Dear DFT Poll Voters...

Showing the Results (0.00 / 0)

I have voted several times, thinking you have to vote before the page jumps to the results of the ongoing voting.

Show the results and take away three of my votes from Noreiga.

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by: Ken22640 @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 00:31:13 AM UTC

Thank you Ken (0.00 / 0)

I appreciate your note, though duplicate (or triplicate) votes are not being counted. Others have accidentally made the same mistake.

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 01:55:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Count all the votes! (1.00 / 1)

My name is Jessica M. and I am a student at STCC in McAllen.  Me and my frieds support Mikal Watts 100%.  And, YES, we recruited other friends to vote for Mikal.  We did this in McAllen, Laredo, Brownsville, and San Antonio.  We thought your poll was a legitimate poll and WE ORGANIZED ACCORDINGLY.  Two of us had house parties, where we invited friends to vote for Mikal.  Two of us took our laptops to school and took advantage of wireless technolgy, which make it easy for friends to vote. Etc. Etc. (could that be a reason for the same IP?) Now you are telling us that our votes won't count!  But, it figures!  You and your racist friends like Vince Leibowitz, who recently accused us Mexican-Americans along the border of having "sold out" to Watts, are more likely to believe that we did something wrong or illegal by voting for a guy who we think can actually win and thereby do someting about this WALL that Republicans want to build.  But fine,  count the votes that you find convenient to count!  We will continue to organize and in March THE VOTES WILL COUNT; and, trust me, we will give your predetermined online poll winner, Rick Noriega, a good old fashioned South Texas lesson at the ballot box.  So much for "Democracy for Texas", why don't you just call yourself "Democracy for Rick Noriega"!  In conclusion, it truly is disappointing that you would participate in the online equivalent of voter suppression, simply because we out organized our opponent.

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by: Count_all_the_votes @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 00:47:28 AM UTC

LOL (0.00 / 0)

Now when you say you'll give Noriega "a good old fashioned South Texas lesson at the ballot box," what exactly does that mean, because I think there are many ways that could be taken when thinking of Texas Senate races, haha.

In all seriousness, it's nice to see that Watts has such a sizable youth/college contingent.  Possibly setting up a Facebook group for all 100+ of your friends to join would help out w/ organizing efforts and get all of you an opportunity to get the STCC vote coordinated.  Just a helpful suggestion.

Take care, Jessica.

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by: Leviathan @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 01:15:48 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Check it out! (5.00 / 1)

You and your friends aren't the only ones who can organize.  I'm an old woman and I have a shit load of old hippie friends and executive friends and working friends and horse friends and so on that I've accumulated over my life.  And they all have friends.  We have about a zillion Yahoo Groups and we are all for Noriega.  PLUS we had sense enough to use our own computers and our own addresses and phone numbers. 

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by: TXsharon @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 01:38:07 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

What's your zip code? (4.00 / 2)

I'd be happy to match it to the one on file to verify it. But you need to understand that the voting behavior and pattern came in in a rather suspect form. The IPs do not match those of educational institutions in Texas and one of them is from panama. Not a single one of the votes has a physical address filled out and while not required, was completely out of character with the rest of the responses to the poll.

I understand that people may organize to vote at an event and I am told that this was done by some college students in Austin for Noriega (though their block of votes comes over a UT IP and many of them included their addresses like the majority of voters).

I am more concern with the fact that your IP addresses do not match the cities you claim to have cast the votes in. But as I said, mistakes can be made and if you would like to verify some of the votes with the existing data that has been collected, my DFT email is kt@democracyfortexas.org

I don't appreciate your tone in attacking the rest of the votes cast to date. This is an open vote of the membership of DFT and the wider texas left-of-center community.

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 01:42:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I will note (0.00 / 0)

That in your reply, you say your name is Jessica M. I thought I'd check after posting my response above to see if I could verify where your vote was.

Jessica M. does not match the name you submitted in the poll.

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 01:45:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Actually... (0.00 / 0)

I've looked into this even further. And I'm even more amazed now.

All of your friends have hotmail accounts. And they all have similarly styled patterns of email addresses.

And of the few that had yahoo accounts, all of those came from a separate IP address as the hotmail accounts.

Co-incidence? Making up stories to cover your tracks will not work. I've been on both ends of polls like these and am well versed in the ways in which online polls can be stuffed.

I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt (always) but the more that you have caused me to look into this, the harder it is to match it with the details you originally provided.

