Recently I attended a meeting of the Cornell Club of Hartford as a guest of a member. She had invited me and several other voting advocates because the speaker was Cornell Professor of American Studies, Glenn C. Altschuler. He is an expert on election history.
Professor Altschuler was an entertaining speaker, spiking the talk with jokes, and bantering with some members of the audience. He is obviously a popular faculty member. I found the whole talk quite interesting.
His basic thesis is that elections in the U.S. are primarily decided by three factors Timing, Tactics and Turnout. He analysed the 2008 presidential election based on that frame, pointing out similar aspects of past elections. Not being a history expert, I cannot comment on his theory’s relation to other alternative theories.
There is an old joke about the sandwich store with a sign that read “We have an agreement with the Bank, they don’t make sandwiches and we don’t cash checks.” I propose an agreement between computer experts and political historians: “We won’t attempt to clarify political history and you won’t certify voting machines.”
I asked a very simple question, very quickly, simply, honestly and innocently. (You were not there. You will have to trust me on this.) I asked approximately: “I would add another T, Tinkering. Could you tell me why politicians like John Kerry and the loser in our 2nd District Congressional race with a margin of 91 votes throw in the towel so quickly”
He then proceeded to characterize me as a conspiracy theorist, said that I only believed the machines were unsafe because of Mr. Diebold’s unfortunate statement (He indicated could not recall his name, which is Walden O’Dell.). Said there was no evidence of computer fraud. And that it was hard to do. It would take too many people. I would have loved an opportunity to debate him, I saw that as inapproprite, and did not continue. I did not want to offend anyone, especially since I was a guest in front of an admired, legendary professor.
He went on to state that Bush had stolen the election fair and square in Ohio as it has always been done. (My contention would be then that his theory of the three T’s is, at best, incomplete as an explanation of who won in the past and why.)
Continue reading “Surely You’re Joking, Professor Altschuler!”