A Reader Wonders If New York's GOP Didn't Challenge Dem Voter Fraud In 1976 Because Of Their Own Corruption
11/17/2020
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Re: GOP Always Surrenders To Voter Fraud—Example: Carter Vs. Ford, New York State, 1976

From: "Gary in Gramercy" [Email him]

I just read James Fulford's piece about how the GOP historically surrenders to Democratic voter fraud, using the close 1976 presidential election as an example. I had forgotten how close New York State was—amazing, considering the "Ford to [New York] City: Drop Dead" headlines—and so had completely forgotten that the New York State Republican Committee initially tried to get the ballots impounded for a recount. (In fairness, I was 14 at the time.)

While I agree with your general point that Republicans roll over and play dead when the Dems commit even the most obvious voter fraud—mostly because the fraud involves primarily black votes, and the GOP is too sensitive about charges of racism to put up much of a fight—I think New York State Republicans may have had a different reason for standing down in 1976.

Political machines in the cities are almost always controlled by Democrats; in the suburbs, though, some ruthlessly successful Republican machines deliver votes on Election Day, and jobs to the party faithful thereafter. One such GOP machine in the 1970's was Joseph Margiotta's Republican fiefdom in Nassau County on Long Island, where Margiotta was the county GOP chairman from 1968 to 1983. This machine helped groom one Alfonse D'Amato for political stardom, teaching him to do favors for others, putting those in his debt (as a U.S. Senator, he took great joy and pleasure in a nickname that would have offended others: "Senator Pothole"). There were always rumors that Nassau County employees had to kick back a certain percentage of their income to the County Republican Party as a condition of keeping said job. Margiotta himself was ultimately indicted and convicted on federal extortion and mail fraud charges in 1981, and served 14 months in jail.

I am merely speculating here, but I suspect that not too long after the Republican State Committee obtained a temporary restraining order from a state judge to impound the 1976 Presidential ballots, its counsel, Richard Rosenbaum, got a call from Long Island: "Joe says ixnay on the ecount-ray." The point being: who knows how many votes the Nassau County GOP machine stole in '76? And who wanted a recount that might have brought such, uh, irregularities, to light? Presidents serve four-year terms; county machine bosses are forever.

"Gary in Gramercy" can be found commenting at Steve Sailer's site.

 

 

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