Mon
Oct 27 2014
03:12 pm
The Best #Democracy Money Can Buy?
By: Andy Axel

"If you want to take the one everyone is talking about, take this one," said the poll worker to the woman in front of me at the table.

She was referring to the "I Voted" stickers that were being placed on the table for people to take as they leave.

There are some traditional ones, and then there are these:

Question for our Secretary Of State:

Just how many thousands of dollars in public money did you just spend to create a campaign advertisement for yourself?

Topics:
Rachel's picture

They had these in Knoxville

Submitted by Rachel on Mon, 2014/10/27 - 3:48pm.

They had these in Knoxville last week - in orange. I thought they were cool and started to pick one up. Then I saw the name on it and went with the simple flag sticker instead.

michael kaplan's picture

they come in different

Submitted by michael kaplan on Mon, 2014/10/27 - 5:02pm.
(in reply to Rachel)

they come in different colors?

R. Neal's picture

Heard about those. Didn't see

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2014/10/27 - 3:59pm.

Heard about those. Didn't see them in Blount Co. The nice poll worker lady approached to put my sticker on and I checked to make sure it wasn't one of those.

So anyway, wonder what the deal is? Is he running for something?

Andy Axel's picture

Career politicians

Submitted by Andy Axel on Mon, 2014/10/27 - 4:55pm.
(in reply to R. Neal)

are *always* running.

And the taxpayer is picking up the tab for him to put his name out there statewide.

Pam Strickland's picture

He claims it's for

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Tue, 2014/10/28 - 9:46am.
(in reply to R. Neal)

He claims it's for accountability. Fat chance. I'm not going to get one unless it doesn't have his name on it. I don't vote early, vote on election day. My hope is that they have tons left over so he realizes it was a stupid idea.

fischbobber's picture

Left-overs

Submitted by fischbobber on Tue, 2014/10/28 - 10:13am.
(in reply to Pam Strickland)

If there's tons left over, then they give them to school kids. School kids love stickers. That's probably the idea to begin with. It's maybe not such a stupid idea, blatantly and intendedly illegal perhaps, but not so much stupid.

But I get your drift and wouldn't have taken one had it been offered. Of course, I'm pretty sure they've figured out I'm a Democrat with a big mouth that doesn't mind bitching.

Roscoe Persimmon's picture

Ron Ramsey will be the next Tennessee governor

Submitted by Roscoe Persimmon (not verified) on Mon, 2014/10/27 - 4:20pm.

one way or the other, not sure what statewide office Hargett has his eye on, but unless Haslam is going to appoint him to Alexander's seat next summer or in early 2016, not sure what he would be looking at.

reform4's picture

Downtown West

Submitted by reform4 on Mon, 2014/10/27 - 6:11pm.

When I voted only had out the old oval stickers.

I said "Good, I'm glad to see you only have the legal ones out there, not the illegal ones." I thought I saw a chuckle.

moonsphere's picture

"Putting Secretary Hargett's

Submitted by moonsphere (not verified) on Mon, 2014/10/27 - 6:58pm.

"Putting Secretary Hargett's name and the #GoVoteTN hashtag on the stickers provides accountability," State Election Coordinator Mark Goins said in an email Friday. "If people have questions or comments about how an election was conducted, they know who to contact."

AP story in KNS
(link...)

WTF?

Apparently, you can get a million stickers for $2,000.

Andy Axel's picture

Accountability?This from the

Submitted by Andy Axel on Mon, 2014/10/27 - 10:10pm.
(in reply to moonsphere)

Accountability?

This from the guy who killed the implementation of the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act (which would have required optical scan ballots & paper receipts).

That'd be funny if it wasn't pathetic.

Brian Hornback's picture

Why does anyone need a

Submitted by Brian Hornback on Mon, 2014/10/27 - 7:46pm.

Why does anyone need a sticker to boast that they did what they ought do without needing a look at me, I am so proud of me, I did my civic duty. It's unneccesary, I have never asked for one, taken one. It's like taking a selfie, just wrong

Andy Axel's picture

(No, no, no... too easy.)

Submitted by Andy Axel on Mon, 2014/10/27 - 10:11pm.
(in reply to Brian Hornback)

(No, no, no... too easy.)

Min's picture

**shrug**

Submitted by Min on Tue, 2014/10/28 - 10:53am.
(in reply to Brian Hornback)

It's a way to encourage others to vote. And if nothing else, it reminds the unconscious that the day is, in fact, Election Day.

redmondkr's picture

I got one of the oval

Submitted by redmondkr on Tue, 2014/10/28 - 10:12am.

I got one of the oval stickers when I voted in the primary because the BBQ joint next door to the polling place was giving a 10% discount to voters wearing one. No such luck with the general. I didn't see anyone taking one of these stickers either.

michael kaplan's picture

that's a mark twain quote,

Submitted by michael kaplan on Thu, 2014/10/30 - 2:17pm.

The Best #Democracy Money Can Buy?

that's a mark twain quote, right? off-topic, but david harvey uses it in this analysis of what's happening. watch both parts I and II.

(link...)

michael kaplan's picture

at a training session for

Submitted by michael kaplan on Thu, 2014/10/30 - 2:16pm.

at a training session for election workers today, the trainer mentioned the 'flap' over these stickers (without going into detail) and said they would be available to those who ask for them.

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