First off, I am not a happy person right now.  I had no idea how many people lived in my surrounding area that are very, very Pro kerry (close to 90% had kerry stickers on).  Keep in mind I do live just a few miles from a major University here in Central Florida.  I had decided to wear my "10 out of 10 terrorists agree anyone buy Bush" shirt.  When I arrived (it is at a library) the line was more than two and a half blocks long.  At the end of the line were pro kerry people passing out water (keep in mind the high here today is 90 degrees and there was no shade, nice idea).  I did not get offered a bottle.  There was a Hispanic woman a few people back that would not take it at first, and then caved in.  So standing on the other side of the line is an older white couple decked out with Pro kerry garb.  They are trying to tell me what to vote on for the Amendments to the state’s Constitution.  I promptly tell them that it is nice they can do this today, but not tomorrow.  The man laughs at me and walks away.

Now about an hour or so passes and the line is moving very slowly.  A younger punk kid who is ten or more people in front of me decides to break line and throw away his water bottle provided by the kerry people.  As he is walking towards me (in a semi threatening manner mind you) he mutters something about God not wanting for me to vote and to go home.  The woman in front of me (who is pro Bush but not wearing anything to the like) turns around and looks at me, knowing he was referring to me.  I decided to not start anything since I am the minority in this situation, and I really did not feel like getting arrested.  He finished throwing away his bottle and proceeds to walk back to his friends, and after passing me stops.  He then backs up want walks back around behind me very slowly.  Now, I am 6’5” tall and he is probably 5’9” tall.  It was at that time that I decided he was looking for trouble.  As he comes around my left, I say in an extremely loud voice, “What did you say?”  He proceeds to tell me that he has said nothing to me to which I again say, “What did you say?”  He continues to deny saying anything and walks away.  Well now this encounter has caught the attention of the surrounding kerry supporters that feel like it is open season on me.  The questions start off nice but quickly turn into a Bush bashing festival.  I took it all like a trooper, even telling one individual that it was his close mindedness that is preventing him from hearing the other side.

What I will say is that if I were a 50 year old female Bush supporter, I would have left.  There is no way that I would have spent 4 hours waiting in line to vote with everyone being hostile towards me.  The place was like Woodstock except some of them were out for blood.  As I was leaving, the news finally showed up at the voting center.  Having the type A personally I have, I grabbed the newsperson and told him to open his eyes up and watch for the voter intimidation.  I know I was not the only person harassed there.  Right after I had cast my ballot another Hispanic woman came inside the voting room crying.  She said that the deputies should be mingling among the voters in line because she was being harassed.

I did my part.  God Bless Us All.


Bigfeet



Edited to add:  When the law passed for early voting, there was no stipulation in there for the distance that people had to keep from the voters standing in line.  People from either campaign can be as close as they want to be.  Care to guess where the Bush supporters were standing...


...on the other side of the highway.  The highway is four lanes with a center grass median.  That is where they will have to be tomorrow.

Kerry supporters were giving away bottled water to voters at the polls?  Is that legal?

R u talkin about UF or UCF?  I lived in Gainesville for 5 years.  Talk about Pro-Democrat.

Quoted: Kerry supporters were giving away bottled water to voters at the polls?  Is that legal?

Well, yes it is.  Tomorrow it will not be legal.


Bigfeet

You done good, BigFeet.

Quoted: R u talkin about UF or UCF?  I lived in Gainesville for 5 years.  Talk about Pro-Democrat.

UCF.

You can't finish.


Bigfeet

Quoted: File a complaint immediately with the county board of elections for voter intimidation and insist that they have deputies sent down.

+1

You have a really good case.  If only you had been able to get names.

Quoted: Quoted: File a complaint immediately with the county board of elections for voter intimidation and insist that they have deputies sent down.   +1 You have a really good case.  If only you had been able to get names.

Well the kicker is the county deputies are already there.  They are just standing in the parking lot looking around.  As I was leaving they were all standing on the other side of the road from the library watching freaking traffic go by (and there was five of them).


Bigfeet

Quoted: File a complaint immediately with the county board of elections for voter intimidation and insist that they have deputies sent down.

