SANDY SPRINGS, GA – MARCH 06: “I’m a Georgia Voter” stickers are seen at a polling station in St Andrew Presbyterian Church March 6, 2012 in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Ten states, including Georgia, hold caucuses and primaries today for voters to pick their choices for the Republican presidential nominee. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
More undermining of confidence in the process from Republicans:
The pile on continues. All eight members of Georgia’s 2021 GOP House delegation sign a letter urging the state’s top elections official, a fellow Republican, to investigate claims of fraud (still without any evidence) before certifying the results of the election. #gapolhttps://t.co/0Xfpa3aegppic.twitter.com/1JaPaWmLnF
First, doesn’t this call into question their own elections and re-elections? After all, they all won under the same conditions under which Biden appears to have won. (Somehow that doesn’t come into play).
Second, this is just another version of “have you stopped beating your wife?” It creates the appearance of a problem without any credible evidence whatsoever and causes the accused to be on the defensive unfairly.
Third, they are attacking a Republican-run Secretary of State’s office. It is insane.
All this does is erode confidence in our process, and for what? The hope that it drives GOP turn-out in the run-off? (run-offs the GOP is almost certainly going to win, I would note, without this nonsense).
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
Follow Steven on Twitter
First, doesn’t this call into question their own elections and re-elections? After all, they all won under the same conditions under which Biden appears to have won. (Somehow that doesn’t come into play).
Yes it does. I just pointed this out on the other thread. If Trump gets a recount, then EVERYBODY gets a recount and there’s some…. interesting races that might benefit from a deep look. It would be irony at it’s finest if Trump succeeded in getting some ballots tossed in tight states and those votes ruined someone else’s win. How can you only toss the vote for POTUS and not everyone else on the ticket that ballot contained? If the ballot is spoiled or whatever, that means ALL votes on it are spoiled not just POTUS.
Susan Collins is going to need to furrow her brow some more – this logic could cost her the seat. Someone get on that in ME tout suite!
There is going to be a hand recount in GA…good, they need to get started right this moment so we can end this sooner than later.
Also, PA admits that if they pretty much shredded the ballots that were sequestered because they arrived after election day that the results still show that Biden won fair and square.
PA should talk to the GOP and say sure, we will toss the ballots that arrived after Nov 3 but we need you to go in front of a judge as a witness that this settles the matter. The quicker we can get this resolved the better.
Also, Biden should introduce legislation on behalf of the states that want to secede. He can be a friend of these states and say it’s cool…no hurt feelings that you do not want to be part of my club, you can create your own nation and Trump can be your President for Life.
Of course, all this talk of secession will die down neck snappingly (spelling, I just used a fake word?) fast when they realize that they do not want Trump as their leader what they just want to retain is the ability to retain control over folks who live in states that are not KY, MI, AR, LA, OK, etc..
Like Rape, it is not always about the act of penetration that the perpetrator gets off on rather the total control they have over another person during their heinous act. If Red States are told that Secession will mean they lose the ability to influence the destiny of liberal states like CA and New York folks will find that the idea of seceding goes over as well as a fart in Church on a packed Easter Sunday.
Yeah, I should have put that in my long comment above, all other races will be ignored. It seems that GA is just figuring that it will quicker to recount and redeclare Biden as the winner than to have things drag out as folks try to delay the recount. For the most part, I usually prefer to just rip the band aid off quickly and get the pain over with in seconds versus minutes so I am cool with this plan. It will not change things but some GOPers are not completely insane and will start to accept reality, as James put it in another post today once Biden is declared the winner….again.
Seriously, I want someone to explain to me why conservatives are calling for a recount for Trump and only Trump and give an actual legal basis, not conspiracy theories. If we are questioning the system, then we should assume flaws for all candidates involved, not just him. He’s alleging in multiple states corruption and fraud that somehow only affects him. That’s not how it works – a ballot is never just for one candidate unless it’s a special election. If the ballot was tainted or changed or whatever they’re claiming, it cannot be just for that one race. Therefore, whomever was involved in those races (Senator, Congressperson, dogcatcher) has the right to contest and demand a recount since they’ve been affected by the fraud too.
Also, why can’t Dems allege fraud too? Why can’t we make up stuff (other than not being jerks, I mean)? Collins shouldn’t have won – all the evidence (polls) claims she was going to lose so there’s smoke. Too close, recount! FL around Miami-Dade needs a look since that was surprising; how do we know there wasn’t tampering or ballot issue there?
I’m facetious but my point is valid. They’re trying to claim Trump is a special case to not screw up any of their gains. That’s not how this works – in the US, we don’t just vote for POTUS but a whole host of things on the same ballot. You cannot claim sus Trump loss in several states without dragging a ton of other elections into question so where’s the calls for recounts and lawsuits for them? Collins, Tuberville, Tillis and those flipped House seats in NC, FL, MI and NM – where’s the insistence on recounts for those flips and odd last-minute wins?
