Updating this item with the latest news on top now. See ‘below the fold’ for the earlier reports, and the map of Bowen’s enormous win!
1:04a PT… I just got off the phone with Senator Bowen where she’s just heard from Senator Ortiz who has conceded!
It was a remarkable win, in many ways, given the 56% undecided in the state just a few days ago, and the fact that she was outspent by Ortiz, who also ran TV spots over the weekend (Bowen didn’t run any, by the way.)
I asked her then to what she attributes this victory (with a whopping 20%+ margin) to?
“I think it’s a major victory for grassroots organizing. People sent out messages to their email lists, to their friends. We used the net and the blogs to get our message out. I think it’s also that people are beginning to understand if you don’t make sure that elections mean something, you will lose your democracy.”
(The BRAD BLOG was one small part of that netroots efforts with our recent endorsement and interview of Bowen, which was crossposted over at Huffington Post. You guys did all the rest!)
Was she surprised? “I really had no idea what to excpect. The 56% undecided a few days ago was rather…unnerving.”
So what’s the message that needs to get out between now and November? “People need to take a look at what’s happened in the Secretary of State’s office. The issues with voter registration and his certification of these voting machines….I mean look at what happened today with the problems around the state. I’m concerned about what happened in Kern County…and I won in Kern County!”
Will you be looking into it? Even though you won it? “You bet I will!”
Our kind of patriot. (Some of those meltdowns reported earlier here.)
Glad it wasn’t a squeaker. I gotta be up in about 5 4 hours to do a radio show…And tomorrow’s gonna be another big day. I just have a feeling…Congrats Senator! We’ll be right there with you through November!
See below for earlier reports from the evening and map as of 1:04am…
==========
An early sign…but a very good one. That said, we’ve seen good early signs before. Let’s hope this one holds! New graphic below. Numbers still holding. If you don’t know who Debra Bowen is, and why this race matters, read this.
9:36p PT…Just spoke with Bowen’s Chief of Staff, Evan Goldberg. He says these early numbers are the first set of “pre-counted absentee ballots.” Apparently they can count absentees early, and then release them as of poll closing at 8pm. But still…so far, so good.
As specific county numbers have been adding in on top of the pre-counted absentees, he says, the general 65%/35% margin seems to be holding steady…(Click graphic for updates and county by county numbers)…
10:32a PT…Some slippage…But very very slight…
12:03a PT…A bit more slippage, but holding steady at 50%. Oddly enough, the only notable-sized county going for Ortiz seems to be Sacramento. Guess Mr. McPherson has a lot of friends there… (UPDATE…it’s not odd at all, Ortiz is from Sacramento we just learned from Bowen’s Chief of staff)
1:04a PT…ORTIZ CONCEDES! BOWEN WINS! SEE COMMENTS FROM BOWEN AT TOP OF ITEM!
Anyone who knows statistics knows that this is already a win for Debra (unless someone has put the fix in.) She is ahead by 2/3 in most counties polled, with 8.8% of the vote counted. It is a virtual impossibility for her to lose at this point. Great news.
What’s the saying? I’ll eat my hat if she loses…I don’t have a hat, but I’d certainly demand an investigation and lawsuit. Get Stephen Freeman and Co to run the numbers if she loses (based on this available vote reporting.)
iT’S JUST A PRIMARY. They can always come up with some BS polling during the race that shows her and McPherson neck and neck and thus the election day surprise will have some validity.
That said, this is very encouraging. Now let’s hope all 3 of the Impeach Team get the noms, too!
It is just a primary, and they will be stealing the election for MacPherson this Fall, don’t kid yourself. Nonetheless, a strong result for Bowen would be very hopeful for the future, in terms of name recognition and the ability to feel ripped off when the election is stolen from her (which might = activism).
Any of us Bradblog followers knows that this is a coup, not a few mistakes along the way of adopting new technology. Even so, I will be happy if Ortiz, who to me is an unknown, loses tonight. Bowen will be able to use the rest of the year to hammer on our issues.
Go Debra.
