California Democracy in Action!

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175187,00.html

Quote:

Prisoner Elected to Calif. School Board
Thursday, November 10, 2005

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The winner of a school board election didn't campaign, attend forums or even go to any school board meetings before the vote — because he was in jail.

Randy Logan Hale won 831 votes in Tuesday's election, securing one of three open seats on the Romoland School District Board in a community about 70 miles north of San Diego.

"This is wild, he'll be glad," said his wife, Penny.

Hale, 40, was returned to prison in September for violating his parole on 1998 convictions for spousal abuse and drug possession, the California Institution for Men in Chino said, and is due to be released Feb. 15. He declared his candidacy in August.

His wife and a district trustee confirmed he was imprisoned.

The election of an inmate to the school board is a conundrum for the district, and Superintendent Roland Skumawitz said he's consulting lawyers to figure out how to handle the situation.

Shaun Bowler, a political science professor at the University of California, Riverside, said Hale may have gotten votes because he was at the top of the ballot.

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

Similar to Ashcroft losing to a dead guy in 2000

The late Gov. Mel Carnahan collected enough votes to beat out incumbent Republican Sen. John Ashcroft for the U.S. Senate seat from Missouri.

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/07/senate.missouri/

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

I think you can hardly compare a prisoner in jail to a person losing to a sympathy vote.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Thom, you're just like my ex-wife. Don't discuss the issue, change the subject to something you can win.

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

I guess I should have qualified my response: I was trying to make the point that voters sometimes don't pay attention; did the voters know that the guy was in jail? Did they have any way to know? Did the ballot say "Randy Logan Hale, inmate"? In the link I posted, the fact that the governor had died in a plane crash might have made the news, yet they voted for him anyway.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

have you ever been to the 909? If you have, you wouldn't express much surprise at this kind of event...it kinda reminds me of Texas

tabs · 11-10-2005, 10:48 AM

If this is any indication...When I lived in CA I LIVED IN THE 909...area code...Yeah Baby...

House of Rep Calvert (R) Riverside.....was caught behind a bar with a Hooker...and still got relelcted by his Christian Family Values constituency...

TheMentat · TheMentat's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by red-beard
Thom, you're just like my ex-wife. Don't discuss the issue, change the subject to something you can win.

OK... you're right... Californians are idiots. Is that what you wanted to hear?

vash · vash's Garage

voting for a dead guy is dumber. at the least, the inmate seems to have set up some goals for himself. i hope he does a kicka$$ job.

Hugh R · 11-10-2005, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tabs
House of Rep Calvert (R) Riverside.....was caught behind a bar with a Hooker...and still got relelcted by his Christian Family Values constituency...

What's memorable to me about that one is that Calvert was touring one of my then clients new facilities a few hours before that happened.

Mulhollanddose · 11-10-2005, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by widebody911
Similar to Ashcroft losing to a dead guy in 2000

The late Gov. Mel Carnahan collected enough votes to beat out incumbent Republican Sen. John Ashcroft for the U.S. Senate seat from Missouri.http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/07/senate.missouri/

Ashcroft was winning until Carnahan died, then the left decided to capitalize on his death (sorta like Wellstone) and pull the stunt getting his wife installed.

DaveE · 11-10-2005, 04:23 PM

I would have voted for a dead guy over Ashcroft...................

DaveE · 11-10-2005, 04:24 PM

Or our President for that matter................

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Whatever. But would you vote for a guy who is actually _in_ prison?

I am all for everyone voting, but you need to be informed.

on-ramp · 11-10-2005, 06:10 PM

the system is a big joke. is anyone really surprised?

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

The _SYSTEM_ is a joke? People who vote for a dead guy are a joke. People who vote for a guy in prison are a joke. Why say the system is the problem? We created "the system".

on-ramp · 11-10-2005, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by red-beard
The _SYSTEM_ is a joke? People who vote for a dead guy are a joke. People who vote for a guy in prison are a joke. Why say the system is the problem? We created "the system".

the system is a joke because when it's time to get elected, politicians promise the world but then deliver garbage.
They always find a way to take more of our money. it's never enough, they always need just a little more.... At the same time, they slowly take away our rights.

that's why people vote for dead guys and guys in prison. it's a protest vote.

hope i've answered your question.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Then why do _you_ vote for them?

jyl · jyl's Garage

Probably more like no-one knew he was in prison when they voted for him, and the other candidates were so lame that they didn't know either.

If you're standing for election, wouldn't you hire a private investigator to dig into the background of your opponents? Seems kind of obvious.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

If you are voting, don't _you_ find information out about the people you're voting for?

A vote is a terrible thing to waste...