On the domestic front, Biden needs to make good his rhetoric about governing for all Americans, or I fear we'll be back here in four years bewailing the election of another "populist" monster in the Trump mould.
It was the BEST news to wake up to. Thank You America.
Barnabas62Purgatory Host, 8th Day Host, Epiphanies Host
Croesos
Re Arizona. I did know about the 0.1% rule which I think means a recount if the majority is less than about 2,500. My estimates on trends were showing a pretty good chance of results in that range.
But I hope you’re right! With Nevada now called, a win in Arizona also for Biden means there is no point in disputing Pennsylvania. Biden wins without it and without Georgia.
Anything which causes Trump to throw in the sponge is good news. The USA can well do without any more dispute.
I think he might well still take everything to court, both because he can't stomach losing, and because his whole MO the last few months has been to cast doubt on the electoral process, and by extension the legitimacy of Biden as the next president.
I woke up this morning, no one was calling anything. Took a shower, dressed, and headed to work. Just as I got down to the main North South street, they called it. Missed it by about five minutes.
I think he might well still take everything to court, both because he can't stomach losing, and because his whole MO the last few months has been to cast doubt on the electoral process, and by extension the legitimacy of Biden as the next president.
But by taking a lost cause to the courts he just looks even more of a loser. The action underlines his lack of grip on reality.
I suggest that the party says to him "if you believe it and have evidence pay for it yourself."
I think he might well still take everything to court, both because he can't stomach losing, and because his whole MO the last few months has been to cast doubt on the electoral process, and by extension the legitimacy of Biden as the next president.
But by taking a lost cause to the courts he just looks even more of a loser. The action underlines his lack of grip on reality.
I suggest that the party says to him "if you believe it and have evidence pay for it yourself."
I believe he has been, and is, fundraising explicitly for legal action. I don't think there will be any shortage of willing donors.
Look how many "stop the steal" Facebook groups there already is.
I think he might well still take everything to court, both because he can't stomach losing, and because his whole MO the last few months has been to cast doubt on the electoral process, and by extension the legitimacy of Biden as the next president.
But by taking a lost cause to the courts he just looks even more of a loser. The action underlines his lack of grip on reality.
I suggest that the party says to him "if you believe it and have evidence pay for it yourself."
I believe he has been, and is, fundraising explicitly for legal action. I don't think there will be any shortage of willing donors.
...and in the small print revealing that half of donations will go to pay the campaign's debts.
On the domestic front, Biden needs to make good his rhetoric about governing for all Americans, or I fear we'll be back here in four years bewailing the election of another "populist" monster in the Trump mould.
It is not Biden who will be the issue, but the probable Republican controlled Senate, the economic realities of the mess Trump's handling of the pandemic, the cross part, cross generational decline of the middle class, the sharp divisions...
Biden sits at a table having been given a deck loaded against him.
And given the average person doesn't actually understand what good governance is, whatever he does can be spun negatively.
None of this is to say he cannot make things better nor that he cannot put a positive face on what he does. Just that it will be difficult and not everything is in his control.
I wonder if anyone among the Brexiteers has realised yet that Biden cares rather more about the peace process in Northern Ireland than he does about the UK's convenience in a trade deal. Also, that Biden probably looks more skeptically at countries that don't honour international agreements they've signed than Trump does.
I doubt it. They still think leaving the EU was a good idea, so they are not noted for their perspicacity.
Congratulations, America. This is probably bad news for the UK under our present (mis) management, but good news for the rest of the world and especially for Northern Ireland.
Re Arizona. I did know about the 0.1% rule which I think means a recount if the majority is less than about 2,500. My estimates on trends were showing a pretty good chance of results in that range.
But I hope you’re right! With Nevada now called, a win in Arizona also for Biden means there is no point in disputing Pennsylvania. Biden wins without it and without Georgia.
Anything which causes Trump to throw in the sponge is good news. The USA can well do without any more dispute.
Trump will continue his disinformation and dispute of the election until he is too feeble to continue. The question is how long people pay attention to him, not when he will quit. Because he will not.
There is still a slight chance of flipping the Senate. If both runoff elections in Georgia are won by the Democrats, the Senate goes 50/50, which means Harris will be the tiebreaker.