Jim – I meant that with certainty she will win this primary. And I was semi-serious about a fix here, because she is clearly the most dangerous candidate to the establishment. I don’t know how California runs primaries as far as who gets to vote in them (i.e. do registered Democrats only get to vote for Democrats?) Up here in WA they have changed primary rules from "anybody can vote for anybody" to "you can only vote for your registered party".) Either way, this early strong showing bodes well.
OT: Stephen Colbert gives the commencement address at Knox College in Illinois. Brilliant as usual: http://www.knox.edu/x12547.xml
If you’re interested, details on the multiple propositions and lawsuits surrounding WA state primaries can be read here: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/documentvault/History%20of%20Washington%20State%20Primary%20Systems-920.pdf
Yeh! Looks like Debra will be running for Secretary of State in the general election — which means it will be very difficult – impossible, really – for anyone to ignore the elections issue in California (and maybe nationally), unless they ignore the entire race. This really is a big deal.
But I won’t count the chickens before they’re hatched (re: todays election) – virtual certainty or not.
Later, I’ll count my chickens and Soul Rebel can wear his hat (not eat it).
Soul Rebel – Registered Democrats were voting for Debra Bowen.
As good as this "looks", it’s all moot..
Why would they (if they are going to) risk fixing this election when it isn’t a pertinent one? The people who are "in charge" don’t care who they run against if they are going to put the "fix" in on the important election.
What people are failing to keep in mind is, these systems can be running code that keeps it "close" no matter what, then tilts the results to the "favored" person at the very end..
We’re seeing large margins here, but those are near impossible to steal at the last minute.. In important races, it will remain close the entire time. With a little luck, in most places, the "winner" stays out front by a tad.. and in worst case scenarios, the machines "mysterously power down" and have the counts "flipped" when they come back up (and there’s no ‘proof’, of course).
Brad – posted a typo alert at THIS THREAD – it’s also at HuffPo. ms in la just noticed it – sorry we didn’t catch it sooner!
Secretary is spelled Secretrary
Thanks for your continued dedication and hard work Brad!
But, Savantster, it is a pertinent race. Honest elections will be one of Debra’s main issues. Any light shown on the corrupt election mess is good – and makes it easier for folks to look for and see the details of the corruption. General awareness of faulty and corrupt elections will eventually be fatal to the crooks. If Debra loses in a phony general election, she will have still brought the issue into much greater awareness among the public and her "loss" will be very suspect. The basis of their power is public ignorance. It may seem that they’ve got us all on a string, but they are not nearly as smart as they think they are, and they are not invulnerable to public outrage – and, more importantly, neither are their corporate backers.
…and, beyond criminal activity, widespread knowledge of the election machine vulnerabilities is crucial. That’s why Brad and others have worked at this so diligently and for so long. Debra Bowen’s election in the primary will give a big boost to the whole movement. Really, it fits in perfectly to what people here on Brad Blog have been doing. It can only be good.
But we’ll see. I’m still not counting my chickens…
It’s all about Measure T!!! Humboldt COUNTY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Arry is right. Assuming Debra Bowen wins the primary, it means election fraud (not voter fraud) issues will be front and center during the campaign, because conducting elections is one of a secretary of state’s responsibilities. Having the issue front and center can only be good news for us, bad news for Diebold and the others.
Stealing an election from Debra in November won’t be easy, because this is her turf. Imagine trying to burglarize a security company’s office.
Now that it’s official, certain people on Bradblog (no names, please) might take note of Debra Bowen’s comments regarding Kern County. She won there, but still plans to investigate irregularities in the voting. Good for you, Debra.
In other words, folks, it ain’t O.K. to ignore vote fraud just because you won, anyway. And it especially ain’t O.K. to joke about it after you’ve won with the help of fraud, because that really angers the other side and motivates them to steal elections from you.
Congrats Senator.
Hope springs eternal.
Arrange parallel exit polls for Nov.,to be sure to be sure ?
On Democracy NOW!, they interviewed several Democrats that are trying to unseat Dems who are for the war and not talking about e-vote fraud. They interviewed some woman who’s trying to unseat Jane Harmon in Ca. (I didn’t catch this woman’s name), and she talked a lot about DIEBOLD and e-vote fraud, on Democracy NOW!
