US 'may delay vote if attacked'

[Klaus]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3885663.stm

The Bush administration is reported to be investigating the possibility of postponing the presidential election in the event of a terror attack.

A danger for democracy or a good idea to save the lifes of US citizens?

 

[BVS]

Desperate people call for desperate measures.

 

[nbcrusader]

It is a contingency plan. People would be outraged if we didn't have one. Someone simply asked the questions "what would we have to do to move an election if there was an attack?"

 

[nbcrusader]

Also, if the government can show flexibility in the scheduling of elections, the effectiveness of a terror attack designed to influence an election diminishes.

 

[BVS]

I thought Bush kept telling us to stay the course and continue on with our lives, so that the terrorist don't win.

 

[nbcrusader]

Stay the course and be prepared.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

He just needs more time to learn how to pronounce nuclear

 

[nbcrusader]

He just needs more time to learn how to pronounce nuclear

Give another 4 years, I'm sure he'll get it right!

 

[Popmartijn]

I thought Bush kept telling us to stay the course and continue on with our lives, so that the terrorist don't win.

True, but he doesn't want Kerry to win too.




Interesting bits from the same BBC article:

No US presidential election has ever been postponed.

Abraham Lincoln was urged by some aides to suspend the election of 1864 - during the US Civil War - but despite the expectation that he would lose, he refused.

"The election is a necessity," Lincoln said. "We cannot have a free government without elections; and if the rebellion could force us to forgo, or postpone, a national election, it might fairly claim to have already conquered us."

C ya!

Marty

 

[ThatGuy]

Unless there is a terrorist attack on election day, or there is specific intelligence that indicates terrorists are planning to target polling places, there is absolutely no reason to delay the election.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Unless there is a terrorist attack on election day, or there is specific intelligence that indicates terrorists are planning to target polling places, there is absolutely no reason to delay the election.

Exactly.

Besides, as someone pointed out one time, if the terrorists are going to attack us again (which is funny, because the way our government was talking, all the stuff we'd done within the last year was supposed to make us safer now, we were supposed to be okay...and now those same people are talking about potential terrorist attacks?), why would they do it on a day when it's to be expected, such as a holiday or an election? That's why Sept. 11th was such a surprise.

Anywho...I really hope it doesn't get delayed. That's the last thing I need, is for the first presidential election I participate in to have a bunch of craziness along these lines surrounding it.

Angela

 

[Liesje]

What so wrong with it? The article said they were investigating what steps would need to be taken in order to postpone...not that they are already going through steps to postpone.....Better safe than sorry

Since petty evens like school ball games were cancelled on September 11, I'd hope that something as important as the election would be postponed during another attack. Strategy or not, it would seem right, out of respect for those hypothetically killed or injured during said attack.

 

[nbcrusader]

What so wrong with it? The article said they were investigating what steps would need to be taken in order to postpone...

Come on now, you are reading it too closely. Bush obviously wants to delay the election...

[/sarcasm]

 

[Klaus]

Well i think it's a naive idea.
They think they can reschudle the election but the terrorists won't reschudle their attacks?

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

They think they can reschudle the election but the terrorists won't reschudle their attacks?

Good point.

Angela

 

[verte76]

Let's vote on November 2. It's simple.

 

[najeena]

I think the election should go on, unless the east coast has been wiped out by a nuke or something equally drastic. Did we shut down the country's government after 9/11? Did we assume that the public was unable function? Bush is playing on our fears, as he has in the past when it suited his agenda.

 

[nbcrusader]

Oh, please. If elections were held when a portion of this country is in disarray due to terrorist attack; there would be complaints of "disenfranchised voters" forever.

 

[ThatGuy]

Oh, please. If elections were held when a portion of this country is in disarray due to terrorist attack; there would be complaints of "disenfranchised voters" forever.

While I admit this situation makes me nervous (especially with Bush's repeated comments about how it would be easier if this country was a dictatorship )I do think that it's important that we establish guidelines for this now rather than trying to sort it out if something does happen.

 

[deep]

They're going to do it like the transfer of sovernty in Iraq. Catch them unawares.

They will pull a fast one and do it the day after the GOP/911 convention.


That will teach those dirty terrorists.

 

[DaveC]

Isn't changing around the election dates like that unconstiutional...?

 

[pax]

It would have to be a pretty grave attack--I mean, you'd have to wipe out a couple of states--but I wouldn't have a problem with it as long as some specification was attached to the law. Like, once the election is delayed, it can only be delayed once and only for 15 or 30 days or something.

 

[Kieran McConville]

All I can say is, it would have to be a pretty spectacular attack to wipe out a couple of states.

I mean, the US wiped out Hiroshima with one bomb I guess, but who's smuggling enough bombs into America to wipe out the east coast? That's a very large area.

I think this is very suspicious. If I was to let my wilder fancies free, I'd say they're softening the public up for martial law. Hopefully I'm incredibly wrong.

 

[verte76]

Isn't changing around the election dates like that unconstiutional...?

I'm not a lawyer, but it seems to me that it would be because I can't think of *anyone* who has the power to change the election date. I know Bush himself can't any more than the Pope can change the Ten Commandments. If he can't who can?

 

[pax]

I believe it would take a Constitutional amendment, which they probably don't have time for by November anyway. Isn't the November election date written into the Constitution?

 

[Maeve]

Wait, I live on the east coast. The Mid-Atlantic region and just an hour's drive from D.C. And what is this about, taking out a few states? I haven't heard this one!

There are hundreds of thousands of places, for us to vote. How could Bin Laden and his merry gang of maniacs, affect the U.S. elections?

 

[nbcrusader]

Perspective

Rice: No Plan to Delay National Election

WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of a new federal voting commission suggested to congressional leaders that there should be a process for canceling or rescheduling an election interrupted by terrorism, but national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said no such plan is being considered by the administration.

I think we can put this media dven frenzy to bed

 

[Elvis]

Personally... I'll do whatever it takes to vote... attack or no attack.

 

[Elvis]

I think this is very suspicious. If I was to let my wilder fancies free, I'd say they're softening the public up for martial law. Hopefully I'm incredibly wrong.

... and the Draft.

 

[nbcrusader]

you got the Draft rumor email?