organizations and unions, like the Service Employees International Union to which Graham belongs, can raise unrestricted amounts of money, presidential campaigns typically rely on them to handle the bulk of voter registration drives, Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean said in an interview.

"This is the first campaign I've seen where the voter registration is done by the campaign," Dean said.

The Republicans are relying on a more traditional voter registration model, with the Republican National Committee leading the effort among state parties....

"To counter this effort, the Republicans are counting on a formidable, high-tech get-out-the-vote operation that has helped them win the past two presidential elections.

Since the last federal election in 2006, volunteers like Graham combined with the enthusiasm generated by the Obama-Clinton struggle to add more than 2 million Democrats to voter rolls in the 28 states that register voters according to party affiliation. The Republicans have lost nearly 344,000 thousand voters in the same states."

"The Republicans have lost nearly 344,000 thousand voters in the same states.""

"344,000 thousand voters"

All that means is that there we're people that didn't vote then and are voting now.

well there's your problem

All that means is that there we're people that didn't vote then and are voting now.

yeah, totally

"344,000 thousand voters"
Ever hear of a typo?

Ever hear of a typo?

nope

"344,000 thousand voters"

yeah?

as for quote with no apparent poster text

"In America, through pressure of conformity, there is freedom of choice, but nothing to choose from." Peter Ustinov

nope

Ah. Carry on then. *walks away*

yeah?

at a guess, how many thousands of people are there in usia?

What's this about cheating? I must be thick, because I don't get it. Sarcasm or someting?

What's this about cheating? I must be thick, because I don't get it. Sarcasm or someting?

the republicans apparently used to have 344 thousand thousand more voters than they do now. seems to be quite a lot, don't you think?

the republicans apparently used to have 344 thousand thousand more voters than they do now. seems to be quite a lot, don't you think?

With Diebold in their pockets, no real need to have actual voters.

at a guess, how many thousands of people are there in usia?

300 million iirc with about 40% voting leaving us with that number that you will figure out

and its been quite dynamic election no?

300 million

and how many thousands is that?

and how many thousands is that?

lots >.>

your jumping to conspiracy rather quickly

your jumping to conspiracy rather quickly

or so they would have you believe

and how many thousands is that?lots >.>

300,000 thousands, to be precise. now what was that number of voters lost again?

I'm guessing it's a slow news day for Free Soviets to attempt to make an error into a political debate.

Where's LG. Maybe he can throw pies, mud, and/or scrotum seeking attack weasels at Free Soviets, so at least the rest of us can have some entertainment from this thread.

:tongue:

I'm guessing it's a slow news day for Free Soviets to attempt to make an error into a political debate.

Where's LG. Maybe he can throw pies, mud, and/or scrotum seeking attack weasels at Free Soviets, so at least the rest of us can have some entertainment from this thread.

:tongue:

I was planning to put in something snarky about illegal immigrants or something... but I lost interest...

I was planning to put in something snarky about illegal immigrants or something... but I lost interest...

I don't know if LG can throw illegal immigrants.

I don't know if LG can throw illegal immigrants.

Well, I'll have to reinforce my backyard catapult...

*ponders*

So you're insinuation is what? That the Democrats are double registering people? Are you making the technical assumption that voter registration and turnout in the US is 100% in order to get to that conclusion?

Also, 344,000 thousand? You're just bitching to bitch I guess? That is a rather obvious typo.

Well, I'll have to reinforce my backyard catapult...

*ponders*

Catapult? what happened to the Trebuchet?

Catapult? what happened to the Trebuchet?

I have a book my wife got me for christmas on building catapults and trebuchets. It describes the history of them and I have read it quite thoroughly. I'm still a bit fuzzy as to the difference. They overlap quite a bit. What I have is a catapult. *nod*

I have a book my wife got me for christmas on building catapults and trebuchets. It describes the history of them and I have read it quite thoroughly. I'm still a bit fuzzy as to the difference. They overlap quite a bit. What I have is a catapult. *nod*

... *waits till LG sees the videos of cars and pianos (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=trebuchet&search_type=&aq=-1&oq=) being launched by Trebuchets...*

May I remind the audience that the Democrats literally stole the Governors election the last time out in Washington State. They lost the first count, they lost the second count. Finally they barely won the third count and then said ok that's enough. Somehow they "found" votes after the first round. They didn't realize that they didn't "find" enough votes on the second recount. So they went for a third and got it. They made sure to "find" enough votes to win the third count.