69 million wanted it different. What's the list of problems beyond racism and economic inequality? Apparently even with a thoroughly defective leader, his party controls the senate. Doesn't this mean trumpism and fascism have power still?
Woman leading. Diversity leading. Will it change anything?
Barnabas62Purgatory Host, 8th Day Host, Epiphanies Host
Well, he will be escorted from the White House if necessary. I don’t think it will come to that so something must change earlier.
Mitch McConnell, now is the time. Or maybe Rupert Murdoch?
I think he might well still take everything to court, both because he can't stomach losing, and because his whole MO the last few months has been to cast doubt on the electoral process, and by extension the legitimacy of Biden as the next president.
Plus Trump's whole MO for the last few decades is bellowing victory and litigating setbacks. His business strategy was to tie everything up in court until opposing parties either ran out of money or gave up in frustration. He doesn't seem to get that state governments aren't like some glazier from Paramus who will accept a payment of 15% of the agreed-upon fee if you throw enough delays his way.
As an ex-president, Trump will presumably be entitled to erect a presidential library at the taxpayer's expense.
Presidential libraries are built entirely with non-federal funds. Usually a foundation of some sort is involved to fundraise for this, though sometimes state or local governments will pitch in taxpayer money. Once built the operations are paid for partly by the National Archives (who are responsible for maintaining all presidential documents whether they're in a library/museum or not) and partly by the foundation. So no, federal taxpayers aren't going to have to pay for the Trump Library's erection.
Barnabas62Purgatory Host, 8th Day Host, Epiphanies Host
Plus Trump's whole MO for the last few decades is bellowing victory and litigating setbacks. His business strategy was to tie everything up in court until opposing parties either ran out of money or gave up in frustration. He doesn't seem to get that state governments aren't like some glazier from Paramus who will accept a payment of 15% of the agreed-upon fee if you throw enough delays his way.
.
Well, there’s a thought. Trump is so transactional. Maybe he’s preparing a deal? “I’ll go quietly if I get immunity from my sins. Otherwise I’ll just make trouble”.
Truth is I don’t think he’s got much to make trouble with. Doesn’t mean he won’t try for a little. But Laura Ingraham’s words may have cracked the shell.
In my observation (at various distances) of elections in a variety of countries over several decades, I would say that almost all countries more or less accurately count the votes that have been actually cast. On the evidence so far, that includes the USA, notwithstanding Trump's evidence -free claims to the contrary.
The real crookery takes place in the lead up to the election: voter registration and eligibility of candidates.
In one country where I lived, what happened on voting day and in the counting was all quite in order, but the dirty work lay in putting most of the likely opponents in jail before the election, thus making them ineligible to stand. This method seems to be the standard in many of the former Soviet states, for example. Strategic charges of corruption in previous times or or of financial fraud are widely used for this purpose. However I perceived no sign of these forms of shenagins in the USA in recent years.
Instead, the big election rigging in the USA lies in making it hard to (a) register to vote (e.g. by requiring paperwork that poor people don't usually have, and (b) to actually vote (e.g. by restricting the number of polling places so voters have to travel far and queue for a long time, all on a working day , or (c) gerrymandering the electoral districts . All of these in the USA are under the control of state governors and/or state legislators, and States that have Republicans in power have been very conspicuous in doing all these things in the lead-up to this election. Unfortunately all these undemocratic processes appear to be both legal and constitutionally OK. Certainly there was no sign of Trump and his cronies protesting against them!
In more enlightened democracies, all the relevant processes are controlled by an independent Electoral Commission
You have prevailed at the ballot box, my American friends. I am so very happy. Biden's speech was wonderful, an outpouring of pent up emotion for me. I missed Harris', but I am told it was equally good. Roll on January!!
Has Chris Morris infiltrated the Trump campaign team?
Barnabas62Purgatory Host, 8th Day Host, Epiphanies Host
Tukai is right. That's the real election fraud.
So far as this election is concerned, Pennsylvania now shows a 40k plus majority and still rising, Georgia a 9k plus majority and Arizona an 18k majority, all for Biden. Based on yesterday’s votes I now think Croesos is right about Arizona remaining for Biden. It will get closer but I don’t think close enough.