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 02:12:04 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

One-sided Chads? (0.00 / 0)

Karl, you are telling us that UT-Austin students did the same thing we did, but their votes counted and ours didn't because you know them and you don't know us?  That is totally not fair!  And, then you ask for my personal information, did you ask these UT students for theirs?  Why is it that you have to verify the votes from South Texas ... it again goes to the point that I am trying to make, that you prefer to believe our actions were illegal simply because of our geography and support for Mikal.  And, my tone is simply a strong, maybe too strong for you to handle, statement of fact: your online community has attempted to tag us (Hispanics) and people that we respect, i.e. Texas State Sen. Chuy Hinojosa and Hidalgo County Judge JD Salinas,as sellouts because we support an Anglo candidate instead of your Latino candidate.  FYI:  Just because you support a Latino candidate does not give you carte blanche to insult all other latinos and latinas.

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by: Count_all_the_votes @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 02:24:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I has nothing to do with you being a latina (0.00 / 0)

It has to do with the very suspicious manner in which those votes were cast.

"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."- James A. Baldwin

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by: Timothy @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 02:42:17 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

But everything to do with being Hispanic (1.00 / 1)

On the basis of what facts did Vince Leibowitz and your buddies conclude that State Senator Chuy Hinojosa is a sell out?

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by: Count_all_the_votes @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 02:47:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I don't even know what that is about (0.00 / 0)

and I think that entire track of thought is a distraction from what the issue is here, what looks like vote stuffing with made up email addresses.

"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."- James A. Baldwin

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by: Timothy @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 02:57:00 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Emails Addresses are easy to Verify (1.00 / 1)

Since the sponsors of the poll are doing everything but checking credit reports to validate pro-Watts votes, they probably already verified that the emails are valid.  Thanks, for your contribution to the discussion, Tim.

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by: Count_all_the_votes @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 03:08:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please see my post below (0.00 / 0)

I hadn't planned on needing to verify votes specifically until the poll had completed on Saturday. A block of 100 votes that come in the same way, from the same IP, with the same non-information was a red flag so I checked it out. Then, because of your original reply, I spent more of my time attempting to match what you said to the data to see if I had made a mistake in my original assumption.

Please prove me wrong and answer the questions posed below.

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 03:14:04 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

no (0.00 / 0)

I don't know what the austin students did as I was not there. They meet on Wesnesdays and some of them voted at the meeting on their laptops. Of course, a number of them are already DFT members, too, and their votes IPs actually trace back to the university.

I've spent the last few hours since you wrote you first comment doing nothing but verifying data and votes, actually. And the more that I have, because I take this poll seriously, the less the data supports your statements.  Again- I ask...

1) Do all 100 of your friends use hotmail?

2) Did the first 8 people who voted and at least put in a city, all happen to be from cities beginning with the letter A? And then everyone stopped?

3) What is your last name & zip code?

I've verified the block of votes that were cast at other universities. If you provide the information, I'll verify yours. If you choose not to want to verify it, I will assume that you don't care. I've gone out of my way to verify your claims. If you do not wish to work with me, than I cannot help you.

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 03:04:03 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Do you also want my Social Security number? (0.00 / 0)

1.  Our counts show closer to 156 votes cast, San Antonio (47), Brownsville (approx 50), Mcallen (aprox 50) and Laredo (approx 9).  Please, stop minimizing our effort and the true effect it would have on the outcome.

2.  Our instructions were to fill out the info necessary, without the need to "show our cards" as we all know this site is pro-noreiga.  Anyways, you try to keep a few dozen students in line to vote .... once, we discovered it was taking too much time we instructed everybody to just fill out the required fields.  In other words, WE FOLLOWED THE RULES; so stop changing them by adding your "investigative" arm to the process.  If the votes were accepted to begin with, why are you taking them out?

3.  Should I include my social security number?  Give me a break.

You have already stated that the UT-Austin student votes would count because YOU were aware of their actions; and that our votes will not count because YOU didn't know we were going to particpate.  So why are we going back-and-forth?

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by: Count_all_the_votes @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 03:24:44 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

if you give me nothing, i can't help you (0.00 / 0)

I'm not asking for your SS number- that's silly- stop avoiding the question. I'm asking for your last name, which actually is required in order to vote. Is that so impossible a task to give considering you should have already given it? Or are there other reasons you cannot give it?

I've called the Watts campaign and they are not aware of your efforts specifically though I have been assured that they don't consider me a racist.

