Election integrity and the transfer of power

[hepcat]

I have a sneaking suspicion that this is going to blow up in the face of the Arizona GOP in a big way.

[Alefroth]

Class action lawsuit on behalf of the voters of AZ?

[Kurth]

Remember this is being run by a "cybersecurity" firm. FFS.

Come on, malchior. Give them their due: They are Ninjas!!!

[Defiant]

Ow, that gaslight burns!

I'll see you and raise you a McConnell:

https://twitter.com/HayesBrown/status/1 ... 3992534023

[Skinypupy]

I generally try to avoid CNN, but thought this was a powerful video. Hearing the comments from Senators in yesterday's hearing talking about "peaceful protestors", labeling the insurrectionists as nothing more than "tourist groups", and calling them "patriots" and seeing it juxtaposed with the footage of what actually took place is sad, infuriating, and frustrating.

https://twitter.com/AC360/status/1392645682230702081

“There hasn’t been a day in recent memory when the entire charade of what’s happening within the leadership of the Republican Party was laid so bare,” says @andersoncooper on Rep. Cheney’s ouster from leadership, the insurrection hearing & Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s outrageous claim.

[Daehawk]

Man if only the rioters had taken out the GOP. Wonder if the next ones sworn in would spout the same shit from their face butthole.

[Jaymann]

It boggles my mind how historians will characterize this phase of American politics. This blatant BS in the face of concrete evidence with zero repercussions is not normal.

[Isgrimnur]

All that’s missing is Canada and Mexico bribing our Senators into partitioning off the border states.

[Carpet_pissr]

It boggles my mind how historians will characterize this phase of American politics.

“When the adolescents were in power…”

[Blackhawk]

It boggles my mind how historians will characterize this phase of American politics. This blatant BS in the face of concrete evidence with zero repercussions is not normal.

That depends entirely on how the next few years shake out. They could end up writing about how the patriots heroically stormed the fortress if things shake out the way the far right is hoping for. At least that's what they'll write if they want to avoid hard labor in Alaska.

[Octavious]

I almost punched a coworker today as I couldn't ignore his comments about how the election was rigged. Seriously go fucking die. I'm still mad. There's so many if these fucktards around.

[malchior]

It boggles my mind how historians will characterize this phase of American politics. This blatant BS in the face of concrete evidence with zero repercussions is not normal.

That depends entirely on how the next few years shake out. They could end up writing about how the patriots heroically stormed the fortress if things shake out the way the far right is hoping for. At least that's what they'll write if they want to avoid hard labor in Alaska.

I think they'll eventually memory hole it or rebrand it as an antifa led assault. The latter would mean we would be well down the evil path.

[gbasden]

I have a sneaking suspicion that this is going to blow up in the face of the Arizona GOP in a big way.

Hardly. There could be all the evidence in the world that they went in and added a million ballots for Trump after the fact and the true believers wouldn't care. The Republican party is completely non-fact-based at this point.

[hepcat]

The true believers aren’t the audience I’m referring to. It’s those on the fence, or who have room for doubt even while they’re publicly stating otherwise. And there are many of them. Between the ridiculous spectacle here and Liz Cheney going on the attack, we may very well start to see the tide turn.

[Zarathud]

Maybe a few of them will “go hunting” with Liz and change their mind...

...or get shot.

[Smoove_B]

As a reminder:

https://twitter.com/AriBerman/status/13 ... 9910620160

Top 4 members of House Republican leadership (McCarthy, Scalise, Stefanik, Palmer) all voted to overturn 2020 election results after insurrection

[Remus West]

As a reminder:

https://twitter.com/AriBerman/status/13 ... 9910620160

Top 4 members of House Republican leadership (McCarthy, Scalise, Stefanik, Palmer) all voted to overturn 2020 election results after insurrection

This needs to be hammered home during any election in the near future against anyone running for a seat under the umbrella of the party of insurrectionists.

[LawBeefaroni]

As a reminder:

https://twitter.com/AriBerman/status/13 ... 9910620160

Top 4 members of House Republican leadership (McCarthy, Scalise, Stefanik, Palmer) all voted to overturn 2020 election results after insurrection

This needs to be hammered home during any election in the near future against anyone running for a seat under the umbrella of the party of insurrectionists.

Sadly their campaign managers probably feel the same way. Depending on the district this could be a pro rather than a con.

[LordMortis]

If it's a net positive we're done anyway.

[Zaxxon]

If it's a net positive we're done anyway.

Spoiler: we're fucked.

[Zaxxon]

Case of voter fraud found in Colorado.


https://coloradosun.com/2021/05/14/barr ... te-murder/

Narrator: it was a Trump voter.

[Skinypupy]

Not only are they going to make it harder for individuals to vote, but the GOP will also be significantly ramping up the penalties for poll workers if someone does make a mistake.

That attitude has seeped into new voting laws and bills put forward by Republican-controlled legislatures across the country. More than two dozen bills in nine states, either still making their way through legislatures or signed into law, have sought to establish a rash of harsh new penalties, elevated criminal classifications and five-figure fines for state and local election officials who are found to have made mistakes, errors, oversteps and other violations of election code, according to a review of voting legislation by The New York Times.