Just make sure all nukes (tactical and strategic), other nuclear materials (sub and carrier reactors), all fighter planes and helicopters (all services), and all heavy equipment (tanks, long guns, and armored personnel carriers, all services), get returned to the Unites States of America first.
Seriously, I want someone to explain to me why conservatives are calling for a recount for Trump and only Trump and give an actual legal basis
The recount in GA (and anywhere) is based on the gap between the winner and loser–it has to be small enough based on whatever metric the law requires to take place.
What’s Georgia’s annual banana production?
If I were Raffensperger, I’d call their bluff and begin examining the results of R won races first.
Yes it does. I just pointed this out on the other thread. If Trump gets a recount, then EVERYBODY gets a recount and there’s some…. interesting races that might benefit from a deep look. It would be irony at it’s finest if Trump succeeded in getting some ballots tossed in tight states and those votes ruined someone else’s win. How can you only toss the vote for POTUS and not everyone else on the ticket that ballot contained? If the ballot is spoiled or whatever, that means ALL votes on it are spoiled not just POTUS.
Susan Collins is going to need to furrow her brow some more – this logic could cost her the seat. Someone get on that in ME tout suite!
There is going to be a hand recount in GA…good, they need to get started right this moment so we can end this sooner than later.
Also, PA admits that if they pretty much shredded the ballots that were sequestered because they arrived after election day that the results still show that Biden won fair and square.
PA should talk to the GOP and say sure, we will toss the ballots that arrived after Nov 3 but we need you to go in front of a judge as a witness that this settles the matter. The quicker we can get this resolved the better.
Also, Biden should introduce legislation on behalf of the states that want to secede. He can be a friend of these states and say it’s cool…no hurt feelings that you do not want to be part of my club, you can create your own nation and Trump can be your President for Life.
Of course, all this talk of secession will die down neck snappingly (spelling, I just used a fake word?) fast when they realize that they do not want Trump as their leader what they just want to retain is the ability to retain control over folks who live in states that are not KY, MI, AR, LA, OK, etc..
Like Rape, it is not always about the act of penetration that the perpetrator gets off on rather the total control they have over another person during their heinous act. If Red States are told that Secession will mean they lose the ability to influence the destiny of liberal states like CA and New York folks will find that the idea of seceding goes over as well as a fart in Church on a packed Easter Sunday.
@Sleeping Dog: If I were Raffensperger, I’d say “Sure, and while were at it, we’ll take a look at the 2018 election too.”
@KM:
I believe this is incorrect. No one’s going to run new subtotals and totals for the other races.
@Michael Cain:
Yeah, I should have put that in my long comment above, all other races will be ignored. It seems that GA is just figuring that it will quicker to recount and redeclare Biden as the winner than to have things drag out as folks try to delay the recount. For the most part, I usually prefer to just rip the band aid off quickly and get the pain over with in seconds versus minutes so I am cool with this plan. It will not change things but some GOPers are not completely insane and will start to accept reality, as James put it in another post today once Biden is declared the winner….again.
@Michael Cain:
But *why*?
Seriously, I want someone to explain to me why conservatives are calling for a recount for Trump and only Trump and give an actual legal basis, not conspiracy theories. If we are questioning the system, then we should assume flaws for all candidates involved, not just him. He’s alleging in multiple states corruption and fraud that somehow only affects him. That’s not how it works – a ballot is never just for one candidate unless it’s a special election. If the ballot was tainted or changed or whatever they’re claiming, it cannot be just for that one race. Therefore, whomever was involved in those races (Senator, Congressperson, dogcatcher) has the right to contest and demand a recount since they’ve been affected by the fraud too.
Also, why can’t Dems allege fraud too? Why can’t we make up stuff (other than not being jerks, I mean)? Collins shouldn’t have won – all the evidence (polls) claims she was going to lose so there’s smoke. Too close, recount! FL around Miami-Dade needs a look since that was surprising; how do we know there wasn’t tampering or ballot issue there?
I’m facetious but my point is valid. They’re trying to claim Trump is a special case to not screw up any of their gains. That’s not how this works – in the US, we don’t just vote for POTUS but a whole host of things on the same ballot. You cannot claim sus Trump loss in several states without dragging a ton of other elections into question so where’s the calls for recounts and lawsuits for them? Collins, Tuberville, Tillis and those flipped House seats in NC, FL, MI and NM – where’s the insistence on recounts for those flips and odd last-minute wins?
@inhumans99:
Not a bad idea.
Just make sure all nukes (tactical and strategic), other nuclear materials (sub and carrier reactors), all fighter planes and helicopters (all services), and all heavy equipment (tanks, long guns, and armored personnel carriers, all services), get returned to the Unites States of America first.
@KM:
The recount in GA (and anywhere) is based on the gap between the winner and loser–it has to be small enough based on whatever metric the law requires to take place.