+1

This is critical...  They will fabricate occurances for themselves, the least we can do is report the real situations.

Quoted: Kerry supporters were giving away bottled water to voters at the polls?  Is that legal?

It aint water. Its Jim Jones style Kool aid.

Not to worry..most Republicans have jobs and are at work. Most of them get time off to vote tomorrow not today or last week. Here in Northwest Florida, you will not see the Kerry stickers..it looks like a Bush/Cheney commercial driving around town.

Just chill out...Bush will kerri Florida handily.

Quoted: First off, I am not a happy person right now.  I had no idea how many people lived in my surrounding area that are very, very Pro kerry (close to 90% had kerry stickers on).  Keep in mind I do live just a few miles from a major University here in Central Florida.  I had decided to wear my "10 out of 10 terrorists agree anyone buy Bush" shirt.  When I arrived (it is at a library) the line was more than two and a half blocks long.  At the end of the line were pro kerry people passing out water (keep in mind the high here today is 90 degrees and there was no shade, nice idea).  I did not get offered a bottle.  There was a Hispanic woman a few people back that would not take it at first, and then caved in.  So standing on the other side of the line is an older white couple decked out with Pro kerry garb.  They are trying to tell me what to vote on for the Amendments to the state’s Constitution.  I promptly tell them that it is nice they can do this today, but not tomorrow.  The man laughs at me and walks away. Now about an hour or so passes and the line is moving very slowly.  A younger punk kid who is ten or more people in front of me decides to break line and throw away his water bottle provided by the kerry people.  As he is walking towards me (in a semi threatening manner mind you) he mutters something about God not wanting for me to vote and to go home.  The woman in front of me (who is pro Bush but not wearing anything to the like) turns around and looks at me, knowing he was referring to me.  I decided to not start anything since I am the minority in this situation, and I really did not feel like getting arrested.  He finished throwing away his bottle and proceeds to walk back to his friends, and after passing me stops.  He then backs up want walks back around behind me very slowly.  Now, I am 6’5” tall and he is probably 5’9” tall.  It was at that time that I decided he was looking for trouble.  As he comes around my left, I say in an extremely loud voice, “What did you say?”  He proceeds to tell me that he has said nothing to me to which I again say, “What did you say?”  He continues to deny saying anything and walks away.  Well now this encounter has caught the attention of the surrounding kerry supporters that feel like it is open season on me.  The questions start off nice but quickly turn into a Bush bashing festival.  I took it all like a trooper, even telling one individual that it was his close mindedness that is preventing him from hearing the other side. What I will say is that if I were a 50 year old female Bush supporter, I would have left.  There is no way that I would have spent 4 hours waiting in line to vote with everyone being hostile towards me.  The place was like Woodstock except some of them were out for blood.  As I was leaving, the news finally showed up at the voting center.  Having the type A personally I have, I grabbed the newsperson and told him to open his eyes up and watch for the voter intimidation.  I know I was not the only person harassed there.  Right after I had cast my ballot another Hispanic woman came inside the voting room crying.  She said that the deputies should be mingling among the voters in line because she was being harassed. I did my part.  God Bless Us All. Bigfeet

Sounds like  some criminal violations going on. At least in NJ no campaigning near the pols.

Mike

Quoted: Not to worry..most Republicans have jobs and are at work. Most of them get time off to vote tomorrow not today or last week. Here in Northwest Florida, you will not see the Kerry stickers..it looks like a Bush/Cheney commercial driving around town. Just chill out...Bush will kerri Florida handily.

God I sure do hope so.  I felt like I was behind enemy lines...

Here is another typical conversation I overheard:

"...Are they using those butter fly ballots again?"
"No why"
"Well good, Bush won't be able to steal the election again."