The infractions that could draw more severe punishment run the gamut from seemingly minor lapses in attention or innocent mistakes to more clearly willful actions in defiance of regulations. In Texas, taking any action that “would make observation not reasonably effective” for a poll watcher would carry new penalties. In Florida, failing to have an election worker continuously supervise a drop box would result in major fines. Willfully flouting new laws, like ones in states including Iowa and Texas that ban sending absentee ballots to voters who have not requested them, would also lead to tougher penalties.

[Smoove_B]

It's almost like there's a plan, slowly unfolding in front of us in real time. But what are we going to do? If only there were elected officials that could somehow stop this from happening.

https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1 ... 4420272132

Also: “The Republicans are laying the groundwork to refuse to certify a 2024 Democratic presidential victory should the GOP hold a House majority.”

[Blackhawk]

The moment that happens we are no longer a democracy or a republic, and he Constitution ceases to be a meaningful document. Whether that means quietly accepting an authoritarian right-leaning oligarchy, or civil unrest bordering on war, or the military steps in on the basis of their oath and does who-knows-what, or something else entirely, I don't know. But we're out of time for hoping that the 'old American spirit of cooperation' is going to save us.

[Smoove_B]

Not for anything, it just did happen in January. The only reason it didn't work is because there weren't enough of them. However, they've only become emboldened and encouraged over the last 5+ months so there's no reason to believe we're not in real trouble if this isn't addressed and addressed in a way that makes it clear it's completely and totally unacceptable. Anything less and it's lights out.

[malchior]

RIght. That has been the basis for all my concern. In the face of an obvious threat, the Democrats plan appears to be we'll just show we govern good (no one cares), keep wishing for the GOP fever to break (it won't), and just hope it'll all work out (we're fucked).

[gbasden]

The moment that happens we are no longer a democracy or a republic, and he Constitution ceases to be a meaningful document. Whether that means quietly accepting an authoritarian right-leaning oligarchy, or civil unrest bordering on war, or the military steps in on the basis of their oath and does who-knows-what, or something else entirely, I don't know. But we're out of time for hoping that the 'old American spirit of cooperation' is going to save us.

I truly believe the right is pushing us closer and closer to another civil war. I hope I am incorrect.

[Skinypupy]

https://twitter.com/mattsheffield/statu ... 3943678978

In a new Ipsos poll, 54% of Republican respondents say the January 6 riot was "led by violent left-wing protesters trying to make Trump look bad."

Only 30% disagreed. 16% said they didn't know.

[LawBeefaroni]

The moment that happens we are no longer a democracy or a republic, and he Constitution ceases to be a meaningful document. Whether that means quietly accepting an authoritarian right-leaning oligarchy, or civil unrest bordering on war, or the military steps in on the basis of their oath and does who-knows-what, or something else entirely, I don't know. But we're out of time for hoping that the 'old American spirit of cooperation' is going to save us.

If/when the political leadership fails so completely and utterly, it falls to the people to fight.

The GOP, by no accident, has courted a certain sort sort of well-armed people. The Dems ought to start lining up their fail-safe strategy because it's not looking like they have the balls to win in DC.

[YellowKing]

The one small ace in the hole the good guys still have is the free press. The GOP can blast Fox News propaganda out all they want to their rabid fan base, but should they actually try steal the 2024 election by refusing to certify, you're going to have every other news outlet raising holy hell just as they rightly did on January 6.

"Fake News" has been an attempt to discredit mainstream media, but so far it's only worked with their loyalists. It's the one piece of democracy they haven't quite figured out how to shut down yet.

[Zaxxon]

https://twitter.com/mattsheffield/statu ... 3943678978

In a new Ipsos poll, 54% of Republican respondents say the January 6 riot was "led by violent left-wing protesters trying to make Trump look bad."

Only 30% disagreed. 16% said they didn't know.

This is similar logic to 'the presidential count was rigged, but the down-ballot races weren't.' If it was primarily antifa folks, why doesn't the GOP want a Jan 6 commission?

[Jaymann]

The one small ace in the hole the good guys still have is the free press. The GOP can blast Fox News propaganda out all they want to their rabid fan base, but should they actually try steal the 2024 election by refusing to certify, you're going to have every other news outlet raising holy hell just as they rightly did on January 6.

"Fake News" has been an attempt to discredit mainstream media, but so far it's only worked with their loyalists. It's the one piece of democracy they haven't quite figured out how to shut down yet.

The problem of course is what if they just say to the media: FU! What are you going to do about it?

[Blackhawk]

How would a civil war even work with the kind of geographical distribution this country has? Side A is one coast, half of the other coast, a couple of bumps in the center, plus all of the cities. Side B has everything in between. And both sides have a not-insignificant minority in the others' areas. I mean, it would be countryside vs cities, and it would be that way in every state. One side has most of the guns, but the other side has more of the population and most of the infrastructure/manufacturing/most of the shipping/more of the money. The other has the food and transport.

