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Vote Swapping Ruled Legal

cayenne8 writes "During the 2000 election, some sites were set up for people across the nation to agree to swap votes, among them voteswap2000.com and votexchange2000.com. They were established mainly to benefit the third-party candidate Ralph Nader without throwing local elections to George Bush. The state of California threatened to prosecute these sites under criminal statues, and many of them shut down. On Monday the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the vote-swap sites were legal (ruling here, PDF). The court held that '...the websites' vote-swapping mechanisms as well as the communication and vote swaps they enabled were constitutionally protected' and California's spurious threats violated the First Amendment. The 9th Circuit also said the threats violated the US Constitution's Commerce Clause.'"

6 of 496 comments (clear)

  1. Re:This would be a good idea if... by plague3106 · · Score: 0, Troll

    Bullshit. Typical mindless bashing of a system you don't understand. If you dont' like how your state divides the electoral votes, work to change it.

    That's the great thing about state rights: you have MUCH more control over your state than the federal government.

    Here's an explaination of why the EC was created: http://www.maitreg.com/politics/articles/electoral college.asp

  2. Re:Just Democrats by mosch · · Score: 1, Troll

    Yes, but from that point of view, it's a far sight better than a spoiler vote for a Democrat,

    This is only true if you're an idiotic fuck who listens to what the Republican party says, instead of watching what they do.

    They increase spending at rates that vastly outpace that of democrats, and they increase deficit spending at a ludicrous rate.

    I know some short-sighted people will point out "but they cut my taxes ever so slightly", and that's lovely... but it's only lovely if it's done in the context of something that at least remotely resembles a balanced budget and reasonable spending.

    When done while paired with GOP spending, it is simply creating an inevitable catastrophe, and helping to destroy the value of the dollar.

    Only a fool would love that outcome.

  3. Re:Just Democrats by GreyPoopon · · Score: 1, Troll

    They increase spending at rates that vastly outpace that of democrats, and they increase deficit spending at a ludicrous rate.

    Please don't interpret this as a defense of the Republican Party, but you have made this claim twice now without citing a source to back it up. You also ignore the fact that a large portion of the deficit spending at least started because of the drop in tax revenues when the economy went belly up. (although that probably pales in comparison to the spending in Iraq)
    --

    GreyPoopon
    --
    Why is it I can write insightful comments but can't come up with a clever signature?

  4. Re:If vote swapping is legal, then... by jd · · Score: 0, Troll
    Now, do I waste my time by pointing out the difference between students and population, or on pointing out that real-term costs must factor in both the increase in population (NOT the increase in students) and the rate of inflation?

    Should I waste my time in noting that it is utterly unimportant how the US compares to other countries? A world of cavemen isn't substantially advanced by having one pool of slightly brighter cavemen. If some percentage of the population is not reaching their potential at school and then spends the rest of their life back-sliding into ignorance and mental decay, then what possible significance does it hold if other nations are worse?

    Is it worth my while pointing out the number of managers who got promoted through the ranks but are now so far behind the curve that they are mentally incapable of management or intellectually capable of setting meaningful goals and objectives? Why do you think so many people hold management in contempt? It's not just the MBAs that are rotting from the insides of their skull out, it's anyone and everyone who is so focussed on the here-and-now that next week passed them by last year.

    Show me an American who likes their long hours, the high job instability and the ignorance, and I'll show you a fruitcake who is probably in politics or management.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  5. Re:Just Democrats by mosch · · Score: 1, Troll

    There are things called primaries.

    In those primaries Republicans went out and voted for these folks. They did so out of a large field.

    So yes, Republicans went out, and a majority of them said "we think that these oil company neoconservatives are the best choice to represent Republican values."

    This was not a "lesser evil" versus the Democrats, as you contend. You do so only because, like most GOPers, you have an aversion to truth, and a desire to rewrite history.

  6. Re:Can this be... by RexRhino · · Score: 0, Troll

    I used to be one of those people who said you have to vote for your candidate in order to eventually force a third party. The idea is a good one. We need a third party. Today when people profess to me the same ideology I simply say to them...... Bush! And all those Democrats who hated Kerry but voted for him anyway, just to stop Bush, what did they get? Bush!

    You sold out like a bitch to win an election, and you didn't even win! Hahahaha! Suckers!