“Get Out the Vet” to face down voter intimidation
Former special operations troops are going into Philadelphia today to counteract the effect of any Black Panther folks who might be tempted to repeat their performance of the last election there and try to intimidate voters since the Justice Department doesn’t seem willing to protect voters, according to the Philly Post;
Former Navy Captain Benjamin Brink is leading the operation. “The nation saw the video of members of the Black Panthers in Philadelphia intimidating people trying to vote in 2008,” Brink told me when I interviewed him during my radio show on IQ 106.9. “We are going to try and make certain that nothing like that happens this year.”
Brink claims to have over a hundred former Army Rangers, Navy Seal, Delta Force, Green Berets and others who have volunteered for duty. The idea of Navy Seals and Black Panthers getting into it at a Philly polling site gives a whole new incentive for casting a ballot. “Our guys aren’t easily intimidated,” adds Brink.
Don’t let the bravado fool you. The mission, according to the Captain, is to observe and report, not to engage. “We are going to watch for intimidation, videotape it, if possible, and report it to the proper authorities.”
Although Philadelphia will be one of the cities where the organization “Get Out the Vet” will have poll watchers, they’ll be spread out across the country. Brink claims that you probably won’t notice the folks watching your polling place “These men are trained to be ghosts”.
Thanks to Barnabas for the link.
Category: 2012 election
Simply brilliant!
I hope that skinny little, foul mouthed, club carrying, Black Panther punk shows up and tries to intimidate one of these men … and someone captures it on video tape.
Now there is a CNN news clip I will watch!
I’m going to video tape where ever I am…Ben Jealous is causing problems in Durham, NC by claiming whites are intimidating blacks and it.just.ain’t.happening. This guy is just hoping he can create problems.
Calm heads for all hands, please.
Mike
I don’t expect to see much of that where I go to vote, but in Chicago? — oooh! yikes! What if Chicago is so desperate to get Dem votes that they only hand out ballots with Dem candidates on them? I’ve heard of stranger things.
Upside to being stationed so close to Philly, it will be on local news all day once it starts.
Ballot box tampering in Chicago — classic!!
http://www.wgntv.com/news/elections/wgntv-election-judges-fired-after-allegations-of-tampering-20121105,0,1257211.story
Black Panthers are at the polling stations in Philly already.
Yep, just saw some pics.
@7: 4 of them were photographed outside the main entrance to a polling place in Cleveland, yesterday.
No voter intimidation there at all. Nope.
Meh. This kind of thing would make me more likely to vote.
The new black panthers are back at the same polling place they were at in 2008 http://foxnewsinsider.com/2012/11/06/just-in-member-of-new-black-panther-party-watches-philadelphia-polling-place/
Eric Holder is not available for comment.
Of course they are. This is what happens when the Attorney General refuses to prosecute “his people” for federal crimes. We get more of the same.
If they continue to smile and open doors for little old ladies, I have no problem with them being there. But, it’s good to know that we have friends there monitoring the monitors.
Uh oh, remember “ghost” is code word for racist… so is veteran, seal, ranger, military, and any other word that the new black panthers deems is against them. Because we all know the NBP is all about peace, love, and communism!
Not intimidating to you or I, but what about a 18 year old college kid or 80 year old lady? No one should be at the polling locations but polling employees.
I said there will be difficulties today, not just AT the polls, but also GETTING to the polls. Here’s one sample.
http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-new-polling-places-create-confusion-in-cook-county-20121106,0,4483868.story
Confusion in Cook County? No – say it ain’t so!!
Can’t believe this is happening again — appalling.
I’m certain that there will be similar reports through the entire state of Illinois.
Before I forget to mention it, Duckworth has been slamming her GOP opponent, Walsh, for weeks, so much so that his own mostly-grown children went on TV and demanded that she quit lying about him and get off his back.
Politics as usual in the great corn-fed state of Illinois. I shall check things down in Bloomington, Decatur, and points south.
Just to show that only a few things have changed since the Eisenhower days in downstate Illinois:
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/herald-review.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/a4/1a43ab72-0bf9-11e2-9cbd-0019bb2963f4/5069e65953fa6.preview-620.jpg
The caption didn’t travel with that photo:
1951: Since 1885, Lake City residents have met in the general store at Lake City to exchange news and discuss the world situation while doing a bit of shopping. Sam Dawson, store owner, sits at the right chatting with two customers, Kenneth Ping, left, and Everett Ault, half brother of one of the store’s founders. (H&R file photo)
Does CAPT Bailey know about/approve of this group?
If he don’t, I certainly won’t…
More importantly @24, do we give a rat’s ass if he doesn’t?
Hmmmm…Magic 8-Ball says, “Go eat a fat bag of dicks, troll.”
Go get a fork.