I look forward to working with you if you will be accommodating.

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 04:11:51 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

It has nothing to do with being "aware" of the actions (0.00 / 0)

It has to do with the UT votes looking legitimate because they all aren't of the same email service provider and with similar name constructions and forming odd patterns that would happen from someone not being great at ballot stuffing, but highly unlikely to occur in real life.

"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."- James A. Baldwin

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by: Timothy @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 06:43:33 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

If it's a spanking you're implying you'll give (3.00 / 2)

I'd be happy to take one.  If I can also give you one back.

You naughty little girl.

(Oh wait; posted at the wrong site.  Nemmind.)

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by: PDiddie @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 01:58:25 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Keep It Cold (0.00 / 0)

I like your slogan "The Bushite ...." but NOT YOUR HUMOR!

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by: Count_all_the_votes @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 02:42:04 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Like TxSharon (0.00 / 0)

I'm an old hippie and longtime organizer and I too see a HUGE hole in either your story or your claim of organizational ability....Rule #1, always leave your contact information for your candidate's database.  What kind of support are you organizing if you have 100 individuals so strongly supporting Watts, yet every one of them refusing to leave the contact information for his campaign?  Nice story, but it doesn't wash.

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by: merci_me @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 02:17:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Rule #2 (0.00 / 0)

Rule #2: Don't give your opponents too much information.  Sharon, I recommend that you go read Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals" and maybe you'll learn something about organizing to win.

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by: Count_all_the_votes @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 02:38:08 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Opponents? (5.00 / 2)

So now DFT members are opponents?

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by: McBlogger @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 05:07:30 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I need to learn about organizing to win (0.00 / 0)

heh.  We'll see.

Seems to me you're busted.

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by: TXsharon @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 11:01:46 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

What is your Name, Email, Address, IP, and Phone Number? (0.00 / 0)

Would you be comfortable handing that over to someone that you do not know?  I don't think so!  Especially, in light of what I read about some of you internet guys "eating your own" , Democrats:  first it was Mikal Watts, for acting like a trial attorney; and last week you were attacking Rick Noriega,  for taking money from Republicans.  Who understands you?  So don't be hipocritacl about me not giving you my personal information.  Especially you TXSharon, what is your real name, email, physical adresss, IP, and phone number?

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by: Count_all_the_votes @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 12:41:05 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

If you don't want to share info with DFT (5.00 / 2)

or privately as KT as offered in email, but you'll post all manner of supposedly identifiable info on an open internet thread, then I think one of two things are going on.

1.  You need to take a couple of basic IT course to deal with your irrational fears of the internets, and identify the best way to protect yourself from the rational fears.

2.  You're not who you say you are.

Before you win, you have to fight. Come fight along with us at TexasKaos.

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by: boadicea @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 13:11:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Um... (0.00 / 0)

FYI, as admins of the site, we can see your IP address with every comment you make...

Now, a very great man once said that some people rob you with a fountain pen.

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by: Phillip Martin, Progress Texas @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:03:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Great! (0.00 / 0)

Don't tell my boss :)

Blogging the US Senate Race in Texas: NoriegaBlog

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by: MrLonghorn @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:47:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Still not answering my questions (0.00 / 0)

Glad to see you back, would you care to help me out with the questions I asked upthread?

Every comment here is signed with my name and has been for years. Most all of the front page writers use their names and have for years. Our email addresses are linked on the front page and have for years and for those of us that were at UT, were publicly listed in the UT Student Directory which included our phones and addresses.

So do you still want to verify your name and zip code (which you already gave) or not? or can't you?

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:42:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Just to clarify... (5.00 / 2)

Count_all_the_votes noted:

Especially, in light of what I read about some of you internet guys "eating your own" , Democrats:  first it was Mikal Watts, for acting like a trial attorney; and last week you were attacking Rick Noriega,  for taking money from Republicans.

No one has attacked Mikal Watts for "acting like a trial attorney." People pointed out that Mikal Watts acted unethically. If you think Watts' letter about the judges was OK, then perhaps you should read the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas:

8.04 (a) A lawyer shall not… (5) state or imply an ability to influence improperly a government agency or official

8.02 (a) A lawyer shall not make a statement that the lawyer knows to be false or with reckless disregard as to its truth or falsity concerning the qualifications or integrity of a judge, adjudicatory official or public legal officer, or of a candidate for election or appointment to judicial or legal office.

