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Monday, November 23, 2020

Trump's End Game - The Art of the Steal

In the wake of a historic Presidential election in which Joe Biden and Donald Trump attracted an unprecedented 153 million votes, some of you think Trump's strategy is to win the election through legal challenges to some of the problems that are inevitable in every election. That's fine. That's why the courts are there. But Trump has no intention of winning through the courts. His goal has been to undermine voter confidence in the election through claims of widespread fraud, hoping that his supporters will pressure state legislatures into taking matters into their own hands. 

He has certainly succeeded in undermining public confidence. If a Reuters/Ispos poll is to be believed, nearly half of all Republicans believe Biden won a rigged election. This refrain of election fraud has been made by Trump over the past four years, and only intensified with the introduction of mail-in ballots (MIBs) and early voting. 

On Thursday of last week, the self described Trump "strike force legal team" conducted a bizarre 90-minute news conference that assailed a supposed coordinated effort to rig the election.

"It's right here in our back yard," contended GOP party boss Gloria Lee Snover on a local conservative radio show. Her biggest complaint, aside from a few instances in which voters never received a ballot, was that inactive voters were permitted to vote. That's the law. Even an inactive voter may vote until he or she is purged from the rolls. Refusal to allow that would be the very election fraud she decries.

On Facebook, Snover disingenuously complains, "Has anyone noticed BIDEN only takes the lead overnight in a state when no one's watching? Where are they getting all these ballots? Bigger than Obama!!!"

Snover knows very well that Trump voters were instructed to avoid MIBs and vote in person. So of course he would be in the lead before MIBs were tallied. She also knows and had a small army present at the polls and for the canvass. I had three in my precinct alone, and had to remind them several times to put their masks on. They were watching, even objecting when I let a young girl go behind the voting curtain with her father.  

Snover has even spread a completely discredited story that a Philly mob boss manufactured 300,000 Biden ballots and transported them to the Philly convention center .Review of her Parler account reveals she has even bought into the QAnon nonsense that high level Dems are involved in pedophilia and devil worship. 

As nutty as Snover has become, Trump's "strike force legal team" is even worse. Rudy Giuliani follows up a botched court appearance in Williamsport with that 90-minute melt-down. As hair-dye or bullshit (take your pick) streamed down both sides of his face, he claimed a control center somewhere was directing this fraud. 

Believe it or not, his nuttiness is topped by Sidney Powell. She (yes, Sidney is a she) claimed that Dominion Voting machines were part of the conspiracy in Pa. Never mind that their machines are only in 14 counties, or that Trump actually won those counties. Never mind that the paper ballot back-ups would expose any hanky panky with the machines.

She claimed Hillary Clinton used Dominion to beat Bernie Sanders, then bought him off with a nice house. Republicans loved these absurd claims when directed at Democrats. Unfortunately for Powell, she went too far. She also claimed that Georgia's Republican Governor was in on the vote fixing, and paid a bribe. Accusing Dems of corruption is fine, but she slammed a Trump ally. 

She has promised a lawsuit of "biblical proportions." I suspect that will happen, but she'll be the Defendant. 

She's no longer a member of the elite strike force legal team. 

Maybe she's a ninja. 

All of this nonsense will get nowhere in court. A federal complaint in Pennsylvania has been rejected "with prejudice," and the very limited appeal only seeks permission to file yet another amended complaint.  

Thius baseless litigation has nevertheless raised doubts in the minds of Republicans. They have been conditioned to regard anything they disagree with as "fake news."  

The hope here is that these Republicans pressure state legislatures to ignore the vote certifications occurring today, and choose their own electors for the Electoral College. According to federal law, "Whenever any State has held an election for the purpose of choosing electors, and has failed to make a choice on the day prescribed by law, the electors may be appointed on a subsequent day in such a manner as the legislature of such State may direct."

If Trump can  sway a few state legislatures in battleground states, he wins. He has made inroads in Michigan. I think this unlikely, but possible. 

If that does happen, our problems will just be beginning. 

