Two Guys SportsGuess What Freedom the Republicans Want to Take Away Now
October 5th 2008 23:00
Guess What Freedom the Republicans Want to Take Away Now
I guess they are worried that too many people are coming out to vote so they need to find a way to convince some to stay at home. It just so happens that they are trying to fight this battle in what is considered to be a “battleground state”, Pennsylvania. They are trying to impose a dress code on voters. That’s right, I said a dress code that one would have to meet the standards of or be turned away at the polling booth.
Back on April 22 during the Pennsylvania primary 44-year-old voter Sue Nace went to vote like many others. The election volunteers however told her that she could not vote due to her t-shirt. Yes, that’s right, her t-shirt.
Nace is an Obama supporter and was wearing an Obama shirt to proudly display her support. She was told it was inappropriate, and was only allowed to vote after she rolled the shirt up to cover the writing on it.
This incident has sparked a legal battle over the issue. Last month this had happened the Pennsylvania Department of State issued a memo to all counties stating that a voter’s attire doesn’t matter as long as, “the voter takes no additional action to attempt to influence other voters.”
Two election officials in the Pittsburgh area didn’t like the memo and are suing to have it rescinded. Their argument being that if it stands, “nothing would prevent partisan groups from synchronizing a battalion of like-minded individuals . . . to descend on a polling place, presenting a domineering, united front, certain to dissuade the average citizen who may privately hold different beliefs.” Yes, one of the officials is rather long-winded too, to go along with blowing hot-air.
T.J. Rooney, the state’s Democratic Party Chairman feels it is the GOP’s partisan effort to try and scare away new voters. He said, “To go and engage in an expression of democracy and then be accosted by the fashion police is a form of voter intimidation.”
The Republican Party Chairman in the state, Robert Gleason feels that Governor Ed Randall’s administration crafted a partisan memo that would open the door to abuses. He said, “The first thing would be a button or a shirt, and maybe the next thing would be a musical hat.”
Apparently states like Kansas, Maine, Montana, and Vermont have laws that strictly prohibit wearing campaign buttons, stickers, and badges inside polling places. In Kentucky there was an announcement made in the other direction after some e-mails were making the rounds stating that Obama supporters would not be allowed to vote if they came in wearing Obama shirts and pins. Election officials have told poll workers they should admit voters, even if they are dressed in campaign apparel.
How ridiculous is this? I suggest to ALL voters Democrat or Republican to head out to the polls next month dressed up in shirts with pins and a bumper sticker pinned to the seat of your pants to show your support for your candidate! Please do wear a plain shirt underneath though in case someone tries to turn you away. This way you can still vote even if some idiot wants to repress your views. This is also why I say to pin the bumper sticker to your butt rather than peel and stick it.
For those of you that are in the repressive states that definitely won’t allow campaign garb I suggest you at least wear some of the underwear I previously wrote about in my post, “Sarah Palin Underwear for Sale.”
This image can be purchased on a t-shirt at cafepress.com and is the property of www.hopenope.org
I guess they are worried that too many people are coming out to vote so they need to find a way to convince some to stay at home. It just so happens that they are trying to fight this battle in what is considered to be a “battleground state”, Pennsylvania. They are trying to impose a dress code on voters. That’s right, I said a dress code that one would have to meet the standards of or be turned away at the polling booth.
Back on April 22 during the Pennsylvania primary 44-year-old voter Sue Nace went to vote like many others. The election volunteers however told her that she could not vote due to her t-shirt. Yes, that’s right, her t-shirt.
Nace is an Obama supporter and was wearing an Obama shirt to proudly display her support. She was told it was inappropriate, and was only allowed to vote after she rolled the shirt up to cover the writing on it.
This incident has sparked a legal battle over the issue. Last month this had happened the Pennsylvania Department of State issued a memo to all counties stating that a voter’s attire doesn’t matter as long as, “the voter takes no additional action to attempt to influence other voters.”
Two election officials in the Pittsburgh area didn’t like the memo and are suing to have it rescinded. Their argument being that if it stands, “nothing would prevent partisan groups from synchronizing a battalion of like-minded individuals . . . to descend on a polling place, presenting a domineering, united front, certain to dissuade the average citizen who may privately hold different beliefs.” Yes, one of the officials is rather long-winded too, to go along with blowing hot-air.
T.J. Rooney, the state’s Democratic Party Chairman feels it is the GOP’s partisan effort to try and scare away new voters. He said, “To go and engage in an expression of democracy and then be accosted by the fashion police is a form of voter intimidation.”
The Republican Party Chairman in the state, Robert Gleason feels that Governor Ed Randall’s administration crafted a partisan memo that would open the door to abuses. He said, “The first thing would be a button or a shirt, and maybe the next thing would be a musical hat.”
Apparently states like Kansas, Maine, Montana, and Vermont have laws that strictly prohibit wearing campaign buttons, stickers, and badges inside polling places. In Kentucky there was an announcement made in the other direction after some e-mails were making the rounds stating that Obama supporters would not be allowed to vote if they came in wearing Obama shirts and pins. Election officials have told poll workers they should admit voters, even if they are dressed in campaign apparel.
How ridiculous is this? I suggest to ALL voters Democrat or Republican to head out to the polls next month dressed up in shirts with pins and a bumper sticker pinned to the seat of your pants to show your support for your candidate! Please do wear a plain shirt underneath though in case someone tries to turn you away. This way you can still vote even if some idiot wants to repress your views. This is also why I say to pin the bumper sticker to your butt rather than peel and stick it.
For those of you that are in the repressive states that definitely won’t allow campaign garb I suggest you at least wear some of the underwear I previously wrote about in my post, “Sarah Palin Underwear for Sale.”
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Comment by James Rickard
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After reading your comment and then coming back a bit later when I had time to respond I remembered you live in Pennsylvania. So you are living this story right at home.
It truly is amazing. I am suddenly seeing that 1984 commercial for Apple Computers with the giant video screen and everyone dressed the same staring at Big Brother on the screen.
Gene