By Calvin Palmer
Police departments in major U.S. cities will be mobilizing extra forces and putting SWAT teams on standby on November 4 to deal with possible outbreaks of violence if people are unhappy with the presidential election result.
Police chiefs in Oakland, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati and Philadelphia are planning to deploy extra officers on election day.
Oakland will have tactical squads, SWAT teams and officers trained in riot control on standby.
“We always try to prepare for the worst,” said Oakland police department spokesman Jeff Thomason.
Internet rumors suggest civil disobedience could break out if Barack Obama is defeated by his Republican rival John McCain on November 4. I would not rule out some kind of right-wing backlash if Obama wins.
James Tate of Detroit police department told congressional newspaper The Hill that problems could flare up whichever candidate wins.
“Either party will make history and we want to prepare for celebrations that will be on a larger scale than for our sports teams,” he said. “The worst case scenario could be a situation that requires law enforcement.”
With greater voter registration than ever before, doubts are being raised whether the system will be able to handle so many extra voters. High numbers of early voters in states such as Florida have already led to long waits at the polls.
Election officials in Virginia are increasing security at polling booths amid concerns over lengthy waits and issues such as voter registration and identity verification.
Hilary Shelton, the director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has written to election officials in every state asking them to try and prevent any problems that could lead to voters being “stymied” or “disenfranchised,” such as too few voting machines or staff.
He was also concerned about the possibility of extra police presence causing intimidation.
“Sometimes the wrong strategy by law enforcement can actually create a problem rather than prevent one and it is our hope that we don’t see those kinds of problems on election day and people are able to enjoy the security of our democracy,” he said.
These official statements echo rumors I have heard in the past few days. The first was that an Army brigade was being sent home early from Iraq to be on hand on election day. Then it changed to a brigade was being held back from being deployed in Iraq. Such is the nature of rumors.
Both would suggest something more than just a stepping up of police preparedness and would point to the imposition of martial law, which usually goes hand in hand with full scale riots.
Somewhat more chilling was something I heard from a person strongly connected with the security services in the United States.
Apparently, the price of an AK-47 assault rifle used to be $400. In recent weeks, due to the law of supply and demand, the price has risen to $2,000.
In addition, large amounts of ammunition have been shipped across the United States in recent weeks, almost as if certain people are not only expecting the worst but are preparing for it.
It is important to remember that state laws in the United States are strongly in favor of a citizen’s right to protect his or her property and also uphold the right of self defense.
There is no denying that the McCain-Palin campaign has appealed to the base elements of Republican supporters and for many of them Obama’s race is an issue, especially in the South.
I was talking to someone the other day who said that Colin Powell had backed Obama for other reasons and not because of the Republican Party’s drift towards the right. I asked him if he meant because Obama was black. I received no answer. And that told me everything.
James Carville, a strategist for former President Bill Clinton and advisor to Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the Democratic nomination, hinted Democrats could be angry if Obama lost, given his lead in the polls.
“If Obama goes in and has a consistent five-point lead and loses the election, it would be very very dramatic out there,” he told CNN.
Let us hope that any drama is confined to the results, as they come in state by state, and does not spill out on to the streets of America’s cities.
[Based on reports by The Daily Telegraph and The Hill.]
Calvin Palmer's Weblog 
Honestly, I can’t ever remember an election that has so strongly galvanised world opinion as this one has. That opinion is so one sided on Obama’s behalf that if McCain were to miraculously win, the backlash would come not only from American citizens, but from many other parts outside the US. It’s a fascinating scenario with so many sub-plots and agendas.
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Thanks for posting that link geekgrrrl. That footage seems like only yesterday and just goes to show that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
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