Legalizing Marijuana - Another Republican Scam?

[No Limit]

The Republican Party has a new voter registration project in Fresno. It involves luring people to sign a LEGALIZE MARIJUANA petition and then re-registering them as Republicans.

Legalizing Marijuana - A New Republican Strategy?
By Mike Rhodes

The attractive young woman says to me, "would you sign our petition to legalize marijuana?" I don’t have to think twice and say "sure, where do I sign?" That is when it got interesting. She says, "Do you have your ID with you?" "Well, yes I do, but what does that have to do with..." I say as she responds with "oh, we just have to verify your ID." Thinking that this has something to do with making sure they have valid names for a ballot initiative I comply.

As I’m filling out my name and address on the petition I notice that the young lady is filling out a very official looking form. Probably just the ballot initiative form, I think to myself. Then, she says "is it OK if I register you as a Republican?" "What?!?" I say "yes, I do mind! What are you doing?" She says that if I register Republican she will get an extra 10 cents. But, I complain, "I don’t want to re-register." She explains that this is just to update the records for the County Clerks office. I repeat that "I do not want or need to update my records." I am repeatedly told that it is OK and that they just want to update my voter registration records. She also tells me that she is working for the Republican party, being paid hourly, and that the ploy about the "10 cent bonus" was not accurate.

This Republican party employee goes on to tell me that she is there to attract people to the table that is set up in Fresno’s Courthouse Park, and that the legalize marijuana petition is just a prop. She confirmed that there is no ballot initiative to legalize marijuana. She said that the petition will be given to an elected official in Sacramento. I have my doubts about that.

At this point in the conversation, she called over her "boss" who was talking with someone a short distance away. I introduced myself as the editor of the Community Alliance newspaper and said I was interested in writing a story about the petition campaign and their registering people with the Republican party. I guess that wasn’t the right approach to get him to open up to me. The "boss" gave me no information. He even refused to give me a copy of the marijuana legalization petition I had just signed.

And:

I also went back to Courthouse Park today to see the Republican Party project was again in full operation. They seemed to have different approaches to different groups. To white men that looked like they might be attorneys, they asked if they were registered to vote. When Latinos walked by they would throw out the legalize marijuana angle.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/03/18294421.php

And they did a similar scam in 2004 which was a felony. The following is from a BBC documentary on efforts to disenfanchise voters:

GREG PALAST: Back in Tallahassee, another election scam surfaced which could sabotage thousands of voter registrations. It targeted students with liberal views. Election supervisor Ion Sancho discovered the scam struck close to home.

ION SANCHO: This, for example, is a copy of my step-daughter's voter registration from Orlando; and it is clear that her own handwriting filled in blocks two through fifteen. Apparently, a petition form was placed over the top of a voter registration form. It purported to tell the citizen they were signing a petition to legalize medical marijuana. The citizen filled it in, thinking that's what they were doing, and then after the voter had left, the individual fraudulently filled out lines one, the party change, making them a Republican now, and then fraudulently signed it, and then turned the application over to the election administrator. This form changed the voter's registration from Tallahassee to Orlando. And if this voter had not known me, and turned this information over to me, she may have been -- she may have been disenfranchised when she attempted to vote.

GREG PALAST: Is it a crime to misregister someone in that way?

ION SANCHO: It is a third degree felony to do this. It is an illegal act.

GREG PALAST: And the Republicans now admit it was their operatives who collected these thousands of suspect registrations, though the party denies it committed fraud. Civil rights experts in Washington fear the threat to a free and fair election is severe, and unprecedented. Ralph Neas is commander-in-chief of an army of 6,000 lawyers who will take up battle stations on election day, to protect voters from dirty tricks.

And before you reply that democrats do this illegal shit I want to see examples.

 

[Ennui]

oh, how low doth thine pathetic powermongers stoop!

 

[Gray Fox]

I don't think this reflects on the whole republican party, I'm sure some people in other parties have tried something like this too, in any case thnx for posting, people need to know about this

 

[DeusExMachina]

Wouldn't even Republicans see this as "striking low?"

 

[JNightshade]

Yeah, no kidding :|

 

[Ennui]

so much for having the moral upper hand in the war on drugs, idiots

 

[Sulkdodds]

Erm.

Gawd.

 

[Raziaar]

OMG the Republican party acts as one fluid entity! Every member is a tiny tentacle in the grand scheme of the great republican plan!

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

OMG the Republican party acts as one fluid entity! Every member is a tiny tentacle in the grand scheme of the great republican plan!

Vast right wing conspiracy.


