Home > In defense of John Kerry: A theory
Rick Gagliano, 11/15/04, Downtown Magazine
John Kerry lost the election on November 2nd.
Or did he? Internet bloggers, web sites, professors with stats, Ralph Nader, the Greens and Libertarians in Ohio, and probably millions of people who haven’t seen or heard the theories focusing on potential fraud, manipulation and more - thanks to a media blackout on anything suggesting the election is not over and done with - beg to differ.
More on the mainstream media later. First, what about Kerry, his horde of 10,000 lawyers and his hasty concession?
I have a theory, but it’s only that, speculation.
Let’s say the election was rife with fraud. We, and certainly, Senator Kerry and his staff, know that there were significant reports of intimidator, polling place problems, long lines, missing, lost or an inadequate supply of ballots, unfinished registrations, and more, before, during and after the election.
Now, John Kerry is no dummy, and he and his staff were certainly up late election night figuring out how best to tackle the thorny issues of propriety that would certainly be raised should his campaign issue a formal challenge or worse, claim outright fraud and demand investigations.
Kerry was, according to early exit polls, expected to win. But by the time the network newscasts began at 7:00 election night, the tide was turning to George W. Bush.
According to my theory, here’s what team Kerry decided in the wee hours of the morning of November 3rd. They would not challenge the election results. They would not even hint that they thought they and the democratic process was perverted and the American people were robbed.
Instead, Kerry would graciously concede, and move on. Behind the scenes, however, those 10,000 lawyers on the Kerry payroll would fan out across the country and start digging for proof of malfeasance. The responsibility of calling "foul" over the election would be left to the bloggers and webmasters on the internet who were already beginning to scream on election night. Eventually, these claims would make headlines in the mainstream media and the hunt would be on. The cries for investigations and recounts would grow louder and louder. The Bush team would be found out and Kerry would be elevated to his rightful claim of the presidency.
Kerry and his people were right on at least one count. The bloggers went to work with claims that the election was rigged, manufactured, slimed, stolen, and that the American people had been bamboozled. The number of sites and blogs making claims of impropriety began to multiply like rabbits in a grassy meadow. The media, however, was not cooperating. The networks were mum. The newspapers gave short shrift to the claims of the bloggers and webmasters. That continues today. even though there will be official recounts in Ohio and New Hampshire, the media is more concerned with the resignation of Colin Powell from the State Department and the mess in Iraq. (There are also reports beginning to come in that two top CIA intelligence officials are resigning - save that for the next news cycle).
So, here we are. As I write, it’s 6:25 in the East. I’m breathlessly awaiting the evening newscasts. Will they cover the recounts? The local affiliates here in Rochester, NY did not.
Because of the election results and my initial suspicions, I took out a little insurance. On Sunday evening, December 7, I wrote and posted a petition calling for a Congressional investigation into the 2004 Presidential Election. Just in case I was right, or wrong, or both.
Thus far the petition has attracted over 42,000 signatories. You can view it and sign it at the following URL:
http://www.petitiononline.com/uselect/petition.html
There are updates and information on the progress and future plans for the petition (like delivery to Congress on December 2) at my web site: