Centerfield

On a much smaller level, I have had my Kerry sign taken from my yard--and it was in the middle of the yard, so someone had to do some real trespassing. I realize the same has happened to Bush signs as well. It's pretty appalling, but I guess it can be expected when both sides think this election is the apocalypse.

The Pittsburgh story is truly appalling, however, because the expectation is obviously that less well-informed people will buy this. On the other hand, when you think about what used to go on during elections during the era of machine politics, it's probably not that much different. Unfortunately, whether it's for ideology or greed, elections offer good opportunities to cheat.

The Republican contention that Dems are sending around the flyers in black neighborhoods in Milwaukee to make the GOP look bad makes no sense because the flyers might have the effect of keeping black voters home. Even if the Dems were that Machiavellian, why would they take that risk?

I see the free-lancers are out again this year. Some of them even think they have a sense of humor. The "next day vote" thing is older than all of us. Last week it was Onion material.

Two weeks ago someone went to an evangelical church here known as a rabid pro-lifer base and put Kerry bumper stickers on a bunch of cars during the service. Both sides are still pointing fingers at each other. Personally I thought it was kinda funny.

The sign wars have been intense, but there's no way to know who's suffered the most. Most of the actual violence so far has been directed against Repubicans.

Here in NYC, an elderly lady was in the news for having hit another lady and ordering her out of a Central Park West building.

Her crime?

Carrying a Bsuh sign.

From the New York Post (Page 6 GOSSIP column--so who knows?):

John Kerry's stepson, Chris Heinz, 31, displayed his mother Teresa's famous lack of rhetorical restraint at a recent campaign event with a group of Wharton students. Philadelphia magazine reports: "Heinz accused Kerry's opponents - 'our enemies' - of making the race dirty. 'We didn't start out with negative ads calling George Bush a cokehead,' he said, before adding, 'I'll do it now.' Asked later about it, Heinz said, 'I have no evidence. He never sold me anything.'"

The NYC in-crowd takes Page Six very seriously.

A lot of people don't believe these things actually go on. I do and I believe it happens on both sides. I think it's so harmful to the process.

I hope this isn't politically incorrect to say but I find this VERY funny. (Assuming its true and not a funny urban myth). Could anyone be that stupid to fall for that flyer?

I hope this isn't politically incorrect to say but I find this VERY funny. (Assuming its true and not a funny urban myth). Could anyone be that stupid to fall for that flyer?

It really is a political joke as old as the hills, dating back at least as far as the Carpet-Bagger era. At least it's been part of the Southern African-American humor lexicon that long. "They always let us vote the day after, when it's not so crowded."

I can believe someone thought it funny enough to distribute flyers. Anyone dim enough to believe them, well, I don't know that their failure to vote would really endanger the nation very much.