NationStates Jolt Archive

Apparently there was a "typo" on some absentee ballots in New York that rendered the Democratic ticket as a vote for "Barack Osama".

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/barack-osama-pr.html

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's last name was spelled "Osama" on three hundred absentee ballots mailed out this week in Rensselaer County, New York.

First reported in the TimesUnion.com, election officials in Rensselaer County say the misspelling is merely a typo.

The Democratic and Republican County Board of Election chairs, Edward McDonough and Larry Bugbee, said that "the error was not deliberate" in a joint statement issued Friday. <SNIP>

Bugbee told the TimesUnion.com that despite having three different staff members look over the ballot, "somehow the typo got by us."

Somehow, huh? Because they look so similar, right? And how exactly does that pop up as an accidental typo? Even on my laptops cramped keyboard the "B" and the "S" are three inches apart!

*rofl* Oh that's funny....

Freudian slip, much?

"Oh, that was the list of candidates? I thought I was typing up the world's Most Wanted. My bad."

I note B and S are nowhere near each other on the keyboard.

That's some bullshit right there. John McVain woulda worked for me though. Or Maybe John McTaint. Yeah, McTaint. Nice.

I note B and S are nowhere near each other on the keyboard.
A spell-check error? And S's and B's can look similar, depending on the font.

And S's and B's can look similar, depending on the font.
Even moreso if you're WYTYG and Laerod.

Before someone shouts "Hey, maybe they used the Dvorak keyboard!", no, the B and S are as far apart on it as on the Qwerty keyboard (Dvorak B is Qwerty N, and Dvorak S is Qwerty semicolon/colon).

Before someone shouts "Hey, maybe Atma uses Dvorak keyboard!", no, I use the standard Qwerty keyboard.

That's some bullshit right there. John McVain woulda worked for me though. Or Maybe John McTaint. Yeah, McTaint. Nice.

McVain is actually more likely, since c and v are right next to each other on a qwerty keyboard.

That's some bullshit right there. John McVain woulda worked for me though. Or Maybe John McTaint. Yeah, McTaint. Nice.
LOL! Love McTaint!!

Apparently there was a "typo" on some absentee ballots in New York that rendered the Democratic ticket as a vote for "Barack Osama".

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/barack-osama-pr.html



Somehow, huh? Because they look so similar, right? And how exactly does that pop up as an accidental typo? Even on my laptops cramped keyboard the "B" and the "S" are three inches apart!

Although this sucks, I refuse to believe it is a conspiracy--especially in light of both the Democratic and Republican Board of Election chairs saying it was an innocent mistake.

Although this sucks, I refuse to believe it is a conspiracy--especially in light of both the Democratic and Republican Board of Election chairs saying it was an innocent mistake.

I just fail to see how. Not only did the "typo" result in the worst possible "misspelling" it's nowhere near what would be expected from an actual typo. On a QWERTY keyboard one would expect typos along the lines of "Ovama" or "Ofama". Skipping one row up and three keys over seem much more deliberate. Perhaps less a conspiracy and more of a disgruntled employee/employee with an axe to grind.

does it really matter? lol

What is no laughing matter, is that the US has 50 different states preparing 50 different ballots.
Why doesn't the F.E.C. run presidential and congressional elections?

In Australia, the Australian Electoral Commission runs all federal elections and there are no problems.

because in most cases federal overruns national

Ah, I remember 4 years ago, when John Kerry's name was left off my Ohio state Absentee ballot... Memories...

What is no laughing matter, is that the US has 50 different states preparing 50 different ballots.
Why doesn't the F.E.C. run presidential and congressional elections?

In Australia, the Australian Electoral Commission runs all federal elections and there are no problems.

Because the President is elected by the states, the whole electoral college thingy. Otherwise as a New York resident I might be able to vote for someone else besides Osama... I mean Obama.

Anyway, its clearly not a conspiracy, as anyone but Obama winning in NYS would be a huge upset and closely checked over for fraud, 300 votes isn't going to make any difference here. I go with disgruntled employee.

