Deafening Silence

from Major Tom's dKos diary about why we should be screaming about voter fraud irregularities:

... I fully agree with Tocque DeVille that the media as well as the blog masters have been so deafeningly silent when they should be our rally leaders.

Frankly, I don't understand the silence; but it is there. And I don't really know the exact reasons why. However, I do know  that if we do not make this cause the most preeminent issue of the day right now, then we are going to have the same situation repeat itself in 2006 and 2008, and God only knows how long after that. Yep, it'll be that Deja Vu Stuff All Over Again.

You know, because seemingly passive Democrats and the National Media did NOT scream to high heavens about the Florida election irregularities right up until the time of the passage of "The Help America Vote Act" (HAVA), what we actually got was something even worse than what we already had.

He's right - why are so many of the prominent voices in Blogistan, of all places, so quiet?  Please read the rest of this post.  The twenty examples of actionable fraud alone are worth the click.  But read it mostly because Tom hits on the salient point of the entire debate:

How is Res Ipsa Loquitor applicable here? Well, in theory, when something goes awry concerning an object or instrumentality which is in the exclusive control of a person or persons, be it equipment or the like, and that failure does not normally occur without fault or without negligence, then the burden to prove that the object or the machine did not malfunction in a certain way then legally shifts to the owner or exclusive possessor of that very object or machine. 

Respectfully, under the principles of this specific, time-tested legal doctrine, I would contend that Diebold, et al., should be required to prove how any of its vote machines malfunctioned in any given instance, or put another way, they should have the burden of proof to demonstrate that all of its machines functioned properly, just as they were intended to function.  You know, when you really think about the fact that our democracy itself happens to be at stake, that isn't asking a whole lot. 

    

Over the weekend, I heard Barack Obama interviewed on the Rhandi Rhodes show.  He wanted to talk about points of commonality he could find with the GOP.  She wanted to talk about counting all the votes in Ohio.  She wanted to talk about voter election fraud.  He said to her, "Oh, you're going to keep gnawing that bone."  Gnawing that bone?   That's our leadership.  And maybe the new senator has to play nice.  What's our excuse?

Comments

[Ron Brynaert]

I followed your trackback from Atrios (who happens to be one of "the blog masters [who] have been so deafeningly silent") But, at least, he hasn't been as bad as Kos and some of his henchmen (kid oakland, for example).

Cool blog. I'll check you out later. I heard that Randi Rhodes interview too...and it pissed me off...even worse, I saw Obama on network television on November 3rd before Kerry conceded...and he didn't say a word. I'll never forget that.

Why Are We Back In Iraq?

[eRobin]

It's so maddening. Yglesias and Drum I didn't expect much from. And Wonkette, the corporate media's favorite blogger, is useless - which is why she's their favorite blogger. But Josh Marshall, Kos and Atrios are huge disappointments.

[shari]

Agree with you, eRobin.

I know there was a huge todo about big bloggers selling out awhile back. It wasn't hugely obvious back then (like you, I don't expect much from Drum and Yglesias and, egads, Wonkette) but now, it's a whole different ballgame.

What happened?

[JD]

Thanks for the heads-up on the lack of Obama's principles. The only time I've seen him was his acceptance speech on election night, and I was not impressed.

Thought you might be interested in this:

http://medianalysis.typepad.com/louisxiv/2004/12/and_they_call_t.html