Election integrity and the transfer of power

[stessier]

That was the GOP’s goal with the judicial takeover. Trump’s goal was a judiciary that would be loyal to whatever bullshit he wants.

I think that was Trump's goal. I believe McConnell was more realistic.

[malchior]

Trump's much touted "takeover" of the judiciary is bearing no fruit.

Federal judges have already begun to toss last-minute lawsuits brought by President Donald Trump's campaign, which has turned to attempting to litigate a victory as its electoral hopes dwindle.

The campaign, which has falsely alleged that Democrats are trying to "steal" the election by counting all the votes cast, has so far filed lawsuits in three states: Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Within hours, judges had thrown out the suits in Georgia and Michigan. The Supreme Court has already declined once to rule on the Pennsylvania case.

On Thursday, the campaign announced its intent to file a fourth suit in Nevada. It has also vowed to request a recount in Wisconsin, where Democratic nominee Joe Biden has what appears to be an unassailable 20,000-vote lead.

Election law experts called the suits frivolous and unlikely to make a difference.

"They're totally small potatoes," Jon Sherman, senior counsel at the Fair Elections Center, told Salon. "Each has been rejected so far, and honestly, I'd rather not give them any oxygen."

The takeover wasn't to win this election - it was to set precedents for years to come. We won't know if it truly worked for years, but there is no reason to think it won't.

It's this and more. The most damage was done at the *appellate* level and up level. Maybe these cases make it there or maybe they don't but the record on the pre-election cases was mixed at best if you want to say that Trump had little effect on the election legally. The Roberts Court in particular seemed to take a new position championed by Kavanaugh/Alito/Thomas (and Gorsuch to a lesser extent) taking very leave it to the States views on the issues of gerrymandering, voting rights, and more. Which will only exacerbate the EC problem in the long-term. Gerrymandering will be the GOP plan to get the House back with re-districting coming up. The lesson GOP legislatures will take from this election is that they have the freedom to make it harder to vote and especially in areas important to the Democratic coalition. For example, drive-thru voting in Texas which they furiously backed away from for election day to keep the case out of the appellate level. Expect them to restrict mail-in and absentee voting. Expect them to aggressively purge voter rolls, etc. And Congress will not be able to pass a new Voter's Right Act to fix the damage.

Edit: Here is a specific prediction - the GOP will take the House back in 2022. Re-districting in Florida in particular will be a big component of it.

[hepcat]

There's always a tweet....

[El Guapo]

That was the GOP’s goal with the judicial takeover. Trump’s goal was a judiciary that would be loyal to whatever bullshit he wants.

I think that was Trump's goal. I believe McConnell was more realistic.

And more importantly, Trump let McConnell and his allies pick the judges. So they're overwhelmingly judges that support McConnell's goals more than ones that support Trump's goals (though there's some overlap, to be sure).

[malchior]

And more importantly, Trump let McConnell and his allies pick the judges. So they're overwhelmingly judges that support McConnell's goals more than ones that support Trump's goals (though there's some overlap, to be sure).

This is where Trump's transactional worldview hurt him immensely. He doesn't have the mental capacity to realize that smart people at that level adopt much more sophisticated models to achieve the results they seek. He complained but they gave him all sorts of breaks to escape accountability. They accepted his emergency appeals, etc. That was easy. Smashing glass all over the ground to save his Presidency. That isn't in the cards.

[Skinypupy]

This thread about being a "poll challenger" in MI is absurd (and about what I expected). Gives some insight into why this process has taken so long.

[El Guapo]

FWIW I was a poll watcher in New Hampshire (Portsmouth Ward 3, to be specific). Mostly uneventful, and while there were Republican challengers there they weren't aggressive and didn't really do or challenge anything. Far as I am aware there wasn't much of a GOP suppression / challenge effort in NH.

As an aside, not totally sure why NH wasn't on the radar and wasn't close this year. Biden won it by ~ 7%, while Clinton squeaked by there with a 0.3% margin (literally less than 3,000 votes). Did NH get more sane over the past 4 years? Was there less voter suppression efforts there?

[malchior]

FWIW I was a poll watcher in New Hampshire (Portsmouth Ward 3, to be specific). Mostly uneventful, and while there were Republican challengers there they weren't aggressive and didn't really do or challenge anything. Far as I am aware there wasn't much of a GOP suppression / challenge effort in NH.