As for your remark about Noriega, you are a little out of touch there. One or two bloggers were critical of Noriega's contributions--that's true. But, they are by no means reflective of the feeling of the Texas Netroots by and large which did not, by any stretch of the imagination, "attack" Rick Noriega.

Vince Leibowitz

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by: Vince Leibowitz @ Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 14:02:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

BTW (5.00 / 1)

There are more Latino voters in Harris County than in all of the Valley. So you can quit your boasting.

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by: Tejana @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 03:48:21 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

BTW 2 (0.00 / 0)

It's about TURNOUT!  While the Valley averages about 30%, Harris County only has 2% Latino turnout in a Dem Primary.... do the math and tell me where LATINO VOTES IN A DEM PRIMARY come from...and respectfully, can someone other than the people from Burnt Orange/Democracy for Noriega (excuse me, Democracy for America) do the math?

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by: Count_all_the_votes @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 04:12:20 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

They are going to vote for Noriega (0.00 / 0)

Latinos/Latinas at the top of the ticket have prevailed in the Democratic primary for the past several cycles. There's no reason why the 2008 primary will be any different.

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by: Tejana @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 05:52:09 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Actually of the last 7 non-judicial races involving Latinos statewide (0.00 / 0)

only three times have Latinos prevailed.  And one of those was Tony Sanchez against Dan Morales, so that doesn't realy count.  Losing 4 out of the last 6 doesn't really make youor case Tejana

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by: sa grassroots @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 13:05:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Vince is a racist? (0.00 / 0)

Why? Because you think he thinks Chuy Hinojosa is a sellout?

That's one hell of a non sequitur.

A piece of advice... don't have too much respect for ANYONE in the Lege. Respect the office, not the person who occupies it. They are usually just as stupid as the rest of us.

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by: McBlogger @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 17:29:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You Mis-State My Thoughts (5.00 / 3)

Count_all_the_votes notes:

You and your racist friends like Vince Leibowitz, who recently accused us Mexican-Americans along the border of having "sold out" to Watts, are more likely to believe that we did something wrong or illegal by voting for a guy who we think can actually win and thereby do someting about this WALL that Republicans want to build.

Regrettably, I've been very swamped this week and haven't even spent much time going through blogs to have noticed this until now.

If you go back and read some of my posts on this topic (which I notice you didn't bother to link to because they'd make your argument look as sad as it really is), you'll see I wrote about "machine politics," not Hispanic voters and in no way made any racist statements. Here, for example, is one of several posts.

If you think I'm some kind of idiot for talking about machine politics in the Valley, then you must also think little of Paul Burka, who also recognized the reality of machine politics in the political endorsement process here:

Watts' endorsement list in Hidalgo County includes state senator Juan Hinojosa, county judge J. D. Salinas III, state representative Aaron Pena, and the mayors of Edinburg, Alton, Sullivan City, and Palmview. Of the two counties, Hidalgo has more clout politically....And Hidalgo is more of a machine-politics county than Cameron....

None other than State Rep. Aaron Pena (D-Edinburg), a Watts supporter no less, has mentioned machine politics a time or two on his blog, including in this post:

One that I find central to the debate is the strong reliance by my challenger on old-style machine politics and their sometimes questionable methods. Frequent readers of this site will understand my belief and hope that we rise above the unhealthy practices of the past handed down from days of strong boss-rule.

Rep. Pena is Hispanic, and he acknowledges the existence of machine politics. Machine politics isn't a "Latino" thing although it may be more prominent in the Valley than in other parts of Texas. Political machines are just a reality of political life in some parts of Texas.

It's also an unfortunate aspect of politics that machine politics often involves financial support that goes far, deep, and wide--whether it is an African-American political machine, a rural political machine, or any other type of political machine organization.

Vince Leibowitz

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by: Vince Leibowitz @ Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 13:52:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Was it (1.00 / 1)

Colin?

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by: Tejana @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 03:42:06 AM UTC

piss off (0.00 / 0)

i didn't even vote in the poll!

jeez louise.

KT: please verify to this wacko (that hides behind a fake name, but throws around baseless and false accusations with mine) that I didn't even vote in the poll. And that my IP is not associated in any way.

Please refer to KT's signature.

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by: colin @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 04:33:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

colin has not voted (5.00 / 1)

I just checked those cast, and colin is indeed correct in that he has not cast a ballot.

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 04:37:13 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

gracias (0.00 / 0)

Thanks KT.