It was reported in New York. But in the Deep South would it have been reported? On the bright side, at least "arack" isn't a typo for "in Laden"

Its difficult to understand how this could have happened by chance. Either way, those involved should all be sacked regardless of whether its deliberate manipulation or just astonishing incompetence.

Ladies and Gents, given how many times I have seen most of us mistype a wide variety of words on this board, perhaps we should not be sharpening our pitchforks and lighting torches just yet?

Ladies and Gents, given how many times I have seen most of us mistype a wide variety of words on this board, perhaps we should not be sharpening our pitchforks and lighting torches just yet?

Awww, but I can't let the pitchfork get rusty!:(

Ladies and Gents, given how many times I have seen most of us mistype a wide variety of words on this board, perhaps we should not be sharpening our pitchforks and lighting torches just yet?

I have a pitchfork? Why wasn't I informed? Clearly someone must have sneaked it in my possessions when I wasn't looking. We must begin pitchfork awareness programs, to catch these pitchfork depositing miscreants as soon as possible!

:p

I have a pitchfork? Why wasn't I informed? Clearly someone must have sneaked it in my possessions when I wasn't looking. We must begin pitchfork awareness programs, to catch these pitchfork depositing miscreants as soon as possible!

:p
Dude, it's standard issue when you join NSG. I mean, I got mine when I stumbled into my first thread that filled me with RIGHTEOUS WRATH(tm).

This happened to him before 2 years ago. It's how I found out about him. Apparently on CNN across the bottom of the screen it said "Osama does something or other" or words to that effect, and Obama said "the keys aren't even that close together". I'm with him. I think it was a prank.

What is no laughing matter, is that the US has 50 different states preparing 50 different ballots.
Why doesn't the F.E.C. run presidential and congressional elections?

In Australia, the Australian Electoral Commission runs all federal elections and there are no problems.

because by the Constitution the elections are run by the state. even more scary is each county in most states can select their own ballots. with the exception of the butterfly ballot those are too prone to errors according to the supreme court in 2000.

As far as how a typo like that can happen - I don't know about you all, but I've more than once had it happen that I think one word and type another fairly similar word without realizing it, because my fingers are more used to typing the second one. I remember doing so just recently with the words "Baltic" and "Balkan." K-a-n is nowhere near t-i-c on the keyboard, but my fingers simply followed the wrong familiar path after the B-a-l. (And don't even ask me how many times I've misspelled my own name when I'm not really paying attention - the nickname I most often go by begins with the same few letters as my real full name, and I not infrequently aim to write one and find myself writing the other.) I'm inclined to believe this was a case of someone typing too quickly, rather than one of deliberate malice.

Somehow, huh? Because they look so similar, right? And how exactly does that pop up as an accidental typo? Even on my laptops cramped keyboard the "B" and the "S" are three inches apart!

yep... just another thing to blame it on should the unthinkable happen and Obama loses. ;)

The Albany Times Union has a story that's more in-depth:
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=728326
Leave it to Rensselaer County to fuck up so royally. A little context: Rensselaer County is right across the river from Albany, NY, the state capitol, and Coeymans, NY, where I live. It tends to swing to the right most of the time. Also, I'm experienced in its politics because I can see it from my house.

If it were something like putting John MacCain, or Barak Obama, or Jo Biden, or Sara Palin, it would be fine. But no, they had to go with the Fox News misspelling.

Three proofreaders? How did three proofreaders miss this? This is just plain embarrassing for the whole area.

Knowing the way things are in this area, I'd say the chances of McCain winning NY are about the same as the chances that this was anything less than Freudian slip, and I'd say McCain's chances of winning overall are about the same that it was not intentional.

And then to add on top of that the letter to the editor also published in today's Times Union:
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=728536
Regarding the commentary by Rod Drehner published on Sept. 26, Mr. Dehner compares the emotional appeal of both Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Sarah Palin. He goes to great lengths to "neither extol nor diminish either candidate." However, the highlighted quote that appeared with the article misspells Gov. Palin's name as "Pain." Enough subliminal editorializing!
Y KENT ENY1 IN DIS PLAYS SPEL!!1!!

Obama and Biden? More like Osama bin Laden.