The stolen election of 2000, when Bush first became president due to a 5-4 vote of the Supreme Court and voter suppression laws of Florida -- and the valid doubts about Ohio in 2004 sure have made the "electorate suspicious."

But they are not "suspicious beyond redemption"

There are humongous efforts by many, many groups and tens of thousands of people to carefully watch these elections and make sure they are honest.

The justified suspicions of the electorate have propelled -- humongous -- just humongous concern and action: Congressional groups, those in charge of state elections, private groups like ACORN, NAACP, Unions and Universities -- the candidates themselves.

The media also is ...

The stolen election of 2000, when Bush first became president due to a 5-4 vote of the Supreme Court and voter suppression laws of Florida -- and the valid doubts about Ohio in 2004 sure have made the "electorate suspicious."

But they are not "suspicious beyond redemption"

There are humongous efforts by many, many groups and tens of thousands of people to carefully watch these elections and make sure they are honest.

The justified suspicions of the electorate have propelled -- humongous -- just humongous concern and action: Congressional groups, those in charge of state elections, private groups like ACORN, NAACP, Unions and Universities -- the candidates themselves.

The media also is hot on this trail with election hot lines where anyone can phone in problems and the TV News teams will be at your door.

Armies of lawyers are also on the case.

If anyone thinks nothing is happening about this, just look around, listen and read a bit or just google" "election watchdogs," and you get more than half-a-million hits.

Re: the Election machines, same thing. People are keeping their eye on them -- putting in paid and lots of volunteer team and it should be noted that 33 states (like mine) have moved to paper ballots with optical scan.

This gives the best of both world, quick and should be accurate count AND a paper trail if there are any challenges and then hand counts will be done.

Not to lecture but throughout this election year we all hear many folks complain about this or that; but then we should also now that many folks are also DOING something to make things better and do things right.

And it's our personal choice too. Some are so cynical that they feel the need to tell everybody that voting is a waste of time, nothing changes, nothing can be done blagh blagh sick blagh blagh.

And other folks (candidates and people) are out there seven days a week, all day, day after day busting their butts to see victory; to end this nightmare of BushRepublican rule. CMIIW

@BitDrifter - That sounds a bit cynical but certainly many people will feel that way.

Those who feel that way, McCain's supporters or Obama they have several ways to challenge the elections based on whatever specific facts they can find.

If there are no facts to point to, the election results will stand and, with no facts to point to, the idea that it was stolen will dim, eventually, event though many folks will be disappointed.

The first immediate thing people will look at will be Exit Polls done by many media (although this is not legal 'fact.').

Next, although also not legal fact, people would compare the results to the polls and compare the accuracy of the polls in past elections.

T...

@BitDrifter - That sounds a bit cynical but certainly many people will feel that way.

Those who feel that way, McCain's supporters or Obama they have several ways to challenge the elections based on whatever specific facts they can find.

If there are no facts to point to, the election results will stand and, with no facts to point to, the idea that it was stolen will dim, eventually, event though many folks will be disappointed.

The first immediate thing people will look at will be Exit Polls done by many media (although this is not legal 'fact.').

Next, although also not legal fact, people would compare the results to the polls and compare the accuracy of the polls in past elections.

Then, if there is a vast difference between these things and the results, yes, great suspicion of a stolen election would begin.

Throughout the world, I'd suppose, there have been stolen elections so it's not an unreasonable thought.

I don't think there will be any doubts this year because the size of the victory for Obama will be overwhelmingly large.