As I was starting to get comfortable with the firewall state polls, 538, Wang, etc. all looking good, I saw anti Obama ads in primetime, on national television, in the freaking San Francisco Bay Area!!!
While I have the lowest opinion for those who decide to vote for the right-wing/tea-party, I have never underestimated their overlords, their intelligence, and most of all their absolute disregard for democracy and rules (the rules don't apply to the 1%).
As I will explain after the fold, I have my theory why they are using their large coffins to run ads all in the bluest of places, and why we should all be very concerned
I am an Italian transplant. I moved to the Bay Area 20 years ago, and have been a citizen since 2000. I'm an engineer by trade, and when I was in Italy I worked for the elections for 6 years, specifically I oversaw the election for a voting precinct being in charge, among all other things, of the adjudicating of the votes.
While Italy's democracy may have many faults, the integrity of the voting system is not one of them.
All people, as there is no concept of 'registered' voter, vote with paper ballots.
The ballots are then counted in front of witnesses from all the political parties, plus anyone who can fit in the room.
Miscounting votes is just not something that happens. period.
Here in the US, the use of electronic counting machines makes the final result an approximation of the actual result, all in name of getting the result in the shortest time.
Due to the winner take all system, a 100% correct result is not usually important, and most people dismiss election tampering as a loony conspiracy theory.
Why would then the Super-PACs for Rmoney run ads in the Bay Area, and how does it all fit in?
My theory is that they want to increase the national vote for R, so when they steal Virginia, Ohio and Wisconsin (which I'm sure they'll try to), they can point to the national vote -- which will likely be slightly higher for R to legitimize the result and silence the opposition.
Obama will challenge the outcome, like Kerry somehow did in 2004 and Gore did in 2000, but the MSM and the Right-Wing propaganda machine will do a number on him (we haven't forgotten Florida 2000, nor Ohio 2004) getting the country to move on and accept the fake winner. Obama, being a much bigger man than his opponents, will move on because maintaining the illusion of a democracy is more important than the truth.
I obviously hope to be wrong, but I think this is what our opponents are working on.