Please refer to KT's signature.

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by: colin @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 04:38:40 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Geez, I was just kidding (0.00 / 0)

SOMEONE'S sensitive.

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by: Tejana @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 05:32:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I had a sense of that (0.00 / 0)

But I wanted to answer any questions fully since that's what I promised I'd do in this thread. I didn't intend any personal offense :)

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 05:47:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Typical of what I've seen here (0.00 / 0)

Make outrageous accusations, see if no one takes the time to rebut them, then spread them around as fact.

No wonder Noriega goes around trashing bloggers

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by: sa grassroots @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 13:07:29 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

then there are the sockpuppets (0.00 / 0)

that have a tendency to answer each other.

Not that such a thing is happening on this thread, I'm sure...

Before you win, you have to fight. Come fight along with us at TexasKaos.

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by: boadicea @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 13:12:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

there you go (0.00 / 0)

KT or Matt: please also explain to THIS wacko that I am not sa grassroots.

Boadicea, I can't recall one compelling argument you have ever made.  Your entire bag of tricks seems to be made up of personal attacks...usually figments of your imagination like this one.

Unlike you, I sign my real name...every time...even in newspapers.

Please refer to KT's signature.

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by: colin @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 13:54:44 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Colin, I've not the vaguest idea (0.00 / 0)

why you would think that was addressed to you. Care to elaborate?

Despite what you may think, the sun, moon, and stars do not revolve around you. Neither do I.

In short, aside from a suggestion to check into reading comprehension lessons and the salubrious effects of Ginkgo Biloba, there's nothing for you here.

As for personal attacks, that seems to be a pretty big part of your bag of tricks, for all your airs.

brilliant deduction
next you'll tell me that if my aunt had balls...she'd be my uncle.

That, and the false outrage  bit, anyway.

I'm not even going to bother with your ignorance of the long traditions of pseudonymous political speech.


Before you win, you have to fight. Come fight along with us at TexasKaos.

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by: boadicea @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 14:28:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

everyone calmn down (0.00 / 0)

I believe bo was making a slight joke to sa grassroots who has responded to themselves under a different user account in the past.

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:30:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

ok (2.00 / 1)

don't know either of them.

nice usage of "salubrious".

Please refer to KT's signature.

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by: colin @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:46:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Appreciate your vocabularic appreciation. (0.00 / 0)

Thank you.

Before you win, you have to fight. Come fight along with us at TexasKaos.

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by: boadicea @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 16:27:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

vocabularic? (0.00 / 0)

Now I'm pretty sure that's not a word...

Blogging the US Senate Race in Texas: NoriegaBlog

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by: MrLonghorn @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 16:54:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Picky, picky, picky. n/t (5.00 / 1)

Before you win, you have to fight. Come fight along with us at TexasKaos.

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by: boadicea @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 17:00:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please (0.00 / 0)

It was JUST a joke because Colin is one of the few commenters on BOR who sticks up for the Watts cause. Didnt expect everyone to get his panties in a bunch. I'll save the jokes for ITPT where the bloggers have senses of humor. And alcohol.

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by: Tejana @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 17:49:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Just Picked Up... (0.00 / 0)

one of each. Now that Eileen is working for the "man" as Burka's boss, I am thinking there is no other way to honor her legacy than alcoholism.

Help build a progressive movement in Texas. Join Progress Texas.

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by: Matt Glazer @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 19:09:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

IS that the excuse we're using now?EOM (0.00 / 0)

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by: McBlogger @ Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 01:13:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Let Me See.... (0.00 / 0)

One side is possibly stuffing ballots while the no-doubt impartial young man of many hats running the poll can track down who has voted as we've seen in this thread in the case of Colin.

Maybe we should call in election observers from the Carter Center. 

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by: Texas Liberal @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:12:55 PM UTC

or rather in colin's case (0.00 / 0)

That he had not voted as he asked me to verify that actually. :) Like I said earlier in the thread, I was not planning to have to sort through any votes until the poll closed on Saturday but I have kept an eye out for any red flags during the process for the sake of everyone who has cast their ballot without issue.

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:39:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Dear Jessica M (5.00 / 1)

Your accusations of racism are sickening. First of all, I don't know what you're talking about with Vince -- or something he wrote -- but he didn't do it at this site. If you've got a problem with how someone wrote on another site, take it over there. Bringing up one instance and painting the entire online community with that brush is senseless and amateur.

