Osama Printed Instead of Obama on Absentee Ballots, an Accident? VIDEO >>

AP reports that hundreds of absentee ballots sent to voters in Rensselaer County, NY, identified the Democratic presidential candidate as 'Barack Osama.' Commissioners for the Rensselaer County Board of Elections say they 'regret the error.'

The first two person-on-the-street soundbites refuse to believe the misprint was anything less than intentional. While at third bite from at bearded slacker youth says the it wasn't intentional but "just funny." Finally, an election worker says that mistakes do happen even if over twenty functionaries are supposed to review the ballots before going to print.

Who to believe, who to believe...

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Comments

[hobbes denver]

Barack Obama should just chalk this up to a dropped bit in the word processor at Renneslaer County and move on. If he doesn't, he lends legitimacy to everyone who goes over his autohagiographical books with a loupe and a fine-tooth comb looking for apparent inconsistencies - such as his memories of having read about the African-American who ruined his skin trying to bleach himself into Caucasian-ness. It may well be that an imitator of Ebony, such as Jet or Sepia, may have run the article. But it was awfully thin stuff, wherever it originated.

There was no reason to reach that far, given the real example of Michael Jackson (whether his gradual lightening is due to vitiligo, vanity or vacillation over his preferred ethnicity). Obama's downfall may be his preference for embellishment when facts are easy to come by.

[chouwalker]

Either this was intentional or the people preparing the ballot were UTTERLY incompetent.

Either way, the people responsible for this ballot should be FIRED.

If it can be shown to have been intentional, they should be prosecuted.

[YouDisgustMe]

it's no fvcking mistake....someone better be losing their job over this shlt

[canuckkid]

Mistake, my ass. The letters S and B are nowhere near one another on the keyboard, and as has been mentioned, these things go under several peoples' eyes (or damn well should) before going to print.

[wizardofoz]

HOW can this be a mistake? this was intentional and the people responsible should be FIRED,these
are official gov ballot papers,that are reviewed before printing.

[Trapper439]

What an amazing coincidence. Out of all the letters that could have been misprinted instead of the correct "b", it just happened to be an "s".

What's that, a 1/25 chance? I suppose it follows that there is a 1/625 chance that the next misprint will be "McSaim".

[verderosso]

Let's flood the phone line of Republican Commissioner Larry A. Bugbee for the Board of Elections in Rensselaer County : phone [phone]; fax [phone]. Time to do it: 9am-5 pm eastern time

[SeniorTour]

There is no way that this was a mistake. In government, all work is reviewed, and then reviewed again. The people in the position of reviewer are literate, educated people. And then it goes to the printer. I go with the "collusion of bigots" theory. What else? Really!

[WhatIKnow]

I use to be the top level manager in the government office I worked in. Review, review was the protocol before any letter went out or a project of this magnitude was sent for printing. The idea being new eyes will likely pick up errors. It is highly unlikely this was an error. It was very intentional, just like the sheriff in Lee County Florida (in full uniform) introducing Sarah Palin and inciting the crowd. This is grounds for firing and the supervidor of the Board Of Elections and anyone that immediately reports to the supervisor should be fired. I could never get away with such incompetence and keep my job!

[XME]

Never underestimate how incompetent people can be...it very way MAY have been a mistake. But certainly EXTREMELY incompetent if it was.

For those who did get them, they ought to keep them...I'm sure they'll be worth something someday!