10:15 am Update: National Review Debunks False Elections Claims. - The National Review is a conservative publication, but its first responsibility is to the truth. In its Morning Jolt, it effectively debunks a number of the more recent false claims made about the Presidential election.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

What about the bullshit lawsuit by the "Honorable" Mike Kelly filed on Saturday in Commonwealth Court, arguing that Act 77 passed on Oct 29, 2019 is unconstitutional. and therefore the only remedy is to invalidate all mail-in ballots? There is a clause in Act 77 that specifically states constitutional challenges to it must be filed with the PA Supreme Court within 6 months. Otherwise, Kelly's suit looks like it may have been legit. The Republicans are clinging to Trump like scum on a toilet bowl.

Anonymous said...

Trump may have had visions a miracle in stealing the election early on, but I believe his real goal now is to flip just one state. Any state that will lower the electoral vote for Biden and increase his own.
Remember 2016. Trump saw 306 electorals as a landslide and despite losing the popular vote he called it a mandate.
He is unable to accept the fact that he is now on the losing end of that same "landslide" and his popular vote is 6 million less than Biden.

Fareed Zakaria notes that what Trump is doing to undermine our democracy, and conducting a scorched earth policy on his way out is not illegal. It's just not what is expected from an outgoing President who cares about the country. Americans have always counted on an outgoing President to help the incoming one, because it has been America's well-being above their own. Trump only cares about himself.
Conservatives who hate CNN should view it. One day it may be a Democrat that is as nutty as Trump, has a temper tantrum, and 10 weeks cause havoc on his way out the door.
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/11/21/trump-presidency-democracy-fareed-zakaria-ctn-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/

Anonymous said...

There needs to be some uniformity and guidelines in election law, There are a lot of possible ways to tamper with an election. Lets all work to correct these problems so we can All have confidence in our elections. Not just dismiss everything as a conspiracy or craziness.

Stop always insisting that there is never election fraud. If there can be fraud, there will be fraud. Lets eliminate all possible routs to fraud.

Anonymous said...

Funny reading you criticizing lawyers. There's a reason for the six week period between election and electoral college certification. Al Gore used most of it. He lost every court battle and never led in any count at any time. Bush's lead increased with every recount. The process isn't exclusively reserved for Gores and Bushes and other political royal families. This is the time to review everything because nothing will be done about any problems after 12/14. I don't like Trump and think his legal team is an hilarious shit show. You can tell how much the R establishment hates him and wants him gone. They sent the A-Team for GW, and wiped the floor with Gore's Ivy League dream team. When Giuliani is the best you have, you never had a shot. In each case, however, the losers remained losers. Wonder if you were this breathless when Gore dragged it out longer than Trump has so far ..... and even after conceding. Calm down and don't be a hypocrite. It'll all be over soon. There's a process for a reason, and it works. It looks ugly because it's administered by lawyers. But that's to be expected of lawyers.

Anonymous said...

Why are you not discussing election software, Bernie?

T Marshall said...

Trump's legacy can be summed up in 2 words - toilet bowl

Anonymous said...

Tradition was done away with 2016 when the previous administration hatched a plot to force Trump from office even before the inauguration. I am sure many want to deny that reality, but you will not convince half the population.

Bernie O'Hare said...

8:00, I did. I discussed Dominion, which is the outfit in question. If you are referring to Powell's claims regarding two other programs, she had to stop once she was made aware they do not even exist.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I am not going to discuss all the QAnon claims bc it gives them a credibility, even on this rather small blog, that they do not deserve. They are debunked here: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/11/10/fact-check-false-qanon-claim-trump-watermarked-mail-ballots/6226310002/

Bernie O'Hare said...

8:38, That is just more QAnon horseshit. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-orderly-transition-power/

Bernie O'Hare said...

I decline to publish more of these baseless conspiracy theories absent a link to a respected source. I also insist that the defamer identify himself or herself so he or she can take legal responsibility. https://www.smartmatic.com/us/media/article/smartmatic-s-response-to-misinformation/

Anonymous said...

By clinging so tightly to Trump and not acknowledging Biden's win, Republicans are going to end up losing both GA Senate races.

