This was an epic takedown even by Daily Show standards. John Fund came off like an amateurish doofus College Republican.

/Project X needs more love

keylock71: Of course... These measures have nothing to do with "fraud" and everything to do with keeping certain people from voting.

None of these clowns championing this crap can point out any widespread voter fraud.

I went around and around on Voter ID laws recently with a conservative friend of mine. Like you saw in the video, the justification wasn't that there is voter fraud going on now, but more a counterattack of "What is the mythical voting bloc you are protecting here? People who aren't engaged enough to know what they need to go vote? To update their voter registration?"

And also "Why are you opposed to people proving at the polls that they are who they say they are?"

Apparently, there has been some research that shows that Voter ID laws and voter purges do disenfranchise Democrats and Republicans equally. I can only hope that's true.

But but but they found almost 100...insignificance does not begin to capture the futility of this exercise.

Mentat: How many times is this same basic story going to be repeated?

Republicans scream bloody murder about voter fraud.
Statistically insignificant instances of voter fraud are discovered, usually perpetuated by Republicans.
Republicans make some crack about dead voters in Chicago in 1968.

Yea, but Acorn and furthermore.

Libs and reality win this round.

/Vote Republican

In related news, no one has been charged with a crime related to the 2008 financial collapse. So it is our finding that no crimes occurred related to the financial collapse.

The issue isn't as bad as Republicans like to believe but also isn't as non-existent as Democrats like to believe.

keylock71: These measures have nothing to do with "fraud" and everything to do with keeping certain people from voting.

^^^ This one^^^ It's the political equivalent of "think of the children!" Come up with an excuse that is difficult to attack like babies or puppies or butterflies and whatnot and then just use that as your reason to do whatever you want. We're gonna purge a specific list of voters. Why? Voter fraud. You're not pro-voter fraud, are you? Are you actually for allowing ineligible voters to get through?!@# You bastard! This may shock people but the union thing in Wisconsin wasn't actually about the budget. Apparently a majority of WI voters were unaware of that.

NateGrey: Libs and reality win this round.

/Vote Republican

Not if they close their eyes and imagine a world where Jesus-loving white landowners still rule all with divine fiat.

Denial and delusion can be very comforting in troubling times. What do you do when the world does not conform to your views and opinions? Pretend it does.

<b><a href="http://www.fark.com/comments/7160387/77456521#c77456521" target="_blank">whidbey</a>:</b> <i>The voter fraud in Florida... I mean it's totally imaginary

Is this some kind of revisionist feel-good sentiment to distract us from the fact voter fraud did actually occur in Florida in the 2000 election?

I'm guessing yes.</i>


I know this probably sounds like splitting hairs, but that was "Electoral Fraud".

Voter Fraud is when people actually cast ballots illegally which hasn't really happened in over 40 years on a scale large enough to sway an election. Usually it has to do with felons who didn't realize they couldn't vote anymore casting ballots in the handful of cases that it happens.

Voter Registration Fraud is when people illegally register to vote. That's what they were accusing ACORN of doing even though ACORN was flagging registrations they thought were shady because it was actually illegal for them to NOT turn the Mickey Mouse ones in.

Brubold: In related news, no one has been charged with a crime related to the 2008 financial collapse. So it is our finding that no crimes occurred related to the financial collapse.

The issue isn't as bad as Republicans like to believe but also isn't as non-existent as Democrats like to believe.

Hehe, yeah Democrats say there are zero cases of voter fraud all the time. Those tards.

States obviously have a compelling state interest in guaranteeing that only legitimate citizens of America vote. Furthermore, I believe that legitimate citizens of America love the ideals of this country like the ability to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and start your own business. Therefore, I move that all American jurisdictions only allow people who can certify that they are the owner and/or CEO of a business be allowed to vote.

Discuss.

vpb: They did find two guys who might possibly have voted illegally. They only disenfranchised a few thousand legitimate voters. That's a good ratio.

Thousands (democrats) disenfranchised to stop 2 fraudulent (democrats) voters is a great ratio for the FL GOP.

FishyFred: This was an epic takedown even by Daily Show standards. John Fund came off like an amateurish doofus College Republican.

/Project X needs more love

*blankstare*

But the point is...

/no point.

Watched this last night and enjoyed as much watching it again now. Especially when Fund would get blasted and do blank stare and 'but the point is'. Even better was the lady at the polling place when told about Fund, "Who?"

keylock71: Of course... These measures have nothing to do with "fraud" and everything to do with keeping certain people from voting.

