RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

 

I’ve known for awhile that it isn’t about right/left, Republican/Democrat, red/blue or conservative/progressive, though I have subscribed hugely to the populist/globalist polarity. But now I’m rethinking even that.

 

Now I think it boils down to this: there are people capable of pattern recognition and those who are not. Generally speaking, it is the leftists these days who corner the market on hypocrisy. One can only do that indignantly and with a straight face if a) one utterly lacks humor and irony and b) if one is totally incapable of pattern recognition.

 

This lack of pattern recognition makes Democrats in Harris county incapable of seeing an obvious pattern: “irregularities” (ie, botched) recent elections in Harris County that Lt. Gov. Patrick called “a disaster,” leading to the resignation of Elections Administrator Longoria, and the legal defiance of the Democratic run apparatus in that county suing the state of Texas for their upcoming election audit of Harris County elections.

 

It stinks like a beached catfish. Those of us capable of pattern recognition can see that hypocrisy is the order of the day, and that Houston is Texas’ Chicago. The politicos shifted election authority to an appointed figure and away from elected officials. They just changed the rules, like they do when they want to be able to manipulate election results. That’s also been a pattern we’ve recognized countrywide.

 

But, let’s face it, there is a political machine in Harris county almost as corrupt as Miami-Dade’s, and anyone with pattern recognition capability can see it. Anyone without cannot. Or is on the payroll.

 

Let’s not act surprised. Let’s not pretend that our sensibilities are offended by such a suggestion and that questioning election integrity is an act of insurrection. What a load of horse manure. After all, here we are in the state where LBJ pulled off “the most brazen thievery of an election up to that point in U.S. history.” And then conspired to assassinate a sitting president. Buck up. We’re all adults here. Well, some of us, anyway.

 

Purportedly “legendary” Democratic operative turned whistleblower, Dallas Jones, admitted to being paid to mail fraudulent ballot applications in Harris County. As Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign director, he allegedly oversaw an organized voter fraud operation. Texas DA’s have identified “mail-in mafia,” people who profit from organized mail-in ballot fraud.

 

But the Harris County Dem Commissioners voted to challenge the state planned audit because, why? Because County Judge Lina Hidalgo equated the audit to the January 6 riot in Washington D.C., that’s why. Unfortunately, the very same people who lack pattern recognition lack the sense of irony to see through her histrionic grandstanding.

 

Those of us with sufficient irony wonder, is it too much to ask that voters be legal citizens and live where they vote? Apparently, for the judge who struck down the portion of SB11 that requires voters to have a physical address attached to a post office box for the purposes of voter registration, the answer is yes. That smacks of voter suppression!

 

But back in Harris County, one of the Commissioners admits there were clearly election problems such as polling locations not opening on time, lack of training, incorrect ballots given to voters, and delays in counting ballots that violate state law: “I would think there’s been voter suppression in Harris County,” he said, “simply because we don’t know how to run an election.” Now this man has a sense of irony.

 

But he’s got a real point too—ineptitude is playing a big role in the fouling of our elections. Organizations who monitor election integrity in Texas have noted the dire lack of well trained election workers and poll watchers. Many are not familiar with state law or election code. More than any other fix, getting well trained, smart and savvy people into every phase of the election process will help true the vote. These are the eyes and ears that are needed to ensure election authorities know we are watching and taking action.

 

We who wish for free and fair elections are raging against a machine. Whether it’s systemic ineptitude, an organized fraud operation, or actual machines—the electronic voting machines themselves. The voting manufacturing companies in use in our state—Election Systems & Software and Hart InterCivic—have acknowledged they put modems in some of their tabulators and scanners. The most common voting machines in Texas are known to be embedded with wireless modem chips, despite the persistent insistence that the machines are not hackable because they cannot be connected to the internet. Quite the opposite—they can be wirelessly connected by a phone signal. And the state of Texas does not even bother to inspect these machines. The companies themselves give a certification. The foxes are dining at the hen house.

 

The Texas GOP is looking for legislation in the upcoming session that will:

Restore felony penalties for Election Code violations and make them enforceable by any Texas jurisdiction, including our state’s Attorney General

Require citizenship verification of each voter

Restrict the distribution of mail-in ballots to only disabled, military, and citizens that are out of state.

Reduce the time allowed for early voting, and eliminate the three-day gap between early voting and election day.

 

That all sounds great and should help a lot, but I like the Fix Our Elections for Dummies approach that suggests four easy steps:

 

1. No more early voting

2. No more mail-in ballots for those not requesting them

3. Require voter I.D.

4. Count until it’s over. Duh.

 

And I’d add another three:

 

5. Paper Ballots

6. Paper Ballots

7. Paper Ballots

 

Unfortunately, it’ll be 2026 before SB1 requires all Texas counties to comply with my request.