To put things in perspective about Illinois, from the Bloomington Pantagraph “How Time Flies”:
100 years ago
Nov. 6, 1912: Woodrow Wilson was elected President of the United States over President William Howard Taft. Wilson carried McLean County, which is rare for a Democrat. Crowds gathered outside The Pantagraph and Bulletin buildings to watch projected returns.
75 years ago
Nov. 6, 1937: Dan Patch, the famous race horse, had several sons. One of them, Dan Directum, lives on the John Kent farm north of Gridley. “Little Dan” is 23 years old and has been at Kent’s for the past 15 years. Like his father, “Little Dan” was a pacer in his time.
50 years ago
Nov. 6, 1962: Central Illinois people ingested an estimated 1.44 million calories in the fight against polio. The calories were in about 160,000 sugar cubes containing the doses of the Sabin oral vaccine. There will be a makeup day for people who missed.
25 years ago
Nov. 6, 1987: The State of Illinois still has no official fossil. Governor Thompson has vetoed a bill that would have made the tully monster the official fossil of the state of Illinois. Lawmakers’ efforts to override the veto fell short.
Just want you all to know that we out here in the cornfields have our priorities straight.
Weasel Zippers is showing that there is a huge mural painted on a wall inside a Philly Polling place.
Republican Poll inspectors were being forced out until a judge ruled to let them back in.
They are seriously trying to steal this election.
Black Panthers in Ohio as well. And this report from Wendy Long in NY: “This morning when I went to vote, a poll worker who was at the scanner, studied my private ballot and proceeded to tell me that it was rejected because I did not ‘fill in every space.’ She then proceeded to indicate that I should mark the Democratic line all the way down. The poll worker said, ‘you have to fill in all of THESE, all the way down,” indicating the whole line at the far left of the ballot, saying ‘you can’t leave any blank.'” I said, “I’m sorry, but that just can’t be the case …. that would force me to vote for people I don’t want to vote for.” She insisted again, that every office had to be filled out or the ballot would be rejected. And I said again “I don’t want to vote for those people!” I protested again and said that I wanted to feed my ballot into the scanner as I had filled it out. She eventually relented saying ‘well you can TRY it’ — meaning she would allow me to put it in the scanner. It obviously worked. I had just remarked to all the poll workers, before I filled in my ballot, that we were all very fortunate to have heat and water and electricity. It is heartbreaking, especially in these trying times for New York City with thousands of voters displaced from their homes and their polling locations, that poll workers would behave in this way, and through intent or ignorance, work to distort the outcome of an election and violate an individual’s right to vote for whomever he or she chooses. I urge all voters to know your rights when you vote. You can ask for help in how to operate the scanner, but your ballot is private and cannot and should not be inspected. You do not have to vote in every office, or fill in every oval. Vote only for the candidates whom YOU want to vote for. Finally, question authority – poll workers… Read more »
Eh, given an equal question of who is more intimidating, some random Black Panther and some random SOF guy, I’d lean towards the SOF guy. That doesn’t mean they’ll be actively trying to intimidate people, but it can happen. On either side. Let’s just ease up on the panic and fear and let people vote.
As an amusing side note, this story made me laugh – a group called ‘True the Vote’ apparently was so concerned with fair elections that they… may have forged signatures:
http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/19334
(Yes, they’re conservative – let’s not pretend that that means they’re immune from moments of pure idiocy if this is indeed true.)
More shadiness…
Philly GOP: Poll inspectors being ousted for Dems
http://washingtonexaminer.com/philly-gop-poll-inspectors-being-ousted-for-dems/article/2512714#.UJkm9sXA-4d
@27, I believe it was 70 Republican poll workers that got the boot.
@29, It don’t matter what party they are from. If they attempt voter fraud they need to pay the price.
@Twist I don’t remember the number of workers but it was within several wards and were being replaced with democratic workers.
Look at the picture at this link. This is at a polling site: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/06/judge-issuing-order-to-reinstate-booted-philadelphia-election-officials/
Nik, the judge should order that polling site moved. Where’s Instupid, I’m sure he’d tell us this is all perfectly legal.
I believe that was in one of the polling places that the Republicans were being forced out.
Hundreds of former senior military leaders have taken out an ad in Monday’s Washington Times newspaper declaring their support for Republican Mitt Romney, a rare if not unprecedented action in the final days of a presidential campaign.
“We, the undersigned, proudly support Governor Mitt Romney as our nation’s next President and Commander-in-Chief,” says the advertisement, which is signed by some 500 retired flag and general officers representing major branches of the U.S. military.
James J. Carey, a retired Navy rear admiral, told friends and colleagues in a written message that it was important for the group “to take a public stand on how very important it is that our fellow Americans choose a new Commander-in-Chief” on Tuesday. Carey is national chairman of the National Defense Committee.
The dissatisfaction with Obama among many former military leaders runs the gamut — from his handling of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, to his possible allowing of billions of dollars in prospective defense cuts, to his presiding over a dour economy over the last four years, according to interviews with two local signatories.
