The latest conspiracy theory from GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump is that the election is "rigged", and could be stolen from him through vast election fraud. He is encouraging his supporters to vote and then go to other polling places to make sure fraudulent voters don't participate in the election.
Trump has absolutely no proof that the election is rigged, or that any voter fraud is being perpetrated (or will be perpetrated on election day). Voter fraud is not something that is normal in American electoral politics, and in the rare cases where it has been found, it is dealt with severely. The truth is that an American has a better chance of being hit by lightening than of uncovering any election fraud.
Personally, I think Trump's encouraging of his supporters to go to polling places (i.e., Democratic polling precincts) to prevent fraud is ridiculous, undemocratic, and could be dangerous. His campaign has the right to appoint official poll watchers, and here in Texas, those watchers must stay within the polling place and cannot approach any voters. But that's not what Trump is suggesting.
Trump wants people to go to polling places on their own, and intimidate voters (hopefully keeping them from voting through bullying or scare tactics). He doesn't seem to realize that what he's suggesting is against the law. It's a felony to question voters or confront them in any way within 1000 feet of a polling place. And if any of his "deplorable" try to do that at the polling place I am working, I will call the sheriff and have them removed or arrested.
I think Trump sees that he is losing this election, and being a thin-skinned narcissist, he can't stand it. He sees his only option is to intimidate voters, and if that doesn't work, then he has laid the groundwork to claim he didn't lose -- that the election was "stolen" from him. He can then use that as an excuse to start his own "news" network, and try to delegitimize the Clinton presidency (as he tried to do with his "birther" conspiracy against Obama).
Fortunately the voters are not buying into Trump's latest conspiracy theory. Most believe their votes will be accurately counted (66% to 30%) and that the election will not be stolen away from Trump (49% to 41%).
Trump is going to lose this election, and hopefully that will be by a large margin. But it won't be because the election is rigged or was stolen from him by voter fraud. It will be because he is a bad candidate who would make a terrible president -- and he is not a very nice person. He also doesn't have the temperament to be trusted with the power of the presidency, and is not knowledgeable enough to be our commander-in-chief. In short, he will lose because the American people don't want him to be their president.
The charts above and below reflect the results of a recent Politico / Morning Consult Poll -- done between October 13th and 15th of a random national sample of 1,999 registered voters, and has a margin of error of 2 points.
The only voting rigging I seen was done by rePUKEians!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, dear! Ted, if you think those numbers you quote are GOOD, maybe you need a trip to the eye doctor. Sorry to be that harsh, but the idea that your vote might not be counted is such an attack on the whole fabric of Democracy that the idea that over 1% of sane people -- or over 10% of Republicans -- should even have doubts is dangerous. The possibility of the election could actually be stolen from someone 10% behind in national polls -- as Trump is -- deserves no consideration from anyone short of an InfoWars listener. That the majority, even a moderately large one like those for Dems and Blacks, wins is hardly encouraging -- when the proper answer is 'ya gotta be kidding me.'
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Furthermore, the type of response I too often hear from Democrats and newsmen, the '31 votes out of a billion' is accurate, relevant -- since the topic is usually voter ID, and the 31 votes are 'impersonation fraud' -- as if I went to the polling place to vote as my (deceased) father-in-law while sending in my own absentee ballot -- which is the only kind of voter fraud that voter I.D. prevents and totally meaningless to people who are scared of voter fraud in general and have been convinced Voter ID is a 'magic bullet.' (These are hardly deep or logical thinkers to begin with, and now they are paniced as well.)
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There ARE other types that have occurred in the past, not so much not counting votes as 'finding' boxes of votes that just happen to have enough to tilt the totals (see "Landslide Lyndon"). But even they only work in a very close local or state election. And yes, the 'dead people voting' has occurred -- again on close local elections.
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So, seeing percentages in the 30s of people believing their vote won't be counted correctly are hardly good news. That percentages in the thirties believe the election could be stolen from TRUMP -- given his numbers -- is simply insanity, and that almost a fifth of Democrats (rather than less than 1%) shows how contagious paranoia can be.
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I wish I could just laugh at this, but the broadcast threats from one Trump supporter is hardly a unique opinion. He has, I'm sure, been spoken to by the Secret Service, but -- I have been reluctant so far to even write this -- I expect at least one 'near miss' assassination event against Hillary, and wouldn't be surprised to see others against 'RINOs' like Ryan (hah!) as well.