Hopefully, Debra doesn’t lose 51%-49% after the machines go down, ala Schmidt vs. Hackett.
Ironically, I looked down your blog, and you have a story about her: Marcy Winograd!!! Good work, Brad!!! That was the woman interviewed on Democracy NOW!
And is anybody gonna look into the San Diago election for Duke Cunningham’s old seat? What were the polls in that one showing? Supposedly the Pub won by almost 10%…
That’s the thing about our issue that is so exasporating – that we don’t trust any election, W or L, to be the true will of the people.
And that’s why we can never quit fighting until we have voter verified paper ballots and all the other election fraud devices under control…
shw
President Bush’s victories receiving little attention
SAN FRANCISCO – When President Bush nominated Gen. Michael Hayden to run the CIA, the press focused on disapproving Democrats and even some Republicans who were dubious about confirmation.
A month later, when the Senate confirmed Hayden by a 78-15 vote, the story was given much less emphasis in the media, which had moved on to other stories critical of the Bush administration.
Similarly, when Bush nominated one of his aides, Brett Kavanaugh, to the federal judiciary, the press was filled with reports about Democrats threatening a filibuster because Kavanaugh once worked for special prosecutor Kenneth Starr in the case against President Clinton.
Last week, there was much less media coverage of a Rose Garden ceremony in which Bush presided over the swearing-in of Kavanaugh, who had been confirmed by a 57-36 vote.
Bush has quietly been racking up small victories like these that seem at odds with the media’s conventional wisdom of a presidency on the skids
http://www.examiner.com/a-128975~President_Bush_s_victories_receiving_little_attention.html
Republican Brian Bilbray emerged victorious after a costly and contentious special election race against Democrat Francine Busby…..
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060607/D8I3BT6G0.html
Now libs. Dont act surprised and shocked next fall when you lose, yet again. You have to understand that you are sheltered from reality here. The TRUTH is not allowed to flow into your eyes and ears. I have tried my best to shed light on this, but it has fallen on empty ears and mouths who can only call me a troll and other words which these fingers will not type.
You people just keep sheltered, its more fun for next fall watching you all fall over in total shock.
OT – Listen to Mike Malloy on Air America tonight (or whenever he is on for you) – he will be interviewing Mark Wilson, the person who is challenging Maria Cantwell for her Senate seat in the Democratic primaries. There has been a groundswell of progressive support for Mark here in WA, since he is a veteran (Marines) and is decidely anti-war and pro alternative sustainable energy. Visit his website http://www.votemark.org
In Cal district 50 which has always been, thru gerrymandering, a republican stronghold, Bilbray narrowly won.
Which means that republicans do not believe in accountability. Who cares if our congressman is in prison for 8 years because of bribery?
The news is that it was a narrow victory where very large margins have been the norm.
Bilbray spent more than twice what the dem spent, and still only won a very narrow victory.
This does not bode well for republicans in non-stronghold districts.
Ricky spewed:
Republican Brian Bilbray emerged victorious after a costly and contentious special election race against Democrat Francine Busby…..
Now libs. Dont act surprised and shocked next fall when you lose, yet again. You have to understand that you are sheltered from reality here. The TRUTH is not allowed to flow into your eyes and ears.
Uh, Ricky? Didn’t you get to post what you wanted? What "TRUTH is not allowed to flow"? The distractions and obfuscations and misinformation you are allowed to post here every day?
Do you think your deluded wingnut FreeRepublic buddies would allow the kind of "dissent" you are allowed to have here? If so, you are "sheltered from reality".
And that said, why should anybody take the defeat of Busby seriously when it occurred on hackable Diebold touch-screen machines in San Diego County?
As far as I’m concerned, it’s just another illegitimate election that your GOP buddies scammed for themselves. (Though with all the millions of dollars the national party spent to buy a victory, twice as much as Busby spent, you’d think they’d be able to pull off more than a few point margin of "victory")
Until you stand for clean democracy, Ricky, you’re continued "wins" will be seen as legitimate as Bush’s in ’00 and ’04. Which is to say, not at all.
