ACORN

[--Pete]

Hi,

Let me preface this post with a few remarks.

First; in this presidential election, I support Obama for a number of reasons, primarily his views on the Afghani and Iraqi occupations and on the economy.

Second; although I've always been an independent voter, prior to Clinton's administration I would have considered myself a Republican. Their actions during his administration so disgusted me that I still lean more to the Democrats to this day.

Third; while I'd heard of ACORN in passing, I knew almost nothing of the organization until this discussion started. And from the information available to me, I still know next to nothing. I do believe that they are, in the words of Douglas Adams, 'mostly harmless'. I find it difficult to believe that people too indifferent to register will, once registered, become motivated enough to actually vote.

Fourth; I believe that there is more voter fraud than the NY Times would like us to think, but far less than the RNC claims. Again, considering the fact that we're talking about a secret ballot, it is hard to discern the fraud, harder still to determine who perpetuated it. However, the whole issue is, I think, a storm in a tea cup. And, personally, I doubt that any major organization is involved in voter fraud or registration fraud. To use another old cliché, that game is not worth the candle. Electronic fraud, on the other hand, is a big potential (possibly actual) problem, but not part of this discussion.

Fifth; While I find the claims of the RNC to be overblown and probably specious, I do not think that defending an organization with half truths or illogical arguments helps anyone in the long term. I do not believe that waging a war of lies is productive. So, on the basis of what I've seen so far, I think that ACORN is not involved in any organized effort to generate fraudulent registration nor to enable fraudulent votes. But, to flat out deny the possibility that they are so involved because no evidence to the contrary has been found is not logically tenable.

I cannot say, with any certainty, that ACORN is not committing fraud.

But that is exactly what you implied. And that is all I took issue with. This one line puts us into complete agreement. It is you who seems to have inferred from what I wrote that I think that ACORN is the devil incarnate and that you have spent many words defending that organization. I have never claimed that ACORN committed fraud. I simply pointed out that, given the evidence to date, to make the assertion that no registration fraud committed by ACORN employees has led to voter fraud is untenable.

--Pete