None of these clowns championing this crap can point out any widespread voter fraud.

And this is also behind the urgency to get rid of Holder. They know he's not having any of this shiat, and the GOP "case" will fall apart when they actually need to present facts instead of rhetorical derp. The anti-gay movement in California learned this harsh lesson already.

Brubold: The issue isn't as bad as Republicans like to believe but also isn't as non-existent as Democrats like to believe.

Both sides are bad?

Not this time. This time, only one side is bad.

FlashHarry: voter fraud is like the liberal media - a complete and utter fabrication of the right. not only that, the right actually perpetrates what they rail against, committing wholesale voter fraud by disenfranchising thousands of american voters and getting a free pass from what studies prove time and again is a conservative-leaning mainstream media.

the republican party: lying and cheating its way to power since 1994 politics.

FTFY

Serious Black: States obviously have a compelling state interest in guaranteeing that only legitimate citizens of America vote. Furthermore, I believe that legitimate citizens of America love the ideals of this country like the ability to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and start your own business. Therefore, I move that all American jurisdictions only allow people who can certify that they are the owner and/or CEO of a business be allowed to vote.

Discuss.

You have failed to address one fundamental issue - some citizens are more bootstrappy than others. It seems clear they know more, love their country more and work harder and have more skin in the game.

My kid had this contest at school as a fundraiser where whoever collected the most money in change won. Perhaps we can apply to national politics. Whichever candidate raises the most money wins, plain and simple. All you have to do is check for counterfit bills and whatnot to eliminate fraud.

Think about it, it wouldn't be much different from what we have now.

MFK: <b><a href="http://www.fark.com/comments/7160387/77456521#c77456521" target="_blank">whidbey</a>:</b> <i>


I know this probably sounds like splitting hairs, but that was "Electoral Fraud".

Voter Fraud is when people actually cast ballots illegally which hasn't really happened in over 40 years on a scale large enough to sway an election to even be measured in a meaningful way. Usually it has to do with felons who didn't realize they couldn't vote anymore casting ballots in the handful of cases that it happens.


FTFY

FishyFred: This was an epic takedown even by Daily Show standards. John Fund came off like an amateurish doofus College Republican.

/Project X needs more love

Man, these Daily Show interviewers are great with the totally blown away look, too when someone says something in the super-derp range.

LouDobbsAwaaaay: Brubold: In related news, no one has been charged with a crime related to the 2008 financial collapse. So it is our finding that no crimes occurred related to the financial collapse.

The issue isn't as bad as Republicans like to believe but also isn't as non-existent as Democrats like to believe.

There have been no actual investigations into criminal activity surrounding the 2008 financial collapse, whereas, time after time, voter fraud investigations turn up nothing.

Where are these magical, invisible voter fraud cases that you are so sure exist? The GOP screamed and raved about the Walker recall petitions being saturated in phony names. The GAB did a thorough investigation, and found 4. At least 2 of which were intentionally put there by Walker supporters, bringing the occurrence rate down to ~0.0002%.

Double-dipping at the polls is a high-risk, practically-no-reward enterprise. There is no reason to bother, and nobody can find any trace of it occurring on any scale that isn't absurdly small. So why the fark do conservatives continue to pretend it's a problem?

Because soshulizms. Duh.

If you can't provide ID you can't vote. Period.

That's what the sign outside of every polling place should say. You provide ID to buy beer and you can't do it to vote?

We have had to show picture ID (or equivalent for those with out a drivers license) here for years before voting and nobody cares because it is the sane thing to do. You show it at the door and you show it before you actually walk into the booth to vote.

I think this thread is now driving off the Voter ID cliff. Don't forget that the issue in Florida is PURGES OF THE VOTER ROLLS, which is arguably far worse.

barneyfifesbullet: If you can't provide ID you can't vote. Period.

That's what the sign outside of every polling place should say. You provide ID to buy beer and you can't do it to vote?

We have had to show picture ID (or equivalent for those with out a drivers license) here for years before voting and nobody cares because it is the sane thing to do. You show it at the door and you show it before you actually walk into the booth to vote.

Do you support making IDs free and available with no more travel than is required to get to the polling place?

Mentat: How many times is this same basic story going to be repeated?

Republicans scream bloody murder about voter fraud.
Statistically insignificant instances of voter fraud are discovered, usually perpetuated by Republicans.
Republicans make some crack about dead voters in Chicago in 1968.

There is no voter fraud!

