Pic from Bush protest
Police fear riots if Barack Obama loses US election
US police fear riots could break out if John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, wins the election next month.
By Catherine Elsworth in Los Angeles
Last Updated: 7:51AM BST 24 Oct 2008
Commentators point to the surge in voter registration and large turnout in the primaries as reasons why there could be problems on election day Photo: AP
Law enforcement officials say the intense public interest and historic nature of the vote could lead to violent outbreaks if people are unhappy with the results, encounter problems casting their ballots or suspect voting irregularities.
Police departments say they cannot rule out disorder and are mobilising extra forces and putting SWAT teams on standby.
In Oakland, near San Francisco, police will have tactical squads, SWAT teams and officers trained in riot control on standby.
“We always try to prepare for the worst,” said Oakland police department spokesman Jeff Thomason.
“This election is going to mark in history a change in the presidency: you’re going to have a woman in the presidency or an African American as president. I think everybody around here is voting for Obama, so if he gets in the White House everybody’s going to be happy.
“But we’ll have our SWAT teams on standby and traffic teams here, so if something goes off we’ll organise and take care of the problem.”
There have also been internet rumours about plans for protests or civil disobedience by supporters of Democratic candidate Barack Obama if he is beaten by Republican rival John McCain on November 4.
He said Oakland was prepared to deal with unrest as Oakland Raiders fans rioted in 2003 following their Super Bowl loss.
Other cities that have experienced unrest include Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia and are also planning to deploy extra officers on election day.
James Carville, a strategist for former President Bill Clinton and advisor to his wife Hillary’s 2008 presidential campaign, hinted Democrat supporters could be angry if Mr Obama lost, given his lead in the polls.
“If Obama goes in and he has a consistent five-point lead and loses the election, it would be very, very, very dramatic out there,” he told CNN.
James Tate, of Detroit’s police department, which dealt with violent celebrations after the Detroit Tigers won the baseball World Series in 1984, told congressional newspaper The Hill that problems could flare whichever candidate wins.
“Either party will make history and we want to prepare for celebrations that will be on a larger scale than for our sports teams,” he said. “The worst-case scenario could be a situation that requires law enforcement.”
In Chicago, where Mr Obama will hold a rally on November 4, the police department has been meeting to discuss security plans for the night. Law enforcement departments in Philadelphia and Cincinnati are also making preparations in case of problems.
Commentators point to the surge in voter registration and large turnout in the primaries as reasons why there could be problems on election day, questioning whether the system will be able to handle so many extra voters.
Election officials in Virginia are stepping up security at polling booths amid concerns over long waits and issues such as voter registration and identity verification.
Despite efforts to improve voting systems after the problems of 2000 and 2004, the Pew Research Centre has warned high turnout could again cause problems such as lengthy delays at the polls. Unexpectedly high number of voters in states with early voting such as Florida have already encountered long waits.
Hilary Shelton, director of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People’s (NAACP) Washington bureau, said there could be a repeat of problems witnessed in some black inner cities in 2004, where voters waited for up to eight hours to cast their ballots.
In response to the expected high turnout among racial and ethnic minority voters, intense interest in the election and online rumours about unrest, the NAACP has written to election officials in every state asking them to try to prevent any problems that could lead to voters being “stymied” or “disenfranchised” such as too few voting machines or staff.
He was also concerned about the possibility of extra police presence causing intimidation.
“Our antennas go up in terms of what happens when law enforcement moves to provide additional security and support and what happens on election day and how that comes across.
“The issue we’re raising now is are they being sensitive to the issues and the possibilities of intimidation and disenfranchisement, which could very well come out of them being too heavy handed. (Sometimes) the wrong strategy by law enforcement can actually create a problem rather than prevent one and it is our hope that we don’t see those kinds of problems on election day and people are able to enjoy the security of our democracy.”
Right-wing websites and blogs have been fuelling speculation about election unrest with unconfirmed reports of an online petition that pledges “civil disobedience” if Mr McCain wins.
Meanwhile, in a blog posting entitled ‘A McCain “Win” Will Be Theft, Resistance Is Planned’, David Swanson, Washington director of Democrats.com and a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, writes: “If your television declares John McCain the president elect on the evening of November 4th, your television will be lying.
“You should immediately pick up your pre-packed bags and head straight to the White House in Washington, DC, which we will surround and shut down until this attempt at a third illegitimate presidency is reversed.
“We may be there for days or weeks or months. But we must be there. We must be there by the millions. We must show each other, and the nation, and the world that we have had enough, that we will not stand for one more stolen election, that we will not give in to fear, lies, theft, and intimidation.”
Mr Carville told The Hill that “a lot of Democrats would have a great deal of angst and anger,” if Mr Obama lost. He predicted that on November 4, “the voting system all around the country is going to be very stressed because there’s going to be enormous turnout.”
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I don’t know about riots, but I think there should be protests without a doubt if Obama loses. After the pitiful campaign McCain has run, the margin by which Obama leads and the history of voter fraud and disenfranchisment, we can’t afford to just let it go like in 2000. If we don’t protest to demand an investigation, we deserve the hell we’d get.
@swandiver,
I would slightly agree. The problem is that, at BEST, Obama would lose the election because of race. None of the scenarios look good.