As an aside, not totally sure why NH wasn't on the radar and wasn't close this year. Biden won it by ~ 7%, while Clinton squeaked by there with a 0.3% margin (literally less than 3,000 votes). Did NH get more sane over the past 4 years? Was there less voter suppression efforts there?

Moderates everywhere broke heavily for Biden. Probably near realistic maximum levels - something like 65-70%.

[El Guapo]

FWIW I was a poll watcher in New Hampshire (Portsmouth Ward 3, to be specific). Mostly uneventful, and while there were Republican challengers there they weren't aggressive and didn't really do or challenge anything. Far as I am aware there wasn't much of a GOP suppression / challenge effort in NH.

As an aside, not totally sure why NH wasn't on the radar and wasn't close this year. Biden won it by ~ 7%, while Clinton squeaked by there with a 0.3% margin (literally less than 3,000 votes). Did NH get more sane over the past 4 years? Was there less voter suppression efforts there?

Moderates everywhere broke heavily for Biden. Probably near realistic maximum levels - something like 65-70%.

Also looking back at the results again, something like 7% of the vote went to third parties. Guessing Biden cleaned up the strong majority of those votes.

[malchior]

FWIW I was a poll watcher in New Hampshire (Portsmouth Ward 3, to be specific). Mostly uneventful, and while there were Republican challengers there they weren't aggressive and didn't really do or challenge anything. Far as I am aware there wasn't much of a GOP suppression / challenge effort in NH.

As an aside, not totally sure why NH wasn't on the radar and wasn't close this year. Biden won it by ~ 7%, while Clinton squeaked by there with a 0.3% margin (literally less than 3,000 votes). Did NH get more sane over the past 4 years? Was there less voter suppression efforts there?

Moderates everywhere broke heavily for Biden. Probably near realistic maximum levels - something like 65-70%.

Also looking back at the results again, something like 7% of the vote went to third parties. Guessing Biden cleaned up the strong majority of those votes.

Except for the libertarians who are just as irrelevant and in this case contradictory as ever.

[malchior]

Now the shenanigans. Quoting Ken Starr. Blech. One of the four horseman of the Democratic apocalypse.

Here are my other horsemen - if so inclined to name your own! Mitch McConnell, Newt Gingrich, and Karl Rove.

[Octavious]

So who gets to tell him they haven't counted those yet?

[Fretmute]

There is a zero percent chance that Trump wrote a sentence with the word morass in it.

[Isgrimnur]

There is a zero percent chance that Trump wrote a sentence with the word morass in it.

It's all the Starr quote.

[stessier]

There is a zero percent chance that Trump wrote a sentence with the word morass in it.

It's all the Starr quote.

Yeah, and even going back and looking at the thread (the link is missing one tweet about the Legislatures making the rules), I really can't figure out what his complaint is.

[Zaxxon]

There is a zero percent chance that Trump wrote a sentence with the word morass in it.

It's all the Starr quote.

Yeah, and even going back and looking at the thread (the link is missing one tweet about the Legislatures making the rules), I really can't figure out what his complaint is.

His complaint is that he's not going to be President for much longer.

[stessier]

There is a zero percent chance that Trump wrote a sentence with the word morass in it.

It's all the Starr quote.

Yeah, and even going back and looking at the thread (the link is missing one tweet about the Legislatures making the rules), I really can't figure out what his complaint is.

His complaint is that he's not going to be President for much longer.

Well, yeah. I meant specifically what Starr was complaining about.

[Fretmute]

There is a zero percent chance that Trump wrote a sentence with the word morass in it.

It's all the Starr quote.

That makes more sense. My point stands!

[Kurth]

Now the shenanigans. Quoting Ken Starr. Blech. One of the four horseman of the Democratic apocalypse.

Here are my other horsemen - if so inclined to name your own! Mitch McConnell, Newt Gingrich, and Karl Rove.

I think any list of horsemen of the Democractic Apocalypse is incomplete without Roger Ailes.

He destroyed us. Or, at least, he helped us destroy ourselves.

[Isgrimnur]

There is a zero percent chance that Trump wrote a sentence with the word morass in it.

It's all the Starr quote.

That makes more sense. My point stands!

Tis a fine point.

[Remus West]

So who gets to tell him they haven't counted those yet?

