Okay, anytime Ann Coulter is having a bad day I’m happy. But I’m a bit bugged by this:
WEST PALM BEACH – Conservative columnist Ann Coulter has refused to cooperate in an investigation about whether she voted in the wrong precinct, so the case will likely be turned over to state prosecutors, Palm Beach County’s elections chief said Wednesday.
Elections Supervisor Arthur Anderson said his office has been looking into the matter for nearly nine months, and he would turn over the case to the State Attorney’s Office by Friday. […]
Knowingly voting in a wrong precinct is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison, said Mike Edmondson, a spokesman for the State Attorney’s Office in West Palm Beach.
Doesn’t five years seem pretty extreme for the crime in this case? A single year in prison and a hefty fine seems like more than adequate punishment for the harm done, and for deterrence purposes. Even for Coulter.
(Thanks to Lucia for pointing this story out to me.)
Although “shadenfraud” has a certain ring to it, it’s “schadenfreude”. You 97s really should do spellcheck on the hard words.
It’ll be impossible to prove intent so don’t worry, Ann’ll be OK.
I thought it was a pun on voter fraud, and should be spelled schadenfraud.
Yes! It was… intentional wordplay, that’s the ticket! Yeah!
:p
Funny, I read it and also assumed you’d done it on purpose. (I think you should definitely keep it. )
As to the question of appropriate punishment– I guess I need to wait to read details. The penalty says “up to 5 years”. It may well be that historical cases involved intentional manipulations to sway elections. In that case, the maximum penalty was designed to discourage some serious voter fraud.
We may find the authorities apply much lower penalties in cases where the voter pretty much discovers “Woops! I moved. I missed the deadline to change my address. I’ll vote in my previous precinct.” The latter would be illegal and bad– but 1 year and big fines would seem sufficient.
The place I vote handles balloting for 4 different precincts. I wonder if she votes in such a location. I do wonder why she won’t cooperate, though.
Ann Couter is tremendously effective at tracking a discussion on to a narrow rail. She uses biting humor well. Because of this she raises disproportianate anger at her success and glee at her problems. Outside of schadenfreude this is a non issue.
But then I am a libertarian and come here mostly for the gender discussions. ( I support womens issues to a greater degree then would be common character for a right leaning libertarian)
“Ann coulter is tremendously effective at tracking a discussion to a narrow raqil.?” are you smoking crack? Ann coulter is known for one thing by those who follow truthful politics, SHE IS A FLAGRANT LIER, very few things she says are based on facts. that is why FOX new network loves her so much, she will lie about anything. people who believe her are likely bush supporters, and FOX nes watchers, she has a problem stayiing truthful, she is a hypocrit. throw her skeletor butt to the prison system, she deserves it, for all the hate she spreads, her books are just that, hate books based off blatent lies, her audience assumes that because it is in a book it must be true, she has a publisher that will publish anything consevative, be it lies or bigg lies. her publisher is the same publisher for sean hannity,rush limbaugh, bill oriely. all liers.
This may or may not be a non-issue. It sort of depends on exactly what she did and how the incorrect voting occurred.
If it turns out she absolutely intentionally voted in the wrong precinct to sway the outcome of a local election, the example might illuminate the types of motives that lead to voter fraud. Still, this would mostly be a story about what Ann Coulter the individual did wrong. It’s interesting the way all celebrity scandals are interesting. (It will also likely affect her career which relies on biting sarcasm toward those she opposes.)
If it turns out the Florida’s system of keeping voter rolls, tracking voters etc is confusing, mismanaged and easy to defraud, that would be a very big story.
republican represent the hard crust that covers cess pits, they are the filth, but it is so laid in that it is more crust. they will lose the senate& the house, just watch.