How quaint

Remember when it was this easy?

Democrats enter the final week of the fight for Congress with a commanding edge over Republicans, who hope a strong voter turnout effort and shift in focus away from Iraq can limit their losses.

Recent polls show that growing Democratic momentum, fed by strong dissatisfaction with President George W. Bush's leadership and the war in Iraq, threatens Republican power in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

The public's thirst for change in Washington has Republicans pondering how bad things will be in the November 7 election and calculating whether they can stop Democrats from picking up the 15 House and six Senate seats needed to claim majorities.

"This is the most challenging environment for Republicans since the Watergate year of 1974," said Republican political consultant Whit Ayres, referring to the loss of 48 House seats after the resignation of disgraced Republican President Richard Nixon.

Yeah, but ...

Do you think these election analysts will act all surprised when the GOP maintains control of both the House and Senate thanks to some very questionable election results around the country? It's a ballsy analyst who says, "Basically, Diebold has made election analysis as quaint as the Geneva Conventions."

It's simple, really: The means to manipulate the results of an election exist, and only FOX News would still debate that fact with a straight face. With all their crimes and all the investigations Republicans would face -- actual, not pretend investigations -- there is no frigging way the GOP will chance something as risky as an untainted election when their grip on power is at stake.

Couple that with the very real possibility that Duh-bya would face impeachment if Democrats become the majority party in Congress, sending the Republican party into death spiral it hasn't seen since Nixon (what second-rate Hollywood actor would rescue the party this time?), and you see how foolish it is to analyze this election using traditional methods. The only question that matters is "How are they going to steal this one?" After all, if these people don't feel the Constitution applies to them, why would they feel compelled to obey the will of the people?

Ironically, the only thing we can do about it short of an all-out revolution is VOTE. If we do nothing, stealing elections becomes easier. If we have overwhelming numbers, then their cheating becomes too obvious to ignore.