That said I wouldn't have a problem signing that petition for legalization and then having my name added registered to the party. :thumbs:

 

[No Limit]

OMG the Republican party acts as one fluid entity! Every member is a tiny tentacle in the grand scheme of the great republican plan!

Raziaar and RakuraiTenjin, can you guys please actually read the article before posting?

She also tells me that she is working for the Republican party, being paid hourly, and that the ploy about the "10 cent bonus" was not accurate.

This Republican party employee goes on to tell me that she is there to attract people to the table that is set up in Fresno’s Courthouse Park, and that the legalize marijuana petition is just a prop.

the Republicans now admit it was their operatives who collected these thousands of suspect registrations, though the party denies it committed fraud.

This was not a individual that comitted these crimes.

 

[Raziaar]

The "Republican Party" is just as fragmented as the democratic party.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Raziaar and RakuraiTenjin, can you guys please actually read the article before posting?

Yeah see it doesn't have anything to do with me or Republicans in general, it has to do with that group doing forgery or whatever the charge would be.

 

[Raziaar]

Yeah see it doesn't have anything to do with me or Republicans in general, it has to do with that group doing forgery or whatever the charge would be.

Exactly. It's a fringe group doing some twisted things. Doesn't mean its endorsed or even secretly supported by the people they claim to represent.

"Har har har! This plan will be foolproof! All those damn hippies will sign up for our petition and really be signed on to be republicans and they'll never know! What a genius plan Mr. Bush! Har har har!"

 

[Sulkdodds]

I think he's positing that it's indicative of the general attitude of Republicans towards politics/people/voting/whatever.

Also, because the orders came from quite high up, and it happened in two seperate instances, I believe he is intimating that it may be a widespread policy.

/shrug

 

[Ennui]

Sulkdodds hit it.

 

[Raeven0]

it has to do with that group doing forgery

Which group happens to be... the Republican Party! :O!

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Which group happens to be... the Republican Party! :O!

Some random officials suddenly equals all republicans? No.

That is like me blaming "The Democratic Party" for the dead voter registrations etc that occured in Washington in the last election.

It was some officials doing fraud, not "all of the party"

 

[theotherguy]

heh. my dad is a die-hard democrat, but he's registered as a republican because he likes to vote against the leading candidate in the republican primaries.

 

[Raeven0]

Some random officials suddenly equals all republicans? No.

Because the officials certainly aren't representative of the party.

That is, unless they're doing stuff that you agree with :imu:

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Because the officials certainly aren't representative of the party.

Correct.

It's about the ideals/philosophy.

If you somehow hold Republican people accountable for this and will put it on a list of dislikes for just a random Republican you meet then you're dumb.

 

[No Limit]

Raziaar and Rakurai if I can find you evidance of stuff like this happening on a widespread basis, proving to you that this had to do with GOP officials at the highest of levels, and it is widely supported by republicans will you stop supporting the republicans on this board and in elections?

 

[Raziaar]

Raziaar and Rakurai if I can find you evidance of stuff like this happening on a widespread basis, proving to you that this had to do with GOP officials at the highest of levels, and it is widely supported by republicans will you stop supporting the republicans on this board and in elections?

Conduct a poll among ordinary republican citizens from all across the country... asking them what they think about it.

 

[No Limit]

Conduct a poll among ordinary republican citizens from all across the country... asking them what they think about it.

Just reply to the question please.

 

[Raziaar]

Just reply to the question please.

Why is everything so black and white for you? I don't follow or support everything republicans do, so I can't say whether or not I would.

What i'd like to see you provide, is proof that there is widespread support for it among ordinary republican citizens.

 

[No Limit]

I am not going to spend hours to get you this proof unless you admit to me that you will not support them anymore if I give you real proof that you can not dispute. Deal? This is not black and white. I know you said you leaned to the left a little and thats great but I still think you are willing to defend scum for no apperent reason.

 

[Raeven0]

If you somehow hold Republican people accountable for this and will put it on a list of dislikes for just a random Republican you meet then you're dumb.

Not sure where to begin with this one.

Yes, I will hold you and your ilk directly responsible for the actions of those whom you support. That's simply how society works, and no amount of bickering, complaining, or voodoo magic will change that. If you don't want to be held accountable when the people you support do stupid shit, you need to either find a better group to support or disown and disavow the ones who do stupid shit.

The latter case would involve a post kinda like this:

Those guys are an embarrassment to the Republican Party and all it stands for. They should be taken out and shot.

:bounce:

 

[Raziaar]

I am not going to spend hours to get you this proof unless you admit to me that you will not support them anymore if I give you real proof that you can not dispute. Deal? This is not black and white. I know you said you leaned to the left a little and thats great but I still think you are willing to defend scum for no apperent reason.