And the military, which is more conservative, but also sworn to the Constitution? And the police, which are in the liberal cities, tend toward the conservative. And then there is the fact that the two 'sides' only represent half of the population. How do the 'undecided' and 'independent' votes fall when it comes to blooshed and coup?

It wouldn't be a war. It would be a mosh pit with guns.

[Jaymann]

How would a civil war even work with the kind of geographical distribution this country has? Side A is one coast, half of the other coast, a couple of bumps in the center, plus all of the cities. Side B has everything in between. And both sides have a not-insignificant minority in the others' areas. I mean, it would be countryside vs cities, and it would be that way in every state. One side has most of the guns, but the other side has more of the population and most of the infrastructure/manufacturing/most of the shipping/more of the money. The other has the food and transport.

And the military, which is more conservative, but also sworn to the Constitution? And the police, which are in the liberal cities, tend toward the conservative. And then there is the fact that the two 'sides' only represent half of the population. How do the 'undecided' and 'independent' votes fall when it comes to blooshed and coup?

It wouldn't be a war. It would be a mosh pit with guns.

The only thing that may possibly prevent a civil war is the billionaires hate chaos, it is bad for business.

[Holman]

How would a civil war even work with the kind of geographical distribution this country has? Side A is one coast, half of the other coast, a couple of bumps in the center, plus all of the cities. Side B has everything in between. And both sides have a not-insignificant minority in the others' areas. I mean, it would be countryside vs cities, and it would be that way in every state. One side has most of the guns, but the other side has more of the population and most of the infrastructure/manufacturing/most of the shipping/more of the money. The other has the food and transport.

And the military, which is more conservative, but also sworn to the Constitution? And the police, which are in the liberal cities, tend toward the conservative. And then there is the fact that the two 'sides' only represent half of the population. How do the 'undecided' and 'independent' votes fall when it comes to blooshed and coup?

It wouldn't be a war. It would be a mosh pit with guns.

Yeah, the state-vs-state model of the 19th century just doesn't apply. How many Blue voters in a 60/40 Red State (which is most of them) would give up national loyalty for the right-wing yahoos in their state legislature?

Even the military is divided, with the officer class more Blue while the enlisted are Red. And even there, there's the issue of how racial-minority soldiers would respond to the white-nationalist arc of the American Right.

What we could expect is a series of crises where right-wing vs left-wing violence theatrically flares up in the streets and where the competing factions and levels of a barely-functioning government do everything they can to use state force and the courts against one side or another, time and time again. Most people will never hear a shot fired in anger, but it will be the end of the American narrative, all accompanied by general strikes and economic disruption.

[malchior]

The one small ace in the hole the good guys still have is the free press. The GOP can blast Fox News propaganda out all they want to their rabid fan base, but should they actually try steal the 2024 election by refusing to certify, you're going to have every other news outlet raising holy hell just as they rightly did on January 6.

"Fake News" has been an attempt to discredit mainstream media, but so far it's only worked with their loyalists. It's the one piece of democracy they haven't quite figured out how to shut down yet.

Generally true but the media is consolidating. It could turn quickly in a very different direction.

[Kraken]

https://twitter.com/mattsheffield/statu ... 3943678978

In a new Ipsos poll, 54% of Republican respondents say the January 6 riot was "led by violent left-wing protesters trying to make Trump look bad."

Only 30% disagreed. 16% said they didn't know.

This is similar logic to 'the presidential count was rigged, but the down-ballot races weren't.' If it was primarily antifa folks, why doesn't the GOP want a Jan 6 commission?

Once they buy the Big Lie, all the little ones fall neatly into place. They have severed ties with objective reality and will accept whatever reinforces their own.

[Jaymann]

On the plus side lefties are now considered patriots.

[LawBeefaroni]

How would a civil war even work with the kind of geographical distribution this country has? Side A is one coast, half of the other coast, a couple of bumps in the center, plus all of the cities. Side B has everything in between. And both sides have a not-insignificant minority in the others' areas. I mean, it would be countryside vs cities, and it would be that way in every state. One side has most of the guns, but the other side has more of the population and most of the infrastructure/manufacturing/most of the shipping/more of the money. The other has the food and transport.

And the military, which is more conservative, but also sworn to the Constitution? And the police, which are in the liberal cities, tend toward the conservative. And then there is the fact that the two 'sides' only represent half of the population. How do the 'undecided' and 'independent' votes fall when it comes to blooshed and coup?

It wouldn't be a war. It would be a mosh pit with guns.

It won't looked like last time. It will be localized flare ups of unrest with politicians fighting to control the government response. It will be a fight for resources as federal troops/agencies, National Guard, and local police forces are pulled at by the various power factions.

80% of the country will continue to get their Amazon deliveries and Chipotle as they watch twitter feeds of isolated uprisings and proxy skirmishes.

[LawBeefaroni]

I would re-name this "Major Battles of Civil War II":