Connecticut Bans WWE Merchandise at polls

This is just insane to me! How could she possibly think she had the power to do this?

I'm no expert in law or whatever when it comes to this, so could someone enlighten me please? Is this legal?

Connecticut's Secretary of State, Susan Bysiewicz, has ruled that voters wearing anything WWE-related will either be asked to remove the item or be turned away from the polls on Election Day. The reason: Officials believe WWE memorabilia is too closely aligned with Linda McMahon, the company's former chairman, who is running for Senate. As such, Bysiewicz found the attire would violate rules limiting politicking at the polls.

Source

Putting aside whether you're a fan of WWE or not, this is about peoples right to vote right? I'm glad to see Vince McMahon is standing up to this

“On behalf of myself, my company, WWE fans and any Connecticut citizen who wants to exercise their constitutional right to vote, I have filed a lawsuit today asserting that Susan Bysiewicz’s directive that allows poll workers to refuse registered voters wearing WWE merchandise the right to vote is a flagrant act of censorship and discrimination,” said Vince McMahon, Chairman and CEO, World Wrestling Entertainment

SOURCE

I would like to hear some opinions on this, should this be allowed?

I honestly don't believe that people willingly wearing WWE merchandise have the mental capacity to vote. If you MUST wear a 'Stone Cold' tshirt, wear it with shame or a misguided sense of irony, but for the love of God don't wear it to the polling station.

It's because one of the candidates for the hotly contested US Senate race (Chris Dodd's seat), Linda McMahon (Republican), is the owner of the wrestling league. Just as you can't wear party affiliated clothing or insignia at the polls in CT and many other states, you also can't wear WWE affilitaed gear either, apparently. It would be the tantamount to advertising for Linda McMahon, according to their logic and not too fair for the scumbag she is up against, Dick Blumenthal.


--airspoon

What're you gonna do brother, when Hulkamania runs wild on these elections?


While this seems like it might be wrong as the shirts don't directly support the candidate, it does support a company which she owns. Better to err on the side of caution here for the sake of following the particular law.

Not that any rational human being would be swayed to vote for someone because of an Undertaker T-shirt. (I suppose that's the problem though, lack of rational human beings.)

But I'm sure it's perfectly fine to wear a Yale shirt/sweatshirt(Blumenthals alma mater) into the voting locale. Just saw here on CT news that Vince McMahon is suing our state/Secretary of State over her ridiculous rules.

They did this same thing to Ron Paul voters back in 08 09 and so on..

This is nothing new.. Typical bs ya know.. I think someone is afraid someone will get in that they dont want in.

Originally posted by eNumbra


Not that any rational human being would be swayed to vote for someone because of an Undertaker T-shirt. (I suppose that's the problem though, lack of rational human beings.)

Don't forget, these are the same people who voted McMahon over Schiff.


But really, where is the line drawn over family owned companies? Was Heinz ketchup banned at polling stations when Kerry ran?

It's a television program. She was the CEO of an entertainment company.

I wonder if such ridiculous rulings were put into place when other candidates with Hollywood backgrounds were running for office.

Did the California governor's race ban Terminator paraphernalia? What about when Fred Thompson was campaigning? Were Law and Order shirts off limits? Were Knicks jerseys not allowed when Bill Bradley ran for Senate?

People who are fans of these programs wear their products all the time.

reply to post by Djarums


You have to realize that Connecticut is a fiercely liberal state that seems to have lost all notions of liberty, freedom and common-sense. If I had to pick one state that is the furthest away from the intent of our founding fathers, it would be Connecticut, which is a shame considering the US Constitution was modeled from the Connecticut [state] Constitution.

They have really lost their minds and this latest "policy" doesn't even register on the scale of mindless or illogical policies put in motion in that state. If this was the worst, then I think the citizens of Connecticut would be in pretty good shape.

On another note, this particular race is a little different, seeing how the WWE was used by both sides of the contest. Blumenthal used it to portray McMahon in a bad light and McMahon used the corporation to show that she could lead, especially in tough times. The WWE was used extensively by both sides and has been the only staple in the whole "fight".