Well how do you know?

Because there are no convictions.

Hard to convict when we don't even check who the person is when they vote...

But we don't need to, there is no voter fraud!

...

Btw, nbc2 in Florida went and talked to immigrants, non citizens, and found many stating they voted regularly. The feds won't give Florida access to their immigration database so Florida had.to resort to dmv records, which is less accurate. The doj did ok this in 2010 and waited until now to complain.

So the answer is "the voting officials, who are dragging their feet as much as they can, have managed to find a hundred or so, and convict a couple, despite all of that."

So, we're talking 20% vs .0004%. That is 50 THOUSAND times the number. Let's assume for a moment that there actually IS "voter fraud"... Do you really think that the percentage of detected fraud vs. stuff people get away with is a 50,000 TIMES the difference?

barneyfifesbullet: If you can't provide ID you can't vote. Period.

Why

MyRandomName: Mentat: How many times is this same basic story going to be repeated?

Republicans scream bloody murder about voter fraud.
Statistically insignificant instances of voter fraud are discovered, usually perpetuated by Republicans.
Republicans make some crack about dead voters in Chicago in 1968.

There is no voter fraud!

Well how do you know?

Because there are no convictions.

Hard to convict when we don't even check who the person is when they vote...

But we don't need to, there is no voter fraud!

There aren't any convictions because there is never any evidence.

Remember when Bush fired a bunch of federal judges because they wouldn't play ball with his admin's desires to push election fraud cases with no evidence? We do.

barneyfifesbullet: If you can't provide ID you can't vote. Period.

That's what the sign outside of every polling place should say. You provide ID to buy beer and you can't do it to vote?

We have had to show picture ID (or equivalent for those with out a drivers license) here for years before voting and nobody cares because it is the sane thing to do. You show it at the door and you show it before you actually walk into the booth to vote.

I have a question. Which is a worse problem: letting a person who is ineligible to vote cast a ballot, or preventing a person who is eligible to vote from casting a ballot?

barneyfifesbullet: If you can't provide ID you can't vote. Period.

That's what the sign outside of every polling place should say. You provide ID to buy beer and you can't do it to vote?

We have had to show picture ID (or equivalent for those with out a drivers license) here for years before voting and nobody cares because it is the sane thing to do. You show it at the door and you show it before you actually walk into the booth to vote.


So nice of you to set up a straw man here.

What Florida is doing is way past requiring a photo ID. They are purging voters from eligibility by de-registering among others, combat veterans and people who have been voting for years. They also have essentially eliminated voter registration drives by requiring that within 48 hours of signature the registration forms be turned in with no exceptions for weekends or holidays. They further have restricted/eliminated a large portion of the time when people can early vote, including the Sunday before the elections when traditionally African-American churches had mass votes of people.

This hasn't happened, and it won't happen, and THAT is why it must be stopped.

Awesome

lennavan: Serious Black: States obviously have a compelling state interest in guaranteeing that only legitimate citizens of America vote. Furthermore, I believe that legitimate citizens of America love the ideals of this country like the ability to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and start your own business. Therefore, I move that all American jurisdictions only allow people who can certify that they are the owner and/or CEO of a business be allowed to vote.

Discuss.

You have failed to address one fundamental issue - some citizens are more bootstrappy than others. It seems clear they know more, love their country more and work harder and have more skin in the game.

My kid had this contest at school as a fundraiser where whoever collected the most money in change won. Perhaps we can apply to national politics. Whichever candidate raises the most money wins, plain and simple. All you have to do is check for counterfit bills and whatnot to eliminate fraud.

Think about it, it wouldn't be much different from what we have now.

Well, obviously we should let the citizens who are the most bootstrappy have votes that count more. I'm not sold on simply counting up the money that each candidate raises and naming the person with the most money the winner though. If we force people to donate, that irreparably harms the donators by killing their businesses since they are the sources of their money. I think we should just scale people's votes by their net worth. Somebody like Bill Gates gets 10 billion votes, while somebody who owns a neighborhood barbershop gets just one vote. Deal?

HotWingConspiracy: MyRandomName: Mentat: How many times is this same basic story going to be repeated?

Remember when Bush fired a bunch of federal judges US attorneys because they wouldn't play ball with his admin's desires to push election fraud cases with no evidence? We do.

FTFY Federal Judges have lifetime appointments and can only be "fired" by way of impeachment. Some may argue that the US Attorneys in most cases were not fired only not reappointed, but that is really a stretch as well.