For Ricky: You have a peculiar view of history. Since when is it a "victory" to have a nominee approved? That’s like saying it’s a victory to cross the street without being hit by a car. Nominees are supposed to be approved. It’s expected, because historically the president has been trusted to send up the right people.
Maybe it seems like a victory to you because so many of Bush’s nominees have been pathetic hacks, chosen more for their personal loyalty to him than for competence or suitability to the job. And maybe Hayden and Kavanaugh made it because Bush couldn’t be trusted to send better qualified people later if they were turned down.
Sicky, what RLM said! Also, when is it "news" when this rubberstamp kangaroo kongress bends over for the emperor? Doesn’t even come up on the screen here in the reality based community. We have better things to do such as, oh, saving our Constitution among other things. Good luck trying to "win" in any real elections, assuming we can implement them in time. By the way, what are you doing to support real democracy — have you contributed money or time to the election integrity movement, or are you merely seeking to waste ours? I thought so.
Thats funny… Even Brad got up early to drop one on poor deluded Ricky LMAO, Morning Brad
Does anyone here care about illegals voting? Funny, no one mentions that here. Why could that be?
We’re a touch more concerned about secret software illegally disenfranchising thousands or millions of votes or voter registrations in a matter of seconds. First things first. Where are your priorities?
If there are Millions of illegal votes, thats not important to someone who claims deep caring about voter fraud.
LOLOLOLOL
No, its because you think illegal voters helps you. So it will be overlooked. Just like the Jeffersen story. The Kennedy car crash story and all the rest that are IGNORED here.
Again , showing Brads lack of caring for the issue.
Martin,
We simply have our priorities straight, and are giving them their due in accordance with that priority. If you’d like to bring us evidence of the problems you are concerned about, and perhaps a proposed solution, then you will be bringing the issue to the Brad Blog. It will not be IGNORED here, unless of course your citations, motivations and proposed solutions resemble the typical hatemongering sludge spewed forth from the lunatic right wing blogosphere. Such writings are often ignored here (with good cause.) Brad’s time and attention are much to important to be dragged into the right’s "faux" controversies or the logic-and-reason-destroying noise machine that you’ve caught your shoelaces in. [Optional word choice self redacted].
Good luck gaining attention and discussion on your issues. Hey, why not start your own blog? Then you can find out what being IGNORED really feels like.
Martin asked:
Does anyone here care about illegals voting? Funny, no one mentions that here. Why could that be?
Uh, yeah, we care about Electoral Integrity period. Got any actual evidence to site in regard to a problem with "illegals voting"?
Or are you just pullin’ that one outta your ass and suggesting there’s some sort of epidemic that competes in any way, shape or form, with the massive crisis in our system regarding Electronic Voting sytems, Registration database gaming and disenfranchisement of legal voters?
Martin then delved further into fantasy land with:
If there are Millions of illegal votes, thats not important to someone who claims deep caring about voter fraud.
LOLOLOLOL
If there are "millions of illegal votes" then I’m sure you’ll have the evidence to cite at least a few thousands of them, Martin? Feel free to share with us. Otherwise, it appears your a loony conspiracy theorist with a bright shiny tinfoil hat!
No, its because you think illegal voters helps you.
No, it’s because you’re a loony conspiracy theorist with a bright shiny tinfoil hat!
Have a great day, "Martin".
(And good morning Floridiot 🙂
Well here is where I\’m confused then
If the machines were used for Bowen\’s win yesterday, then is she really the winner?
How do you justify that the machines are bad when your candidate loses, but the vote count is valid when your candidate wins?
Just wondering because I\’m sure it will be a talking point and I\’m trying to understand why Diebold would let Bowen win considering her track record against them. With so many undecided up until the last minute it seems that it would have been easy to pull off.
So, if they could keep her from winning, why didn\’t they? I\’d appreciate serious discussion about this.
A reasonable argument, Sara. Here’s my take on it.
Diebold doesn’t actually commit vote fraud itself. It makes voting machines and tabulators that enable others to do so by the insertion of software cards. Diebold officials have recently stated publicly that the machines are vulnerable, but only if someone is willing to commit fraud.