--airspoon

Linda Mcmahon stepped down as CEO of WWE in 2009 to run for senate,

Source

and as far as i know, no political ads or endorsements have played during the WWE show.

I'm sure she distanced herself from company business to avoid such problems.

Thanks for the replies, i just think it's rediculous to think that someone could be considered campaining for her just by wearing a wwe t-shirt.. i'm not a die hard wwe fan, it's just the point that disturbed me so much

Do people who wear wrestling shirts actually vote?

pffft, i wore my Terminator shirt when i voted for arnold. nobody cared. i wasnt the only one either.


that would be cool if somebody wore a hulkamania shirt and when they told them to take it off, they rip it down the middle.

This is so funny to me,

I just found this a few minutes ago..

Conn. Secretary of State backs down

As a result of the Attorney General's inaction, I brought suit to enforce these basic, fundamental constitutional rights. Within hours of filing the lawsuit, Blumenthal recused himself, and Bysiewicz reversed her position and immediately notified all Local Registrar of Voters and Town Clerks via email.

I guess if it was so legal why back down?

reply to post by Monger


Sadly, some people will stupidly pull the lever thinking that they're voting for VINCE McMahon or the Linda McMahon they've seen on WWE TV.

As a former wrestling fan, Linda did plenty of despicable stuff on-air that even if it was "acting", it still represents a fraction of her real-life personality.

She's a horrible candidate that will likely take away the social programs that likely support many of the WWE fans she is trying to lure to the polls.

reply to post by ThichHeaded


Why would they want her in?

She thinks that the minimum wage is too high. Do you really want someone like that, someone who's a freaking millionaire, regulating the minimum wage to keep you down?

Originally posted by The Sword
reply to post by ThichHeaded

 

Why would they want her in?

She thinks that the minimum wage is too high. Do you really want someone like that, someone who's a freaking millionaire, regulating the minimum wage to keep you down?

Ever stop to think that maybe we are loosing jobs/companies over seas due to our minimum wage being too high?

Originally posted by amadeus30
I guess if it was so legal why back down?

Maybe because it isn't legal. She probably had the arrogence to believe that nobody would challenge her on it. I don't care for Vince McMahon, but he did a nice job of calling her bluff. If you want some interesting reading, Google "The Secretary of State Project" and you will find out where this crap comes from.

I am confused by all of the comments feigning shock at the fact that people who watch wrestling also vote.

We've become a society in which millions of people sit glued to the television to watch the antics of people "randomly picked to live together" or people who "swap wives" for a week, or morbidly obese people exploited on camera to cry about their misfortunes while being tortured into losing weight at an unhealthy rate to win prizes.

We've also become a society that watches programs on television based solely on the concept of reporters stalking "celebrities" to shopping malls or searching through their garbage bins.

But the ones who watch professional wrestling - which in a nutshell is a soap opera with athletics - are the ones not intelligent enough to vote?

I think it might be a good time to check out the network television prime time schedules and rethink that "shock."

Reply to post by CurtisLoew

Dick Blumenthal does NOT own Yale U. Did you not read WHY this was done?


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by The Sword


I dont know anything about her, I was just bringing up a similarity of something that they have done before to someone else to show that this isnt the 1st time this has ever happened..

I dont care who gets into wherever, we are all screwed anyway... so whether people want this person in office or not she will be put in..(providing she is with them on alot of things.)

Remember boys and girls.. He who casts a vote dont decide the winner. He who counts the vote decides everything.

Originally posted by CurtisLoew
Ever stop to think that maybe we are loosing jobs/companies over seas due to our minimum wage being too high?

Ever stop to think that inflation is to expensive in the last 10 or so yrs?
Ever think that minimum wage isnt even good enough to live off of anymore?
Ever think that your dollar today does not buy a god damn thing as it did 10 yrs ago? even 20 or whatever.