Poisoning the Well

by: Jason Springer

Tue Nov 03, 2009 at 01:35:49 PM EST

The right isn't waiting for the election to end before they start making excuses for why they might lose. In the Wall Street Journal yesterday, John Fund kept up the drumbeat of ballot fraud:

The race for governor in New Jersey is so close in final polls that it may well end up in a recount -- the 1981 election did and was decided by less than 1,800 votes. If there is a recount, you can bet disputes about absentee ballots will loom large. Moreover, if serious allegations of fraud emerge, you can also expect less-than-vigorous investigation by the Obama Justice Department -- which showed just how seriously it takes such allegations when it walked away from an open-and-shut voter intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party in Philadelphia earlier this year.
Plenty of reasons exist for suspecting absentee fraud may play a significant role in tomorrow's Garden State contests. Groups associated with Acorn in neighboring Pennsylvania and New York appear to have moved into the state. An independent candidate for mayor in Camden has already leveled charges that voter fraud is occurring in his city. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party in New Jersey is taking advantage of a new loosely written vote-by-mail law to pressure county clerks not to vigorously use signature checks to evaluate the authenticity of absentee ballots, the only verification procedure allowed.

Pick your poison, is what he's saying. No way that Democrats can be elected without some brand of shananigans. And as for Fund raising either intimidation or fraud, it's unintended irony, given that party's history. For him, just toss in a few scare-words - ACORN, Black Panthers - and you can begin to try and delegitimize an election before it even happens. The echo chamber is already tossing these rumors around on Twitter, and Rush Limbaugh is already talking fraud on his show today.

It's not surprising to see a huge increase in "absentee" ballots now. We have a new balloting law that makes it easier to vote from home. All of the campaigns have been focusing resources into letting people know that their voting options are increased and how to successfully vote that way. Both sides. You'd think Fund and the Wall Street Journal would be pleased with efforts to increase the civic engagement of fellow Americans.

If Christie wins, expect no howling of skullduggery in this race. If Corzine wins, well, they've already put their people on notice - with not one scrap of evidence - to say Corzine cheated.

Jason Springer :: Poisoning the Well