US Election Week 2020

[merithyn]

Cel and larchie? Either of you up for a on-paper-only wife so that I can get Spanish citizenship? I'll buy us an apartment.

That is pretty smart.  Get me to adopt you and marry one of them.  All bases covered.

One way or another, I have somewhere safe to go.

[PJL]

I think it's pretty obvious that Trump is going to do whatever it takes to steal the election now, after all, he always accuses his opponents of the same thing in whatever he's doing. And I'm sure the Republican party will fall into line anyway because they've done whatever they've can to game the system for at least a decade now. No reason why they should stop now, because there's been no penalty for doing so, even now.

"Falling in line" would essentially mean the state legislature declaring that the vote is fraudulent and choosing the state's electors themselves.  I'd be happy to bet you that will not happen.

Pennsylvania, Arizona & Georgia state legislature are all controlled by the Republicans. Given Alaska will go for Trump, and assuming North Carolina goes for Trump, then those plus the 3 contested states will give Trump the EC votes needed. So it's a plausible scenario, especially given that Trump has given them plenty of hints on making it illegal, given the pandemic.

[Admiral Yi]

Pennsylvania, Arizona & Georgia state legislature are all controlled by the Republicans. Given Alaska will go for Trump, and assuming North Carolina goes for Trump, then those plus the 3 contested states will give Trump the EC votes needed. So it's a plausible scenario, especially given that Trump has given them plenty of hints on making it illegal, given the pandemic.

And I think it is not plausible.

[DGuller]

Maybe I'm being naive, but I think that at this point making Trump a president will be so obviously incendiary and illegitimate that GOP just won't have the balls to do it.  There is no need to do it either, they've got the Senate and thus the judiciary, they can weather the loss of presidency. 

I can see them at least giving it some thought if Democrats had a safe Senate majority, at that point emotions may drive them to cross the Rubicon and see what happens, but in a situation where Trump was the only thing about GOP that lost this time around, they really have no need to do it.

[derspiess]

I think you're right. At least I hope you are.

[derspiess]

So do you guys think the "defund the police" and "pack the court" rhetoric hurt the Dems downballot?

[DGuller]

So do you guys think the "defund the police" and "pack the court" rhetoric hurt the Dems downballot?

I think the first one definitely did, possibly catastrophically so.  Not only is the chant stupid on its face, but it also struck right into the heart of many white people's deep seated fear.  Fear is the greatest motivator, the single most effective way to turn the lights off up on top.

[Valmy]

So do you guys think the "defund the police" and "pack the court" rhetoric hurt the Dems downballot?

Defunding the police is kind of ridiculous.

First it is a phony call anyway. It is just calling for bureaucratic restructuring of law enforcement that may or may not help anything.

Second even if it wasn't do we really want to handicap law enforcement at a time when everybody is talking about militias and civil wars?

But to your central point it obviously did since the only time I heard that rhetoric coming from candidates in Texas it was Republicans so they clearly knew those activist chants were very bad for us and very good for them.

I mean I even heard that MJ Hegar was going to defund the police if elected which is kind of difficult to do in the US Senate. Our state rep was also going to defund the police...I guess the Texas Rangers? No idea how he was going to do that in state house.

Which just shows what a juicy piece of meat it was to Republican strategists.

I am kind of relieved it did not gain more traction than it did frankly. Culture War activists are a cross we have to bear.

[Valmy]

but it also struck right into the heart of many white people's deep seated fear.

And I would think black people are not too excited about fearful George Zimmermans patrolling the neighborhood.

[DGuller]

I am kind of relieved it did not gain more traction than it did frankly. Culture War activists are a cross we have to bear.

I remember how it first started:

Woke Brigade:  "DEFUND THE POLICE!"
Washington Post Editorial: "What defunding the police means is that police will not be defunded, but rather it will be encouraged to shoot less unarmed black people."
Woke Brigage:  "No, when we said defund the police, we meant defund the police."
Washington Post Editorial (to themselves): "JFC, we were trying to throw you a lifeline.  "

[PJL]

The woke/cancel culture brigade & Trumpists are just two sides of the same coin.

[Admiral Yi]

So do you guys think the "defund the police" and "pack the court" rhetoric hurt the Dems downballot?

Yup.  Not much.

I think the rioting and looting probably did more than the chants and slogans.

edit: I mean yes to defund and not much to pack.

[Valmy]

Yeah that kind of put me off protesting. I don't want to be a cover for violence and criminal activity.

And I notice whenever the Trumpists gather together I think it makes them more terrifying and insane looking and I think hurts their cause as well.

[Valmy]

Yeah I didn't hear too much about the court packing. I think everyone knew Biden would never do that.

[DGuller]

So do you guys think the "defund the police" and "pack the court" rhetoric hurt the Dems downballot?

Yup.  Not much.

I think the rioting and looting probably did more than the chants and slogans.

I think one compounded the other.  When you're watching the rioting happen, and you're on the side of that involuntarily donates their property for the good of the cause (or fear that you may be), one of the least comforting things to hear is that some want to defund the police.