Secondly -- as a Hispanic myself -- I'm insulted by the fact you'd imply that I was a racist, or that I'd call out a fellow Hispanic for supporting someone who was White. There's absolutely no evidence to any of that.

You owe me, KT, and the site an apology. It can be private, if you wish (my e-mail is phillip@burntorangereport.com). But you've been incredible rude and insulting --- and I must say, have very poorly represented the candidate you support.

Now, a very great man once said that some people rob you with a fountain pen.

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by: Phillip Martin, Progress Texas @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:12:55 PM UTC

Remember what Shakespeare (0.00 / 0)

once wrote about a certain lady who "doth protest too much."  Sounds to me like pretty much the same is going on here. 

Attacking the person who caught the cheaters red handed smells like a bushie tactic to me.  Commit a sin and then blame someone else. 

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by: Libby Shaw @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:18:54 PM UTC

Are these numbers legit? (0.00 / 0)

Posted at DU were these numbers:

cosmik debris  Wed Sep-19-07 01:06 PM
1. Wednesday Noon Update: Noriega- 78%, Watts- 22% n/t

cosmik debris  Thu Sep-20-07 03:53 PM

6. Thursday Noon Update:
  Rick Noriega- 82%
Mikal Watts- 18%

This is the only place I have seen any results so far. If there was a leak I would have hoped it would have been put here rather than DU.

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by: citizenx @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:29:07 PM UTC

Yes (3.00 / 1)

They are publicly posted and linked from DFT's website here.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:37:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks (0.00 / 0)

I did not see that link on the DFT website.

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by: citizenx @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:39:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Right hand side bar (0.00 / 0)

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 20:44:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I Just Voted And It Was Fun (4.00 / 2)

82-18?...can't be right. Those are Robert Mugabe type numbers.

I just voted in the DFT poll. I voted for my boy Rick Noriega. I gave my name as Texas Liberal though instead as of my real name. So the vote should maybe be tossed.

My last name, Aquino, has four vowels. Just like Noriega. So I know he is a good man. My father always said trust the person with many vowels in his name. And I'm kind of sure his wife reads my blog. These are very good people.

I was asked in the poll if I was a Texan. I had to think about that. I've been here for nine years, but my heart is still somewhat in Ohio. This might be another reason to toss my ballot.

Let me ask, do you have to live in Texas to run the poll? 

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by: Texas Liberal @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:47:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

the latest numbers (0.00 / 0)

Are posted here, but the large margin that you speak of has continued fairly steadily since the start of the poll. The bulk of the votes are from existing DFT members though it has diversified as our email has circulated to other lists and the blogs have written about the poll. DFT is interested in hearing these voices as this is the first time the organization has offered to endorse and would not do so without consulting it's members to see what their opinions are.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 16:05:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The DFT Vote (0.00 / 0)

I don't doubt at all that the margin reflects the votes that have been cast. I do think that the winner of the poll might have been have been guessed in advance. Which, in its way, is fine. Always be sure you have the votes.

And DFA Exec. Director Tom Hughes is a political genius in my view. I've donated to DFA and will do so again. 

The Watts people are doing Mr. Noriega a favor by voting many times. I think 65-35% would be a good result. That at least takes it down to Chavez/Putin range.

I'm sorry if it was there somewhere and I missed it, but I wonder if you might say how many total votes have been cast.

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by: Texas Liberal @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 17:58:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

why the beef about verification (3.00 / 1)

if nothing untoward is going on, what does it matter if votes a verified?

i'm not a member of dft, but it seems to me like they have a goal beyond running some KEYE-type poll where anyone can cast as many votes as possible.

if the "count all the votes" person is legit, "she" won't mind having them verified.

but to attack BOR folk as racist and biased against Hispanic voters is ridiculous and totally unfounded.

Please refer to KT's signature.

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by: colin @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 15:51:03 PM UTC

thank you colin (5.00 / 1)

Verified voting is an issue important to many of our DFT members. And while we can't come close to putting that into 100% practice with a poll such as this, I am doing my best to keep some reasonable balance between voting access and vote protection. I hope that can be helpful in offering answers and advisement to make sure that the best, fairest outcome is achieved for all interested parties.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 16:02:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Votes (5.00 / 1)

I heard Marshmallow Peeps and their cousins Halloween Peeps also voted in the poll. But they have their own computers and email addresses.

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by: John McClelland @ Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 23:39:50 PM UTC