Bigfeet

Quoted: Quoted: Not to worry..most Republicans have jobs and are at work. Most of them get time off to vote tomorrow not today or last week. Here in Northwest Florida, you will not see the Kerry stickers..it looks like a Bush/Cheney commercial driving around town. Just chill out...Bush will kerri Florida handily. God I sure do hope so.  I felt like I was behind enemy lines... Here is another typical conversation I overheard: "...Are they using those butter fly ballots again?" "No why" "Well good, Bush won't be able to steal the election again." Bigfeet

Dude - I swear to you... it will not be as bad tommorrow.  I've been working locally with a Republican candidate and I've seen a lot of what is going on, who is early voting and why they are.

You are indeed a minority on this scenario.  Most of the early voters are the ones who would never get off their asses to vote in a 12 hour window on a specific day.  They have two weeks to drag themselves or get carted to a polling place.

Keep the faith!  Great job keeping your cool.  Folks like you are the reason we will win the "war".  The loop job, left wing,  knee jerk, wannabe hippy,  reactionaries will lose in the end.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Not to worry..most Republicans have jobs and are at work. Most of them get time off to vote tomorrow not today or last week. Here in Northwest Florida, you will not see the Kerry stickers..it looks like a Bush/Cheney commercial driving around town. Just chill out...Bush will kerri Florida handily. God I sure do hope so.  I felt like I was behind enemy lines... Here is another typical conversation I overheard: "...Are they using those butter fly ballots again?" "No why" "Well good, Bush won't be able to steal the election again." Bigfeet Dude - I swear to you... it will not be as bad tommorrow.  I've been working locally with a Republican candidate and I've seen a lot of what is going on, who is early voting and why they are. You are indeed a minority on this scenario.  Most of the early voters are the ones who would never get off their asses to vote in a 12 hour window on a specific day.  They have two weeks to drag themselves or get carted to a polling place. Keep the faith!  Great job keeping your cool.  Folks like you are the reason we will win the "war".  The loop job, left wing,  knee jerk, wannabe hippy,  reactionaries will lose in the end.

Thanks Bay, I needed that.


Bigfeet

I wonder how many of the early voters will return to vote again?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Not to worry..most Republicans have jobs and are at work. Most of them get time off to vote tomorrow not today or last week. Here in Northwest Florida, you will not see the Kerry stickers..it looks like a Bush/Cheney commercial driving around town. Just chill out...Bush will kerri Florida handily. God I sure do hope so.  I felt like I was behind enemy lines... Here is another typical conversation I overheard: "...Are they using those butter fly ballots again?" "No why" "Well good, Bush won't be able to steal the election again." Bigfeet Dude - I swear to you... it will not be as bad tommorrow.  I've been working locally with a Republican candidate and I've seen a lot of what is going on, who is early voting and why they are. You are indeed a minority on this scenario.  Most of the early voters are the ones who would never get off their asses to vote in a 12 hour window on a specific day.  They have two weeks to drag themselves or get carted to a polling place. Keep the faith!  Great job keeping your cool.  Folks like you are the reason we will win the "war".  The loop job, left wing,  knee jerk, wannabe hippy,  reactionaries will lose in the end. Thanks Bay, I needed that. Bigfeet

Say a prayer for me.  I'm dropping signs at the polling places in South St. Pete at 3am tonight.

Have CZ, will travel.  

Quoted: Edited to add:  When the law passed for early voting, there was no stipulation in there for the distance that people had to keep from the voters standing in line.  People from either campaign can be as close as they want to be.  Care to guess where the Bush supporters were standing... ...on the other side of the highway.  The highway is four lanes with a center grass median.

Ugh.

Damn Republicans are too fucking polite. Don't they know there's a WAR on!!???


You did good Bigfeet.

You looked into the eyes of those who conspire with Osama Bin Laden to massacre our children and were publically harrassed and labeled "Juden" by those very same people who'll be pointing their fingers at you and turning you over to the Gestapo when the time comes. So don't ever forget them. They will be your enemy.

You should have had a "gasseous experience", made them work for thier vote.

CW

Quoted: You looked into the eyes of those who conspire with Osama Bin Laden to massacre our children and were publically harrassed and labeled "Juden" by those very same people who'll be pointing their fingers at you and turning you over to the Gestapo when the time comes. So don't ever forget them. They will be your enemy.

I could not have said it any better.  Very well put Macallan.


Bigfeet