Again - pleasing the rabid base is NOT ENOUGH. There are not enough rural whites in that state or this country to effectively counter Democratic votes in large urban areas AND the independent/moderate votes in the suburbs.

Trump won in 2016 because off 100,000 votes in PA, WI, MI & FL. He won those votes because few people wanted Hilary after 8 years of Obama. Trump's favorables were underwater 3 months into his Presidency and never came back up for the remainder of his administration. That he lost should surprise nobody.

Refusing to concede, refusing to aid in transitioning the government as been done 44 times over the past 220 years doesn't make him look like a fighter for the American people, it makes him look like a petulant little child crying on the field of play. Don't be proud of him, acknowledge him to be the big pussy that he is showing himself to be.

Anonymous said...

I keep hearing how Joe Biden is saying that Democrats are the party of unity and he's going to unite the country, then look around to see that many of Biden's supporters still have his campaign signs in their front lawn.

Apparently, that's their way of showing how they would never be the poor sport that they claim Trump is.



Anonymous said...

This gives Lee Snover a chance to bash every elected Republican in the Statehouse. She is in her glory.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"I keep hearing how Joe Biden is saying that Democrats are the party of unity and he's going to unite the country, then look around to see that many of Biden's supporters still have his campaign signs in their front lawn.

Apparently, that's their way of showing how they would never be the poor sport that they claim Trump is."


Give me a break. A person with a Biden yard sign is expressing his First Amendment rights, just as Trump supporters are doing. Since Biden espouses unity, I would argue people with this signs are promoting the concept of unity, something that apparently bothers you.

Anonymous said...

Shame, shame, shame on the Dotard-in-chief and all of his cult followers!

Anonymous said...

I am amazed when I hear comparisons using the W. Bush coup against Gore. The later actual recount of the votes in which the counting was stopped showed Gore had more votes and should have been our President. Guess the Repubs thought they could pull a repeat of "stop the vote counting while we're ahead". One of the saddest days for our democracy. Dems Won't get fooled again.

Anonymous said...

On what date did Al Gore finally concede (the second and final time)? Why is everyone acting like this never happened before? It's only been 20 days. Gore dragged us through this for 30+

Anonymous said...

Trump is desperate and panicking because of the legal and financial avalanche bearing down on him once he loses the protection of the office.

Once he can no longer stonewall or threaten others, cards will be flipped against him as people scramble to save their own backsides and the tattling will begin in earnest. Biden, the FBI and CIA are patiently waiting, sharpening their knives for a February feast. There will be no Trumps running for office in 2022 or 2024 due to felony convictions on their records. Maybe Barron Trump will run in 2044.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Gore conceded 36 days after the election. His concern was the vote count, and he made no allegations of widespread election fraud. But what happened in Florida, even on that limited scale, seriously undermined voter confidence.

Anonymous said...

If Snover is the new Republican Party, count me out. I'm not hitching my wagon to this fruit basket. Life is not a zero sum game and this tack just baffles me.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I decline to publish a half-assed link to a story that just assumes there are crooks and contains information that is inaccurate and has already been refuted by numerous sources.

Anonymous said...

W Bush coup. Lol. 20 years later and some are as butt hurt today. Now, the shoe is on the other foot and Rs will hold a grudge for at least as long. This is why there will be no unity, until, of course, the endless war starters get us all roused to fight some boogeyman who threatens our very way of life or something. If you can't see the Gore/Trump comparison, it's because you're still upset about 2000. Feel better soon. PS: we were never better than this - or worse. God bless America.

Anonymous said...

That's not true, but a common mantra from Fox news watching neanderthals. Yes, there was a disgruntled first year congress woman who said after her election that she was going to impeach trump, but Pelosi shot down that talk. Again, it's not the narrative on Fox, OOAN or Newsmax.

The war started long before Trump, when Mitch Mcconnell announced right after Obama was elected, "My only objective is to make him a one term President", or when those Republican hypocrites impeached Clinton for getting a blowjob.

