Pot-Kettle-Black?

By: Charles Cooper
Topics: In The News

(CBS/ AP)

Another sign of the ultra-caffeinated times we inhabit: A new poll finds that a majority of Republican voters believe that ACORN helped Barack Obama steal the 2008 election for president. Public Policy Polling reports that just 27% of Republicans say that he won the presidency fair and square.

The ACORN conspiracy has also featured in the list of reasons that losing conservative candidate Doug Hoffman's unconcession offered to explain his defeat in the New York Congressional 23rd race. In a new letter to his backers, Hoffman wrote: "I'm sure you are as dismayed as I am to learn of the mischief that took place in Oswego and neighboring counties. We know this would not be the first time for the ACORN faithful to tamper with democracy."

Here's Robert Stacy McCain in the American Spectator picking up the complaint:

" Furthermore, the narrowing of the gap by more than 2,300 votes between the reported results on Election Night and the actual vote tally shows how misreporting can affect political outcomes. If the reported margin had been narrower -- and especially if the tallies in Oswego and Jefferson had been accurately reported -- Hoffman never would have conceded that night. Most of all, the discovery of the errors (or "mischief") in the vote-count makes it a near-certainty that Hoffman will challenge Owens in NY23 in 2010."

Shades of the 2000 presidential elections and its aftermath, anyone?

Hoffman's sour grapes notwithstanding, the more astonishing takeaway from the poll results is how quickly the conspiracists have made headway convincing mainstream GOP voters that something's rotten. Back in the spring, the birthers and tea party crowd portrayed the president as a usurper taking the country on the road to socialism, fascism or Nazism. Jon Stewart and the liberal blogging community had a field day lampooning that crowd during its more hyperventilated moments. But if the poll numbers are indeed accurate, it would suggest that conservative activists have made good on their ambition to delegitimize Barack Obama in the eyes of the rest of the Republican Party.

Charles Cooper is an executive editor at CNET News. He has covered technology and business for more than 25 years, working at CBSNews.com, the Associated Press, Computer & Software News, Computer Shopper, PC Week, and ZDNet. E-mail Charlie.

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by conglomo-we_own_you December 7, 2009 11:34 PM EST: The Republican party should be disbanded. If yuo are a Republican you should vote Democrat or Green, since you realise your evil political views are unacceptable. P.S if the president is the "leader of the free world" how about giving the rest of the world a vote?; Reply to this comment


by crikeytx46 November 21, 2009 6:48 AM EST: http://www.gouverneurtimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8144:virus-in-the-voting-machines-tainted-results-in-ny-23&catid=60:st-lawrence-news&Itemid=175

Take a gander Charley!!!; Reply to this comment

by noloyalisti November 20, 2009 7:52 PM EST

GOP voters think that just because Bushoccio stole two elections that everyone acts like them. I guess they figure it is OK to lie, cheat and steal. And ignore the rule of law.

Reply to this comment


by cidaia November 23, 2009 11:01 PM EST: I believe that Bush tampered with the elections (both of them).

I also believe that Acorn tampered with the election.

Just because the conservatives do something bad, doesn't mean the Democrats are their opposite.

You Dems enjoyed flaunting the "power matters more than legitimacy" meme when it was time to trash the half of the party voting for Hillary Clinton. Ohhh who cares about a fair vote? Ohhh who cares about complaints about certain behaviors at certain election-caucas sites? Ohhh who cares if there's actually still enough voting left for Hillary to win the popular vote - let's declare Obama the winner, dismiss all the complaints, and pressure Hillary to quit like a good little girl, calling all her voters names.

So when there were stories about him cheating against McCain, we're all primed to hear it, aren't we? Cuz we know Obama cheats, and his fans cheer.

Congratulations. You de-legitimized your win. You - not Republican conspiracy theorists (at least not unless they were planted in the Dem party, which I suppose is possible).

Could Obama have won fair and square? I don't think so - but we'll never know, will we? Cuz he didn't.


by quatermass2 November 20, 2009 2:00 PM EST: "it would suggest that conservative activists have made good on their ambition to delegitimize Barack Obama in the eyes of the rest of the Republican Party."

WHAT "rest of the Republican Party" are you referring to? There is no "rest" - the GOP these days is composed 99.94% crackpots, religious nutcases, air-headed bimbos with delusions of adequacy, thrice-divorced drug addicts, on-air crybaby conspiracists, and mobs of Southern-fried Confederacy followers. They'd believe anyone who could do a decent card trick was God, and the looneys have taken over the asylum.; Reply to this comment

by koko98-2009 November 20, 2009 1:38 PM EST

While only 27% of Republicans thought Obama won fair and square, 100% of Democrats KNOW that George Bush stole the election in 2000.

Reply to this comment


by cidaia November 23, 2009 11:11 PM EST: "And it's okay that I did a bad thing, because a conservative did a bad thing once so that means it's okay for me to do bad things!"

Your ethical reasoning is so...Democratic Party.

It's like you think that if your brother steals a cookie, you are owed a cookie and therefore your mom will understand why you get to steal one too. Because your mom is a liberal too and doesn't mind if you steal, as long as everyone gets exactly the same number of cookies.


by patocc123 November 20, 2009 10:25 AM EST: Shades of the 2000 presidential elections and its aftermath, anyone?

---------
Seems people overlooked this line in the article. I think your all nuts.; Reply to this comment


by Stop_the_crying November 20, 2009 10:24 AM EST: Hey you dumb a---. Stop listening to Beck and Rush. The crap they spew is clogging your mind with bull droppings. The next thing you will know is that there will be a run on bomb shelters. Get a grip and get a life.; Reply to this comment


by lakota2012 November 20, 2009 2:04 AM EST: by nearl451:
It sure is nice to have someone to blame. Especially poor or minority voters. That's what REALLY angers the right.

ACORN got the under-priviledged to vote.....as was their right.
=================================================

The republicans need scapegoats as the demographics continue to change in America, and certainly do not want any minorities to vote.

The GOP is for limited government, but that means limited to only republicans in office, and only those that are anti-government!; Reply to this comment


by proudmilvet November 19, 2009 11:37 PM EST: Take a good look at that picture of Hoffman. Would you want him anywhere near your children?; Reply to this comment

by proudmilvet November 19, 2009 11:32 PM EST

I would rather be a Socialist, or even a Communist then a Republican or a Conservative!

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by ubrew12 November 20, 2009 1:18 AM EST: None of us should welcome communism. Its a political philosophy masquerading as an economic philosophy. When the communist party outlaws all other parties in your 'democracy', thats when you'll know.

Even as an economic philosophy, communism svcks eggs. No private property? It's all 'public'? I believe in the commonwealth, and in progressive taxation (indeed, massive progressive taxation compared to our current levels), but philosophically, there's something wrong with discouraging people from trying to enhance their private ownership of things.