Remember those Republican threats of "vote fraud?" Nothing happened.

There were many fear expressed by before the election that there was going to be massive vote fraud to elect Barack Obama. The previously mostly unknown community action organization ACORN was declared to be threatening "massive vote fraud" even by John McCain. The election is over now, so what happened?

Remember those allegations by Republicans that there was going to be massive vote fraud in Ohio and Minnesota? From Zachary Roth at TPM Muckrake we get this report:

Ohio secretary of state Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, said in a statement released to TPMmuckraker the night of the election: "We have received no reports of election irregularities in Ohio today - and we have been on the lookout for any hint of illegal voting or voter suppression."

And her counterpart in Minnesota, Mark Ritchie, also a Democrat, told TPMmuckraker in an interview that his office had received no reports of voter fraud.

So what about that classic of election voting problems, Florida? We get this report from Kate Klonick also at TPM Muckraker:

"on Nov. 4, there were glitches at individual polling places, but no major problems

From the Miami Herald:

• The only scanner at Coral Ridge Mall in Fort Lauderdale broke and voters had to put ballots in a bin until it was replaced.

• In the David Park Community Center in Hollywood, the first 20 or so voters were handed misprinted ballots listing Amendment 3 twice.

• A poll worker in Sunny Isles Beach was dismissed for being ``rude and overzealous.''

• Two precincts in Palm Beach County opened late.

Statewide, voting went so smoothly that Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning called Election Day ''almost eerily quiet,'' despite an unofficial record turnout.

''It's been a great day for Florida,'' he said.

So all the fears expressed by Republicans of "massive vote fraud" were just hot air. So apparently were the Democratic concerns of vote stealing and vote suppression by Republicans.

At least according to reports so far.

Of course, Colorado Secretary of State apparently DID purge an estimated 35,000 voters from Colorado's voter rolls in direct violation of a court order.

Then there's Wisconsin. Wisconsin's Republican Attorney General, Van Hollern, warned of voter fraud before the election. Afterwards he is reported to have said: "'As far as voting, everything seems to be going very smoothly in the state,' Van Hollen told WTMJ radio."

In Pennsylvania, where Republicans filed several lawsuits alleging threatened voter fraud before the election, there were a few problems.

" Fox News showed footage of a man in Black Panther attire holding a nightstick at the doorway of a polling place. There were long lines at many other locations. And according to voting rights groups, some voters whose names were missing from registration books were sent away without being given provisional ballots, as required. But none of these problems related to voter fraud. "

In Nevada, the previously expressed GOP fears of voter fraud fizzled out. Noting happened.

Indiana? Again, expressed fears by Republican of vote fraud came to nothing.

The threats of vote fraud appear themselves to be the fraud. Had the election been closer, no doubt Republican lawyers would today be in court conjuring up further fantasies of phantom voters swinging elections towards Obama. The convincing repudiation of eight years of Republican Presidential rule made that a waste of time, as John McCain himself recognized when he conceded immediately after the polls closed in California.

No doubt the Republicans are placing the scripts they had intended to use back into storage for future elections. It could in other situations be an effective scam.

Washington state Republican caucus - vote rigged for McCain?

It looks like the Republicans may have gone too far in vote stealing. It's bad enough when they steal votes and elections from Democrats, but this time the establishment Republicans may have tried to steal the Washington state caucuses yesterday from Huckabee for McCain. Here, from The Seattle Time's David Postman is what Huckabee's campaign manager, Ed Rollins, has to say:

“The Huckabee campaign is deeply disturbed by the obvious irregularities in the Washington State Republican precinct caucuses. It is very unfortunate that the Washington State Party Chairman, Luke Esser, chose to call the race for John McCain after only 87 percent of the vote was counted. According to CNN, the difference between Senator McCain and Governor Huckabee is a mere 242 votes, out of more than 12,000 votes counted—with another 1500 or so votes, apparently, not counted. That is an outrage.

“In other words, more than one in eight Evergreen State Republicans have been disenfranchised by the actions of their own party.

I'm sure the Washington state establishment Republicans have a good reason for calling the election for McCain when only 87% of the votes were counted and the difference between McCain and Huckabee was a mere 242 votes. Like, for instance:

"What? You mean that Huckabee voters are Republicans, not Democrats? Are you sure?" or

"McCain is going to win anyway. We have our orders." or

"We just figured the Huckabee social conservatives would shut up and follow orders for the good of the Party. They always have in the past." or

"Huckabee? You mean that's not a joke name, like Mickey Mouse, that some prankster added to the ballot when they were being printed? We just assumed it was a joke." or

"Don't get your knickers in a twist. We'll count the rest of them along with the Florida 2000 ballots - someday." or

"We're just practicing for the general election."

I'm sure there are hundreds of similar good reasons. Has the Republican National Committee weighed in yet?