Bush, the Unelected President

The Secretary of State in Ohio has announced the results of a study that shows the electronic voting machines used in Ohio are badly flawed. Other stories here and here.

Soon after the 2004 election, I begin hearing stories that something had gone terribly wrong in Ohio. There was stuff such as accounts of how the Republicans had mounted a very large operation to suppress voting in minority neighborhoods. There were accounts that the difference in voting results from polling data and the results could not be explained by statistical errors. There were stories of inaccuracies and other problems with the voting machines. Taken altogether, I came to the conclusion that the presidential election in Ohio in 2004 was neither free nor fair and that Bush, therefore, retained his status as an unelected and illegitimate president.

Worst of all, though, was the GOP's "suppress the vote" operation. Let me be clear about this: This was no different, other than in degree, from the past use of nightriders, beatings and murders to keep Blacks from voting.