Retired Rear Adm. George K. Worthington, a former SEAL commander, noted the deaths of two ex-SEALs among the four killed during the consulate attack in Lybia. The former SEALs, both government contractors, were Glen Doherty of Encinitas and Tyrone Woods of Imperial Beach.
Obama will win the 2012 Presidential Election. Polls and Opinions were always irrelevant in this Election. . The only chance that Conservatives ever had to win the 2012 Presidential Election was to nominate a minority candidate like Herman Cain or Marco Rubio. With Obama in office, no conservative could ever possibly be elected unless they were Black or Hispanic. Republicans needed to find a credible Minority candidate for President…they did not… so they will lose this Election. You can listen to political analysis all day long. They will NEVER state the real reason why Obama won this 2012 Election. It is Politically Incorrect to say Obama won….. because his opponent Romney was White…..but that is the indisputable fact. Americans NEVER would have tolerated the Benghazi farce with a White President…it would have been 100 times worse then Watergate. Nobody died in Watergate…yet Nixon was forced to resign. If Obama was White he would never get re-elected based on his record and rhetoric. There is no way to overcome Obama’s Blackness…. and his Black and Minority supporters wanting to give him a second chance. The United States Affirmative Action Policy means that Blacks are held to lower performance standards in education and employement…so why should the Presidents job be any different? Obama Supporters know that Obama’s Economic Policies were ineffective. The majority of jobs were created for and by the Government. Obama supporters use this logic: “Obama needs more time.” (it sounds to me as an excuse for a mentally challenged individual), .I have listened to Black people give reasons why they are voting for Obama in 2012. I have not heard any reason that is based on fact or the truth. It is a vote of Skin Color Solidarity. I understand this reasoning. In fact I support it. If I had Black Skin Color…. I would have voted for Obama in both 2008 and 2012. I just want the National Media (and the Voters) to be up front and honest. Whi not just come out and say what everybody already knows. This is why race relations will not improve. Nobody… Read more »
Sparky-
WTH dude? No troll here. I just don’t trust someone, anyone, on the last week/days with something like this. Claiming to have these SOF dudes lined up for this. Yeah, he can ‘claim’ all he wants. I just think other similar entities would have made notice and endorsed or commented, that’s all…
And people wonder why Americans are very jaded on the election process. Election judge wearing a very non-partisan hat to the proceedings.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/election-judge-wears-obama-cap-while-checking-voters-obamas-chicago-ward_661843.html
@37 White Americans are the majority in 49 of the 50 states, I believe. The problem isn’t that a white candidate couldn’t win, it’s that Romney isn’t a strong candidate. There’s no question he’s a decent businessman, and I imagine a decent human being, but this is the same man who, in the primaries, Republicans were running from.
We’ll see how it turns out, but I’m very curious how you think a white Republican couldn’t win when white voters dominate in all but one states?
@ Twist: I’m in complete agreement. Fraud of any kind, by either party, is a bad thing. And some is bound to happen, unfortunately, but the hope is its overzealous idiots on either side and not something systemic.
For every example posted here of strange things happening, I’m quite sure I can find a matching example over at some liberal site. I hope, either way, the victory is clear enough that we’re not seeing chaos come midnight or thereafter.
I suspect rather strongly, given the auto-recount in some states, that we won’t know by midnight PST.
These former SOF guys aren’t going to be intimidating….because nobody will even know they are there.
That’s kinda their forte…
And for those who want a break from all the election mayhem, here’s a bizarre yet interesting story about the pilot of the F117 pilot who was shot down in Serbia… and how he’s friends with the guy who shot him down:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20209770
Wow, Nik, just wow. I’m pretty sure that this is going to be a close election and that tonight will not decide the Presidency. I have a feeling we are in for weeks of recounts not matter which side is declared victor tonight.
I was refering to your link, but it looks like with what you posted in #42 while I was typing, is that we are in agreement.
@Nik: I’ll actually take that bet. If Obama takes Ohio, Colorado and Iowa, which I expect he will, he’ll win. The important one there is Ohio, which if he takes by more than 1% does not trigger a recount (I think?).. and I think he’ll have 1.4-1.8%. At that point, recounts in other states don’t matter. If FL goes Romney, it still isn’t enough.
What other states do people think will be in the margin where a recount happens? FL and OH were the two I see, with FL being more likely but unnecessary if the scenario above plays out.
VA, you can request a recount. PA has a recount law in play as I understand it.
And, there are paths to 270 that don’t include Ohio. They’re more difficult, but it is possible.
Update on the Mural thing. Strangely enough, it seems Common Sense prevailed.
http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/breaking-news/judge-days-mural-must-be-covered-click-to-read-why-didn-t-they-just-do-it-did-it-really-take-a-judge/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnewsinsider%2Fgretawire+%28Gretawire%29
Strange things have happened. In 2000 If Bush hadn’t of won Alaska he would have been sitting at 268 and Gore would have been sitting at 269 electoral votes.