Donald Trump Is Right: The Election Is Rigged

Of course there is large scale voter fraud happening on and before election day. Why do Republican leaders deny what is going on? So naive! ~ Donald Trump Tweet, 10/17/2016.

What he isn't saying is that the election will be rigged IN HIS FAVOR. IMO he knows this. Or he may not. Either he's delusional and really thinks he can win, or he's pre-explaining his upcoming loss. He didn't really lose, the election was "stolen".

I mention this because I heard this narrative being played up on the news tonight. Although I do live in TN, where Trump is projected to win. They played clips of Trump saying the election was being rigged, then cut to TN election officials saying what they were doing to stop "voter fraud" (when I voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary I had to show my driver's license).

As if voter fraud occurs in significant enough numbers to sway an election. It doesn't. Trump's claims of "large scale voter fraud" are total bullshit. I was watching Thom Hartmann today, and he brought up the fact that "a comprehensive investigation of voter impersonation finds 31 credible incidents out of one billion ballots cast". (That's according to "Justin Levitt, a professor at the Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and an expert in constitutional law and the law of democracy". 8/6/2014 WP Wonkblog article).

It is rare because "pretending to be somebody else in order to each cast one incremental fake ballot... is a slow, clunky way to steal an election". The better way to steal an election is, instead of individual voters cheating (voter fraud), is for those in charge of running the election to cheat (election fraud).

Which is the purpose of all these "voter ID" laws being pushed by Republicans. The goal is to reduce the number of people voting. Poor people, African Americans, students, and old people are more likely to vote Democrat, and more likely to not have an ID. Some Republicans are surely prevented from voting, but more Democrats are disenfranchised than Republicans.

So, YES, the election will be rigged, but the rigging is being done by Republicans with the goal of preventing Democrats from voting. Previously this strategy got gwb elected. Twice. Although I think that hacking (changing the vote totals electronically) played a part as well (in Ohio). This explains why Karl Rove was so sure Romney had won in 2012.

He knew the fix was in. But Obama prevailed by pure numbers. Turnout was especially high that year. People stood in line for hours and hours (because Republican election officials closed polling stations/saw to it that there was an inadequate number of voting machines). Some gave up. Either because they someplace to be (job, family obligations) or because they'd simply had it. Others got mad and continued to stand in line because they KNEW those in charge didn't want them to vote.

This time around I think Trump, being the terrible candidate that he is, will lose despite the rigging. Rigging that will benefit him! It wasn't enough for McCain to defeat Obama. It wasn't enough for Romney to defeat Obama. And they were much better candidates than Trump.

BTW, Republican leaders are denying the rigging because they know it benefits Republicans. They LAST thing they want is for anyone to take such claims seriously. Democrats have, so far, gone along with the rigging (even though it benefits Republicans) because they think making an issue of the FACT that it's occurring will depress the vote.

People will think, "it's rigged. my vote doesn't count. why bother voting". And they'll stay home. Me, I think you can't fix a problem unless you acknowledge it exists. But the problem that Trump says might/will result in him losing? It's not happening. If/when Trump loses, it will be IN SPITE of the rigging. Because he is a terrible candidate.

A misogynist who's admitted to sexually assaulting women. BTW, I did think that Bill Clinton was DONE when Gennifer Flowers came forward during his 1992 Presidential election campaign. I was surprised when he stayed in the race and was elected (yes, I voted for him). But Bill Clinton never admitted anything. Unlike Trump, who BRAGGED about sexually assaulting women (on the Access Hollywood "hot mic" tape).

Not that he had a high probability of winning previously. But now I'd say he's going to go down in flames with Hillary defeating him in a blowout. Even with the rigging in Trump's favor. Or so I hope. I mean, I was sure that bush would lose in 2004. Given his starting of 2 unnecessary and illegal wars. Proof the electorate is pretty stupid. Despite the rigging that benefited bush, enough dumb people voted for him. Because you "don't change a horse midstream" (change presidents while at war).

Are the voters stupid enough to elect Trump? It doesn't look like it, but we won't know for certain until the actual voting is done... and NOT every vote is counted (why provisional ballots are referred to as "placebo ballots").

Image: A false internet meme debunked by Snopes. But, even though Trump didn't say it, it doesn't mean it's not true. Trump HAS lied and his idiot followers ARE eating it up.

SWTD #355