By Selwyn Duke
In a 1936 referendum on his policies, Adolf Hitler “won” 99 percent of the German vote. A popular fellow he was. Yet he had nothing on Barack Obama’s performance in 13 Philadelphia (mental?) wards, where the president received upwards of 99 percent of the tally.
Philly.com reports on the story, opining that these “neighborhoods outdid themselves in Tuesday's presidential election.” Well, that is one way to put it. Also making euphemizing an art was St. Joseph’s University history professor Randall Miller, who said, writes Philly.com,
politicians almost never get 99 percent of the votes anywhere except, perhaps, the towns where they were born.
He said the Democratic voter turnout effort deserved credit for the president's success.
"Ninety-nine percent is extraordinary, and it shows discipline as much as anything else," he said.
Except it’s the “anything else” that’s the rub. Remember that on Election Day there were reports of court-appointed Republican poll watchers being thrown out of voting locations in 14 Philadelphia wards, almost precisely the same number (13) that were 99-percent pure.
Read the rest here.