It’s up to local officials to police this. Most are honest and competent, just as most Diebold employees are. It’s only in high-profile races, such as Debra’s race against McPherson this fall, where people are sufficiently motivated to risk a jail term by gaming the system. In that specific case, I’m betting the count will be honest, because Debra is too smart and too alert to overlook any nonsense.
Sara, she won a "meeningless" election.. she still has to run against McPheerson now..
And, just because the machines are easily hackable doesn’t mean "every election site is rigged".. It means "they could rig any election site they want"..
You are right, though. It WILL be used as a talking point.. a "false logical conclusion" will be drawn, and 10s of millions of "not so bright" Americans will fall for the LIE.
Here’s an example, Sara.. You go to the store.. You "could" steal something.. but you don’t. Does that mean "shoplifting" does not occur? Of course not.. Now, later, you DO steal some candy while at the store.. someone says "you stole that candy".. You say "um.. Was any candy stolen last time I was here?.. then how did I steal it this time?".. See the holes/problems? Same thing with the machines.. only people will try to make more out of it than needs to be, and will try to distract and dis/misinform the masses when the thefts DO occur.
Well, this is very encouraging.
Sadly, congressional challenger Marcy Winograd (to the Bush DINO Jane Harman) is going down in flames by a wide margin. Which is very strange because if you just drive around the west side of LA, you ONLY see Winograd signs on lawns, not Harman. Yet Harman’s margin is gigantic — about 62% as of now.
Let’s see what Marcy’s polling and parallel elections look like. I wouldn’t put it past Harman to buy an election, but the numbers precinct-by precinct have been consistent all night.
Sara-
Did you miss this?
So what’s the message that needs to get out between now and November? "People need to take a look at what’s happened in the Secretary of State’s office. The issues with voter registration and his certification of these voting machines….I mean look at what happened today with the problems around the state. I’m concerned about what happened in Kern County…and I won in Kern County!"
Bowen cares about the integrity of our elections…
Bottom line.
What Robert is saying is that when a democrat wins, all is fair and just. When a Reps win, fraud must have been the only reason.
Now Robert, I am sur eyou are smart enough to know better then that.
Im sorry, strike that last sentence.
Bilbray won. Busby lost. Chalk up one for Ricky.( no surprise)
Bradbloggers 0; Ricky 1.
Cant wait for Nov. This is gonna be fun.
Brad, time to run a voter fraud story in Cali’s 50th district. Voter fraud must have occured.
LOL.. poor little pRicky.. It’s summer time.. school’s out.. shouldn’t you be out in the back yard burning up ants with a magnifying glass? The adults are trying to have a conversation here..
There’s just nothing to say in response to your posts, pRicky.. Clearly, you can read the multitude of posts calling for "all fraud" to be investigated/fixed. Yet your brain can’t connect the dots. Well, you refuse to take anyone at their word, or let their actions speak.. I guess that means you’re too dishonest in your own life to ever understand that most people mean what they say.
It’s damn close to the time to put pRicky on permanant ignore. I’ve not seen anything constructive from him in .. sheesh.. ever? just attacks and blathering and posturing and juvinile antics. /sigh .. what a waste.
Ricky, know who else won? From YOUR "family values" party? Republican Don Sherwood from Tunkannock, Pa. won his primary. Don Sherwood choked his mistress Cynthia Ore, and "settled" out of court for $5million. Don Sherwood voted to impeach Clinton for a blowjob, exactly as he was cheating on his wife and choking his mistress.
THERE IS ANOTHER REPUBLICAN "WINNER" FOR RICKY!!!
Republican Don Sherwood represents the hypocrisy of Republicans, and the people who voted for him, are fucked up. They are for Republican "family values", against people like Clinton for that reason. YET…vote in a guy who cheated on his wife and beat his mistress, paying her $5million…
Strangely, this story didn’t receive much national press in the "liberal media"…
I continue to take issue with Savantster that this was a meaningless election. It, in fact, raises the election integrity issue to another level, and I think it is important for us to recognize it. Not only will Debra be hammering publically at the subject, but those who would like to control things will be heavily funding an attempt to defeat her. We have to be tough here. Sometimes, pushing the issue is necessary. What’s bad is complacency or despair. What’s good is making things happen even to the extent of bringing out the enemy.
