Postponing the election: It's a joke, or is it?
By Alex Beam
Globe Columnist / October 11, 2008

Here is the latest big-picture conspiracy theory, which has been gathering strength on the blogosphere the way a hurricane feeds on Caribbean waters: It is widely believed, both online and, increasingly, offline, that the Bush administration intends to declare martial law and postpone next month's elections. To prevent Barack Obama's inevitable ascension to the Oval Office, obviously.

This theory/rumor/delusion dates back almost a year and a half, with the appearance on the White House website of National Security Presidential Directive 51, which outlined a policy for "continuity of government" in the event of a national emergency. Such emergency is defined as "any incident . . . that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the US population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions."

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel says the new directive supplants a Cold War-era emergency memorandum that is no longer valid in the post-9/11 world, with the country at risk of a "no-notice terrorist attack." But on websites with names such as justanothercoverup.com and abovetopsecret.com, the public document - often described as "secret" - was read quite differently. "FEMA Official States Bush Is Planning to Implement Martial Law," is a headline from justanothercoverup. "Pelosi Declared Martial Law Last Night," was a September headline from abovetopsecret.

Like a much-awaited Messiah (I am channeling the famous sociological text "When Prophecy Fails"), the date of the martial law takeover keeps moving forward. This spring it was to coincide with the bombing of Iran, this summer with the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ike. In the minds of conspiracy theorists, the current economic crisis seems like a propitious moment for the suspension of the November election.

The martial law paranoia has an engaging adjunct: the "FEMA coffins" story. If you Google those words, you will find pictures, videos, and reams of text explaining that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has stockpiled 30,000 - or is it 50,000? - coffins (or are they coffin liners? or . . . boxes?) in anticipation of a vast civil disturbance, presumably triggered by the imposition of martial law. "We do not have FEMA coffins," says spokeswoman Debbie Wing.

On the one hand you say, OK, this is Internet madness. On the other hand, you note that Ireland's largest bookmaker, Paddy Power, is laying 20-1 odds that the American election will be postponed. When I first checked that site on Tuesday, the odds were 40-1.

We've seen this movie before, right? Writer Ron Rosenbaum remembers a 1972 story averring that Richard Nixon asked the RAND Corporation to study whether he could postpone that election, which he won, handily. University of California historian Kathryn Olmsted, author of the forthcoming "Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11" notes that Franklin Roosevelt's many enemies were convinced that he would assume dictatorial powers and cancel the election of 1944, which he won handily.

"There are all kinds of trends coming together now to feed the paranoia," Olmsted says. "The financial meltdown evokes Americans' longtime fear and hatred of bankers, and people on the right think Obama's candidacy might mean the end of civilization. What's scary to the left right now is that Obama has a good chance of winning, and there is a segment of the far left that thinks 'they' will never let this happen."

And of course, there is this inconvenient, animating truth: "Sometimes the government does engage in real conspiracies, like Watergate, Iran-Contra, and the assassination plot again Castro," Olmsted explains.

I am sure you remember William S. Burroughs's famous observation: A paranoid is a man with all the facts at his disposal.

Say goodnight, Sarah
The Sarah-Palindrome contest is officially over. (A palindrome is a word or phrase, like "Madam, I'm Adam," that's spelled the same backward or forward.) Here is the last official entry, from Little, Brown copy editor Ben Allen: "Harasser of taxes: A mav, a ma, sex at fore's Sarah." The judges will announce their decision in this space on Election Day, Nov. 4. Unless the Bush administration declares. . . . Oh, never mind.

Alex Beam is a Globe columnist. His e-dress is beam@globe.com.

3rd ID

He forgot to mention Northwoods, Vietnam, WW-1 and 2, etc.
Obama's the same as McCain, that's not why Martial Law would be declared. Gotta get over this partisan BS. It's not a "conspiracy theory", it's taking what has been published, and reading it. If the Army is to help people out, or whatever, and in case of civil unrest due to economic turmoil, police the public, well, where's the theory? That the unrest will happen? It's their theory. The guarantee is martial law.
What is scary is that a mad man is going to have all the same powers the current mad man has taken by Congress, or given, whichever, both really.

Yawn, it won't happen. People have to much time on there hands, they need to work more.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Anything can happen, esp. in today's America. The Sky is the limit. Always was, always will be.

The Twin Towers came down in a heartbeat and I bet 1000:1 nobody thought it was going to happen ... except a few privilleged whatyoumaycallthem.

If it happens well deal with it.

I still think people have to much time on their hands.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Yeah, and Bush was behind 911 I suppose

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1993 300E 2.8 185k miles
2006 Mustang Convertible 4.0 Eaton Supercharged

No it was space aliens. The funny part is none of the "conspiracy theories" I've ever heard deal with George W at all? Where do you people come up with this stuff???

Now, that's a real smart comment.

I heard the exact same thing back when LBJ announced he would not run for reelection. He 'wernt' running 'cause he'll declare martial law and not have to run.

__________________
1987 300D (230,000 mi on a #14 head-watching the temp gauge and keeping the ghost in the machine)
Raleigh NC - Home of deep fried sushi!

We're Mercedes owners,that in itself ranks us among the intellectual elite...I think....

__________________

Much time on their hands and apparently not much brain matter in their skulls.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

The quantity of brain mass never mattered much, in the majority of skulls.