He probably knows and doesn't care. That message is for his followers to feed their rage with.

[Grifman]

[Holman]

I'll accept it, but it's worth noting that Philly numbers reflect the fact that Philadelphia universities (Penn, Drexel, Temple, La Salle, St. Joseph's, etc) have sent their students home this semester. They're voting in other counties or other states.

In my ward, turnout and Dem vote are way up over 2016.

[hepcat]

[Jaymann]

Vladimir Putin said today about Hillary and Dems: "In my opinion, it is humiliating. One must be able to lose with dignity." So true!

Sweet, can't wait for that!

[Daehawk]

Post Offices are being attacked now. They better hurry and get this shit over with.

https://www.wrcbtv.com/story/42877466/7 ... -nashville

7 Post Offices vandalized, burglarized around Nashville

[Holman]

Post Offices are being attacked now. They better hurry and get this shit over with.

https://www.wrcbtv.com/story/42877466/7 ... -nashville

7 Post Offices vandalized, burglarized around Nashville

Is there some political motive? Tennessee vote count has been over for days.

Seven post offices in one night sounds like a scheme to grab arriving social security checks or something.

[Jaymann]

The crowds at the White House should chant: LOSE WITH DIGNITY!

[Daehawk]

Post Offices are being attacked now. They better hurry and get this shit over with.

https://www.wrcbtv.com/story/42877466/7 ... -nashville

7 Post Offices vandalized, burglarized around Nashville

Is there some political motive? Tennessee vote count has been over for days.

Seven post offices in one night sounds like a scheme to grab arriving social security checks or something.

I saw it as the cult of deplorables attacking the USPS due to them thinking the mail in votes lost the election for them by cheating.

[Jaymann]

If the Senate is split 50-50, does the VP cast the deciding vote on the majority leader?

[Blackhawk]

Now the winner is declared. Now's when I go from nervous to tense. Now we see the reaction to Trump losing.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

If the Senate is split 50-50, does the VP cast the deciding vote on the majority leader?

VP casts deciding votes on ties.

[Jaymann]

If the Senate is split 50-50, does the VP cast the deciding vote on the majority leader?

VP casts deciding votes on ties.

So if we get to 50-50 Moscow Mitch is out!

[Skinypupy]

Now the winner is declared. Now's when I go from nervous to tense. Now we see the reaction to Trump losing.

Maybe it’s today’s euphoria talking, but I don’t feel terribly concerned about a violent reaction from MAGAs.

The damage that a flailing Trump and his cronies are going to do on their way out, however, could be potentially catastrophic.

[Zaxxon]

If the Senate is split 50-50, does the VP cast the deciding vote on the majority leader?

VP casts deciding votes on ties.

It will be interesting to see the fundraising totals for the two GA runoffs.

[YellowKing]

The vast majority of people understand elections and they abide by the results. I went into Walmart tonight, and it was just like any other Saturday night in Walmart (not that I expected any different). Most people (even hardcore Trump supporters) may grumble a bit, then they sigh and go back to living their lives. Sure there may be some kooks out there, but by and large I expect most of them will slink back into society.

[Jaymann]

What a contrast as crowds celebrate Biden's victory at the White House vs. when Trump tear gassed them so he could hold a bible upside down (stand in for a cross?) in front of a church.

[Jolor]

The Master Strategist's final Executive Order will be to outlaw Executive Orders.


edit = ... and to outlaw his dirty tricks, to promote "integrity in the WH".

[Little Raven]

The vast majority of people understand elections and they abide by the results.

And not only that, but honestly, if I were a Republican, I would hardly be wracked with despair right now. (and indeed, a quick glance at National Review suggests most Republicans are not) Sure, they lost the Presidency. But everyone (including me!) expected the GOP to be absolutely demolished....and that didn't happen. They won the statehouse race, did surprisingly well in the House, and have a decent shot at keeping the Senate. Perhaps most importantly, they finally started significantly expanding into minority populations, which is huge. They have some significant problems to overcome, no doubt, but living with Biden for 4 years and taking another shot in 2024 has to sound better than picking up a rifle for 99.999% of Republicans.

[mori]

Biden is about as far off as what I want as a President, but he is better than Trump. Sad state of affairs overall. At least things are not going to get worse, but might slowly get better and we might listen to science.