NT - Is this true?

[Gail in Virginia]

If this story is true, this is just totally unacceptable. If anyone should have the right to vote, it should be our military and veterans.

http://www.duffelblog.com/2012/11/military-absentee-ballots-delivered-one-day-late-would-have-swung-election-for-romney/

[Kea]

It's satire. (Many of the comments refer to it being satire and why it can't be true.)

[Gail in Virginia]

I am glad. I am not familiar with the site, and while I thought that the time involved was longer than absentee ballots are available, i wasn't sure. Figured someone on this board would know. Thanks, Kea.

[Kea]

You're welcome. It just didn't sound right to me -- especially the part where they suggested sending in ballots 8 months in advance. So I looked to see what the commenters were saying. I, too, was glad it wasn't real.

But that just shows how good the satire is. It has to have an element of "believableness." I'm amazed at the times that articles from The Onion get passed on as real. The best way to know those are satire is because it was in The Onion.

[JohnH]

I hadn't seen this site before, but I got a good laugh out of several of the articles. Many of them are even funnier if you've served in the military and have been either the perpetrator or the victim of some good-natured "barracks humor" from time-to-time.

I laughed out loud at the "Taliban Proposes a "Call Ahead" Night Raid Policy", especially the last line from the excerpt below"

The Taliban has enthusiastically offered a “Call Ahead” program as an olive branch gesture to U.S. forces. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid explains:

“We are trying to do our part in the peace process. You ask an Afghan court 72 hours before getting a warrant to knock down our door, we’re only asking 24 hours, tops, as a common courtesy. We’ll even put my cousin Mutassa on the computer in case you email. Either way, we think this is more than reasonable for a head start…to peace.”

Afghan President Hamid Karzai was optimistic about a deal being reached.

“I think this is a great idea,” said Karzai, as he text-messaged the location of a high-level U.S. Diplomat to an insurgent leader. “It provides the Taliban a good compromise, and frankly, saves my government resources from being wasted by having to call them ourselves.”

[kcjenkins]

About Us

The Duffel Blog serves the men and women of the US Military with a daily dose of military humor, funny military pictures, and faux news. We take an interesting and funny look at military life. We focus on veterans, military stories, defense, politics (sometimes) and life on base — with a comedic twist. We are in no way, shape, or form, a real news outlet. Just about everything on this website is satirical in nature.

Read more: http://www.duffelblo.../#ixzz2Bf7V0Mxi

[kcjenkins]

A legit source discussing the actual problems:

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/265925-gop-senators-thousands-of-ballots-unlikely-to-reach-military-voters

[Kea]

This site is supposed to help address the problems:

http://www.fvap.gov/

I don't know a lot about it, but did hear a discussion on the radio a week or 2 ago (I hope I get the right website). From what they were saying, if you didn't get your absentee ballot, you could print it from this website.

Again, I don't claim to be an expert, but it sounds like it is a step in the right direction.

[jainen]

>> If anyone should have the right to vote, it should be our military<<

They got it fixed now, but when I was in the military during that war in Southeast Asia 3/4 of us couldn't vote because we weren't 21 years old. Most of the people who objected to the foreign policy were likewise too young. And of course the vast majority of enemy soldiers were children as well, something that is still true of our recent wars.