Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Tinkerbelle of Freedom

Somebody called this one to Spot's attention. He's never been to the Let Freedom Ring blog before; it uses a title type that belongs on Stormfront. Anyway, Tink's problem is the "despicable" tactics of the Franken campaign in the recount effort:

I just got off the phone with a loyal reader of LFR just minutes ago. This loyal reader told me that Team Franken is objecting to all kinds of different things. Some of these things include ballots where the voter placed an X inside the oval instead of filling the oval in.

A loyal reader, eh? That tells us volumes right there. Tink continues:

Based on [a quoted section concerning voter intent], challenges should be ruled frivolous if voter intent is clear. Someone that underlines or circles a candidate’s name or who puts a check mark or an X in the box has clearly indicated their intent. That’s how election officials have been routinely ruling since the recount started.

Challenges like that must be squashed immediatly [sic]. Team Franken should be held accountable for such despicable, thinly veiled attempts to steal this election.

Well, of course, Tink is ignorant - and probably an idiot, too.

That wasn't very charitable, Spot.

You're right grasshopper; we'll just go with ignorant.

There is a problem with Tink's analysis. The counters - county employees or volunteers, usually - don't have the authority to rule on a challenge. Period. The state canvassing board will rule on each challenged ballot, whether challenged by Franken or Coleman. You can read about the procedure here. And from reports that Spot has heard, both parties are challenging ballots at similar rates.

This has been gone over so many times, that it should be obvious to even the casual observer. Apparently not.

Tink, never ask at whom the clown car honks. It honks at thee.

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