1. Obama loses because of voter suppression
2. Obama loses because of the so called “Bradley Effect” (which I don’t fear)
With the number of new registrants, he would only lose by voter suppression. As the saying goes, “with no justice, there is no peace.” Accordingly, I would respectfully disagree. I think rioting would be counter-productive; but, there is no way McCain can win this election without massive voter disinfranchisement — On a scale that has never been matched before.
Obama loses, so blacks burn down their part of town, looting everything in the process – then turn to whitey and demand that companies rebuild their supermarkets, etc. at costs of hundreds of millions of dollars. One of these days in the distant future, maybe they’ll get a leader who doesn’t bed every woman he gets his hands on (or every young man, in the case of Obama, including the choir director at his church) and can back up their lilting rhetoric with hard work and appreciation for what it takes to build and maintain an advanced society. Normally, I’m against the police state, but from experiemce being in the middle of African rioters, I say let the police smash them, no questions asked.
Shlomo,
Your moronic and poorly constructed rambling should not warrant a response from me; however, I will oblige for once.
Justice is the notion of moral rightness based on law and equity – A key principle of our country. Before you go on any more of your pedantical concoctions of bland statements such as, “lilting rhetoric with hard work and appreciation,” perhaps you should pick up a book.
I would not expect an e-thug like you to be ethnoculturally competent anyhow.
Look at the aboriginal riots of Australia. Your myopic racial lense is disgusting. It is a subliminal psychic hate that entrenches and holds America back from its highest potential.
Read about the 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots in Asia. Study the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 where students, intellectuals, and labor activists in China led demonstrations. Learn about the riots against the Chinese government months before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in response to the enslavement of more than 300 Lamaist monks.
Think to the 1968 Democratic National Convention, on of the most influential riots resulting in the American withdrawal from Vietnam. Study the Battle of Seattle.
The “lilting rhetoric” and implicit hate toward “Africans” warrant comparison of another ethnic group for you even to begin understanding America’s sordid voting history through competent cultural lenses. (In other terms – black disenfranchisement).
Until then, keep your slothful geopolitical babble to yourself.
“The last resort of kings, the cannonball. The last resort of the people, the paving stone.”
- Victor Hugo
Politicalmusic,
Answer honestly…………. who paid for your education?
@political music. First time here, seems lively, insightful even…i will be back.
now…
Why would you even bother to respond to that buffoon Shlomo? Why?
Nobody is going to riot if Obama loses. In fact, no one should. I’ve said this to everybody who floats that bs notion in my direction. An Obama loss does NOT mean all is lost. It doesn’t mean we should start rioting in the streets or randomly attacking white people. What it should mean is that we are that much closer to that (a black president) becoming a reality. What it should mean is that we are that much closer to an end of racism in this country. What it should mean is WE GOT WORK TO DO.
Yeah that’s a romantic vision, but it is a vision worth believing in. This campaign should propel us, not set us back. The whole message of this campaign has been change from business as usual. What Barack Obama has done is astonishing at the very least, even if you hate him down to his core you have got to agree with that. He has taken all of our notions about race, class, gender, foreign relations, etc. in this country and has made us question them all. As I wrote in my blog today, if you care about this country then you will vote with optimism and not out of fear. Even if you vote for McCain, do so because you think he’s going to make this country better, not because you don’t want the “nigger” to win. That’s some ignorant ish! The last time we voted out of fear, we voted for G.W. Bush for a second term. Let us never forget that little faux pax.
Have you noticed that those that troll the most never leave a link or other contact information? Don’t you have the courage to back up your assumptions/accusations? Maybe we are supposed to take them just as they appear to be: the baseless ramblings of uninformed racists.
@politicalassistant.
You are right. Let’s stop talking about a loss! lol. He is going to win.
Seriously though, at the very least, there are about to be a number of upsets around the country as far as the House and Senate seats. I don’t believe a loss will cause a riot per se. However, I wouldn’t rule it out because it’s a matter of how he loses. Riot is a strong choice of language and implies some sort of lawlessness.
There will be passionate demonstrations. (I should say that). And please believe that MORE than black folks will demonsrate — there are a lot of passionate folk out there for Obama! I think it will be a matter of fairness in determining reaction. The 2000 elections were ridiculous. We aren’t about to have five states turn blue, disappear, and reappear red! lol
@ Swan,
You are right. I usually do, they caught me slippin’ one time lol
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I think the Obama voters may be surprised to realize how many people there are that are not shouting to the rooftops (like the Obamanations) that they will be voting McCain. I believe the race will be very close, and as they say “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings”. Can Oprah sing? We will see.
Areyoukidding?
Why you gotta get on Oprah?! lol
Stop making excuses for that peice of crap Obama. When he loses on tuesday it will be because the majority of Americans don’t identify with his liberal/socialaist policies.
The fact that he is half black is not at issue.
I would rather have all trhe negros burn the citeis befor giving thje keys to a socialist with no experience and bad judgement.
So go ahead and riot because this guy is only ahead 3 points and the centrist population will not vote for him. (Bradley effect now known as Obama effect)
You forgot to mention the Army is on active duty on US SOIL after a recent deployment to Iraq to assist in any unrest