I agree with RLM that it’s not like someone has his finger on a button and can control all elections. That massive fraud happened is clear and unmistakable in 2004, IMO, mainly from statistical work (Freeman and so on) and exit polling. The circus that Brad has been experiencing – all the astonishing proven election vulnerabilities and like swimming in molasses to get people to see and take action about the most obvious openings to fraud, as well as ex-computer fraud persons developing elections software, phone-jammers being given key positions – makes it practically certain that there is more involved than simple incompetence and stupidity. But, I expect, we are not dealing with a finished product, probably by a long shot.
I’ll just throw this out with no evidence or even particular belief in it. It is possible that Republicans(and corporate-type Democrats), being slow to catch up, still look upon the elections issue as poison – conspiracy stuff. They might think that the election of Debra Bowen is not such a bad thing. Dinosaur thinking – not unusual at all in politics.
More likely, not all elections can be secretly fixed and it is impossible for the criminal election jugglers to keep all the balls in the air.
"I continue to take issue with Savantster that this was a meaningless election."
My point, Arry, was that this wasn’t the "big" election for SoS.. And, now, they can try to disinform/lie/spin when she loses by saying "but look how much she won the primary with! if we were going to cheat, why even let her get this far?".. I can see all kinds of false logic applied to this, and the masses swallowing it.
And, if they dumped her "now" by trying to rig it, I think they would have a VERY hard time getting away with it.
It’s significant because she can exact change, if she keeps her word.. but this particular fight is far from over.. is my point..
Savantster — Agreed. I guess our emphases are just a bit different. The Bowen compaign is a huge opportunity for us, IMO, but of course, we can’t discount the usual manipulation which will certainly be attempted.
I just happen to think that a very newsworthy California fair elections campaign focused on the office of Secretary of State has a potential to upset all the best-laid insidious plans. Of course, we won’t be sitting back just watching it!
OT — #11 kinda hidden in the thread, but of great interest.
Measure T passed in Humblodt County, California – 55% of the voters voting in favor to exclude corporations from local politics.
As an ex-longtime resident of Arcata, it particularly warms my heart, but there are many communities who would support such a measure, I believe, including some where conservatives dominate. (And it was a Humboldt County measure, not just that of progressive Arcata.)
It will be stormy weather in keeping these things afloat, but some good things are happening, folks.
That’s Humboldt County not Humblodt County!
It looks like it will be a hard battle for Debra. The results posted this morning in the paper had 78% of the precincts counted and including Ortiz’s votes and all of the independent parties votes Debra was still 160 short of McPherson’s total.
There’s nothing though to show the ratio of people who voted – dems to repubs so it is hard to tell for sure where it stands.
With only 28% of the population voting this election was rather pathetic!
Robert Lockwood Mills #13
It’s underhanded to say "certain people" on Bradblog believe it’s ‘ok to ignore vote fraud just because they’ve won’–when no one said that or meant that & you know it.
His nibs character & ability to argue in a straightforward manner is now in question.
Brad agrees with me that when you go on & on about how Jack Kennedy "stole" the 1960 election & claim his "cavalier" joke is to blame for today’s mess—you are just WRONG.
I always thought you were straight up til now.
“COMMENT #14 [Permalink]
… Ricky said on 6/13/2006 @ 5:14 am PT…
Useless these people can back up there claim that it was stolen, not unverifiable, but stolen, I think they need to be called on disinformation.”
When are morons going to stop making such stupid statements, how can you verify what is not documented or allowed to be recounted! and since it can’t why would you say that? I’ll send you your credit card bill and you must just pay it don’t ask for back ups just believe it’s your debt, OK!
Here in Florida we’re faced with a jerk Jeb that assured paper recounts would be illegal so even if the people won and got us voting machines with integrity we couldn’t legally recount….
How can (not-so…it appears) inteligent people continue to believe in these machines?
At least now with Hugo Chaves owning a piece of the action we should get republicans fighting too since they are afraid of him.
Oops message above posted on wrong board, don’t know how….