Where am I defending scum for no apparent reason?

Show me where. I haven't defended anybody in this thread.

 

[Raeven0]

This thread is funny.

"lol look at what the republicans are doing"
"because obviously ALL of them are involved"
"wait what? the lady works for the party, she said so herself"
"they arent republicans theyre just wacky californian officials"
"well the gop has done stuff like this before"
"how dare you lump all the republicans together!"
"wtf?"

 

[15357]

"Rpublican part = evil"
"some people =/= rer. party"
"n00b, yes they are."
"wtf?"

(At this moment, something strange began....)

"answer the question!" (huh?)
"provide proof!" (.......)
"NO! ANSWER THE QUESTION! STOP DEFENDING REPUBLICAN SCUM!" (..........................)
"I'm not defending..." (ok....)


...............

A little miscommunication?

 

[Raziaar]

That made less sense than this thread, numbers.

 

[15357]

Such was my intention.

 

[bliink]

Dont make me get the moderator baton of justice out on this thread!

 

[15357]

Long live bliink, the great enforcer of justice, the watcher hawk that protects the innocent, the sword of righteousness, the....

*runs out of propaganda*

 

[Sulkdodds]

Girls don't have swords of righteousness. They have attack wombs.

/me hides

 

[No Limit]

Where am I defending scum for no apparent reason?

Show me where. I haven't defended anybody in this thread.

I didn't say you defended anyone in this thread, I said I think you are willing to and time will prove me right. Why do I think that? Because you jumped on my ass over a thread showing republican fraud. You didn't post that the people doing that are terrible, you didn't post an example of democrats doing the same thing as I asked for in the OP. You instead posted that this thread is stupid. So I will ask you again, and please answer me, will you denounce the republican party if I can show this is widespread?

I know why you won't answer, because you are afraid that if I do show this (and I will) you won't be able to weasle yourself out of admitting that the party that I think you still support is filled with a bunch of immoral criminals.

 

[sinkoman]

I didn't say you defended anyone in this thread, I said I think you are willing to and time will prove me right.

I am not going to spend hours to get you this proof unless you admit to me that you will not support them anymore if I give you real proof that you can not dispute. Deal? This is not black and white.

Stop being a single minded jackass. Republicans are no more scummish than Democrats.

God, it's like this for almost all threads. You fail to see anything but your own fuzzy logic. You think "this must be wrong" and that's it for you. No if ands or buts.

Here we see you go "Republicans are bad. NOPE! ALL OF THEM! EVERY SINGLE ONE!"

Here.

I know you said you leaned to the left a little and thats great but I still think you are willing to defend scum for no apperent reason.

You act as if his beliefs and political tendencies are wrong, and that he has to make some sort of change to himself. Would leaning more to the right make him worse? I mean, after all, leaning to the left is THE ONLY GOOD DIRECTION, right?

This is the politics section. It has oppinions. If you can't be open to them then get out.

 

[Tyguy]

democrats are too busy saving the rainforests....

bring it on....im up for a big heated debate

 

[No Limit]

Stop being a single minded jackass. Republicans are no more scummish than Democrats.

No examples. What do I have to do to get you people to back up your posts with facts?

God, it's like this for almost all threads. You fail to see anything but your own fuzzy logic. You think "this must be wrong" and that's it for you. No if ands or buts.

Prove that my 'fuzzy logic' is wrong.

Here we see you go "Republicans are bad. NOPE! ALL OF THEM! EVERY SINGLE ONE!"

Yep. Every single one of them. Its not that they are bad people, its just that they are brainwashed beyond recovery and they are doing bad things to this country. But you don't want to discuss why that is with me or prove me wrong, you just want to ride my ass because you can't show how I am wrong. And I hate to sound like I am so full of myself, but the fact of the matter is I don't understand why all of you around here are so damn quick to attack me personally but will not engange in a serious discussion with me.

You act as if his beliefs and political tendencies are wrong, and that he has to make some sort of change to himself. Would leaning more to the right make him worse? I mean, after all, leaning to the left is THE ONLY GOOD DIRECTION, right?

This is the politics section. It has oppinions. If you can't be open to them then get out.

Oh, I am open to your opinons, if you are willing to seriously defend those opinions or atleast understand why you have those opinions. People like you and Raziaar and ghost and others can not seem to explain to me nor anyone else why they hold those opinions. Instead you trying to defend those opinions you find it easier calling me a jackass, thank you oh smart one.

 

[15357]

This is not a debate. This is some sort of hate-induced borderline flame fest.

 

[No Limit]

This is not a debate. This is some sort of hate-induced borderline flame fest.

Started by who?