Edit: The Governer in question is pictured to the left.

I have a book my wife got me for christmas on building catapults and trebuchets. It describes the history of them and I have read it quite thoroughly. I'm still a bit fuzzy as to the difference. They overlap quite a bit. What I have is a catapult. *nod*


Trebuchets were much larger than catapults if I'm not mistaken.

Trebuchets were much larger than catapults if I'm not mistaken.

Yea, but which one can throw the bigger mass the farthest?

It's not the size that counts, it how you use it.

Yea, but which one can throw the bigger mass the farthest?


Im pretty sure that was still the Treb.

Im pretty sure that was still the Treb.

Then LG should go with the Treb.

Then LG should go with the Treb.

Are voting for Barr/Root, Wilgrove?

So you're insinuation is what?

that clearly the republican party only won elections by having more than the entire population of usia voting for them. duh.

that clearly the republican party only won elections by having more than the entire population of usia voting for them. duh.
You seriously mean to say that you are the only person who doesn't know about the Shadow USA, an exact replica of the United States populated by clones and located 1.7 miles beneath the surface one? Of course there are twice as many voters as one would expect, there are twice as many Americans as one would expect going based on those silly "CIA World Factbook Figures."

You seriously mean to say that you are the only person who doesn't know about the Shadow USA, an exact replica of the United States populated by clones and located 1.7 miles beneath the surface one? Of course there are twice as many voters as one would expect, there are twice as many Americans as one would expect going based on those silly "CIA World Factbook Figures."

of course, it's all so clear to me now! one question remains - are these exact replica united states considered part of they state the replicate, or are they additional states, like sub-west virginia?

You seriously mean to say that you are the only person who doesn't know about the Shadow USA, an exact replica of the United States populated by clones and located 1.7 miles beneath the surface one? Of course there are twice as many voters as one would expect, there are twice as many Americans as one would expect going based on those silly "CIA World Factbook Figures."


Wait till the Chinese find out the hard way.

Are you voting for Barr/Root, Wilgrove?

Yes I am

With Diebold in their pockets, no real need to have actual voters.

Are you on Thorazine? What the hell?

Diebold was not used to steal elections. Period. There is no question.

You are batshit insane if you think so. You should be committed if you believe so.

You're just bitching to bitch I guess?

Aren't we all? Last thing I've heard, it's all the rage on the Internet.

"The Republicans have lost nearly 344,000 thousand voters in the same states.""
I've checked my pockets and down behind the couch and they're not there.

Five days a week, Linda Graham trolls tattered neighborhoods...
Is this just another crazy Americanism? Or should that be 'trawls'?

I suppose that it might just be a clever nod to readers that the article is, in fact, just trolling, in which case their claims about 340+ million voters might just be part of the package. :p

Wait till the Chinese find out the hard way.

You're forgetting that 1.3billion is greater than 600 million

A trebuchet uses counterweights, is larger, and tosses things further. You hear that LG?:D

You're forgetting that 1.3billion is greater than 600 million

and this assumes the chinese don't find some more people they misplaced before too

and this assumes the chinese don't find some more people they misplaced before too

Umm... wait, I can understand finding "misplaced" votes, but "misplaced" people? They take like 15-20 years to develop, and that's assuming that people start getting busy now. Unless they're skewing their censuses and only getting enough food for 1.3billion people yet stretching it to 1.5-1.8 billion. But then we could use that fleet of yachts (different thread, if you get it you get it. If you don't too bad) to steal all the extra Chinese and make it even! (or almost even)

A trebuchet uses counterweights, is larger, and tosses things further. You hear that LG?:D

Yep, That's why I intend to build one on the roof of the UN Building. :)

Yep, That's why I intend to build one on the roof of the UN Building. :)

Well that means you would be invading the UN (as they have territorial right over their NYC land afaik), forcing you to use the trebuchet against armies trying to 'free' it, resulting in no time for flinging illegal immigrants into fences made from mud.