Now, we have disenfranchised middle aged white males believing that their rights are being taken away, but used to watch the Crime TV show COPS and cheer on the police officers and mock the defendants when they claimed that their rights were being violated. I chuckle to myself when I hear you over privileged white folk get your panties bunched when your supreme leader yells election fraud. No, sirs, you're the frauds.

Anonymous said...

Comparing 2000 election to 2020 is stretching plausibility to ridiculous levels.

2000 was one state and moreso, one county that had the potential to tip the one state that would tip the Electoral College.

2020 is the losing candidate simply shotgunning lawsuits left and right that are very light on specific complaints and lacking detail or evidence beyond vague testimony alleging fraud, all in the hopes to find something that sticks in multiple states.

Trump has a personal history of utilizing the courts to delay and drag out his conflicts. This "fight" is going to end poorly for him and ultimately the Republican party as we know it.

Anonymous said...

Romney, Sasse, Murkowski and Toomey can effectively end all of this by simply informing McConnell that they will no longer caucus with the Republican Party, effectively stripping him of his Majority leader status regardless of the outcome of the GA run offs.

Trump is not going to win or change enough states to make a difference. Time to cut bait.

Anonymous said...

"Trump won in 2016 because off 100,000 votes in PA, WI, MI & FL. He won those votes because few people wanted Hilary after 8 years of Obama. Trump's favorables were underwater 3 months into his Presidency and never came back up for the remainder of his administration. That he lost should surprise nobody."

Biden won in 2020 because of 50,000 votes in GA, AZ, and WI. He won those votes because fewer people wanted Trump after 4 years of his incompetence. Trump's favorables were underwater 3 months into his Presidency and never came back up for the remainder of his administration. That he lost should surprise nobody.

Anonymous said...

9:18, Seriously? That's all you got?

Anonymous said...

To whomever was complaining about me having a Biden sign up after the election, I say this!
I took my sign down, when Biden clearly won! But other neighbors with their Trump signs didn’t! Not that it’s a contest after 6,000,000 million more voters picked Biden! I put it back up, when the GOP leaders failed to recognize the win! This is a democracy, not a third world with a dictator, right! I took it down, when clearly, Biden is finally being recognized as the winner! In the Gore/Bush election, it was one state and 500 votes, way different! Close and one state! This wasn’t as close as Trump wishes to believe! 51% of the American People have cast their vote and elected the next President of the United States, Joe Biden! Our democracy has worked!

Anonymous said...

I once met the chairwoman at an event, pleasant, but within 2 minutes of conversing we disagreed and I was essentially dismissed. I was a life long Republican prior to Trump. However, saw the writing on the wall in his rise to power, I could not have my name attached to what occurred for 4 years. Its all fascism lite, and here in the Valley where my family has lived for generations, as far back as the 1700's on my grandmother's side we have people not from here spewing values our forefathers who travelled up the Minsi Trail from Germantown would be ashamed of.

Current GOP leadership hitched their wagon to Trump's star, he goes down and they lose the spotlight and relevance. Hopefully so, for those of us who are fiscally conservative and socially moderate have long lamented the GOP selling its soul to the evangelicals which has come to a head in the current radical far right re-branding.

This militant white christian nationalist movement being pushed current GOP leadership belongs underfoot and in the rearview mirror. It is time for current GOP leadership to be shown the door; the bid to be the Lehigh Valley's armband wearing Trump Kreisleitung is painfully apparent. When the party returns to its senses and less resembles the "Know Nothing Movement" of the 1850's in all its xenophobic and chest beating glory, perhaps we traditional and well-mannered party members can be welcomed back.

Until then, I refuse to march with torches, or counter protest in seeming support of police brutality against african-american citizens of this country. I'll risk the "radical left" they demonize who are basically supporting programs in place since FDR.

Anonymous said...

you tell me how in most elections in the past,how a person running for President can come out to campaign 1 month before the election and win to be president! Impossible! this will be 1 term! the demorat party is a mess! the Establishment wins again! back to the same old shit again! china will own us! just look at Congress, all old Elitest Rich people who don,t give a shit about the american people! we actually live in a Dictatorship in this country, it,s called Congress, the people who control our lives!