Biden’s lead in Pennsylvania will be proof against any exclusion of late ballots by the Supreme Court. But even if Pennsylvania got flipped somehow, Biden doesn’t need it. Either Arizona or Georgia is good enough. The Georgia majority looks recount proof now.
Kushner is reported to have the job of advising Trump to consider giving up the legal challenges. GOP Senators and House Representatives still seem to be ducking it. Medieval messengers went in fear of their lives when giving autocrats bad news. I’m sure GOP messengers hope Kushner succeeds.
69 million wanted it different. What's the list of problems beyond racism and economic inequality? Apparently even with a thoroughly defective leader, his party controls the senate. Doesn't this mean trumpism and fascism have power still?
Woman leading. Diversity leading. Will it change anything?
Brown and black women leading. White women voted in GREATER numbers* for Trump in 2020 than in 2016.
*Early numbers, could shift a bit. Still, this indicates little to no change, at best.
In my observation (at various distances) of elections in a variety of countries over several decades, I would say that almost all countries more or less accurately count the votes that have been actually cast. On the evidence so far, that includes the USA, notwithstanding Trump's evidence -free claims to the contrary.
The real crookery takes place in the lead up to the election: voter registration and eligibility of candidates.
In one country where I lived, what happened on voting day and in the counting was all quite in order, but the dirty work lay in putting most of the likely opponents in jail before the election, thus making them ineligible to stand. This method seems to be the standard in many of the former Soviet states, for example. Strategic charges of corruption in previous times or or of financial fraud are widely used for this purpose. However I perceived no sign of these forms of shenagins in the USA in recent years.
Instead, the big election rigging in the USA lies in making it hard to (a) register to vote (e.g. by requiring paperwork that poor people don't usually have, and (b) to actually vote (e.g. by restricting the number of polling places so voters have to travel far and queue for a long time, all on a working day , or (c) gerrymandering the electoral districts . All of these in the USA are under the control of state governors and/or state legislators, and States that have Republicans in power have been very conspicuous in doing all these things in the lead-up to this election. Unfortunately all these undemocratic processes appear to be both legal and constitutionally OK. Certainly there was no sign of Trump and his cronies protesting against them!
In more enlightened democracies, all the relevant processes are controlled by an independent Electoral Commission
The electoral college could still swing a victory for trump. The states ultimately control who goes to vote and how they vote. Look to Republican influence trying to sway Republican controlled states to change electors to favour trump.
In my observation (at various distances) of elections in a variety of countries over several decades, I would say that almost all countries more or less accurately count the votes that have been actually cast. On the evidence so far, that includes the USA, notwithstanding Trump's evidence -free claims to the contrary.
The real crookery takes place in the lead up to the election: voter registration and eligibility of candidates.
In one country where I lived, what happened on voting day and in the counting was all quite in order, but the dirty work lay in putting most of the likely opponents in jail before the election, thus making them ineligible to stand. This method seems to be the standard in many of the former Soviet states, for example. Strategic charges of corruption in previous times or or of financial fraud are widely used for this purpose. However I perceived no sign of these forms of shenagins in the USA in recent years.
Instead, the big election rigging in the USA lies in making it hard to (a) register to vote (e.g. by requiring paperwork that poor people don't usually have, and (b) to actually vote (e.g. by restricting the number of polling places so voters have to travel far and queue for a long time, all on a working day , or (c) gerrymandering the electoral districts . All of these in the USA are under the control of state governors and/or state legislators, and States that have Republicans in power have been very conspicuous in doing all these things in the lead-up to this election. Unfortunately all these undemocratic processes appear to be both legal and constitutionally OK. Certainly there was no sign of Trump and his cronies protesting against them!
In more enlightened democracies, all the relevant processes are controlled by an independent Electoral Commission
The electoral college could still swing a victory for trump. The states ultimately control who goes to vote and how they vote. Look to Republican influence trying to sway Republican controlled states to change electors to favour trump.
I think the Trump campaign may try it but I think that the GOP generally recognise the difference between the sort of shenanigans they can get away with and those that ends up with heads on the ends of pikes, to borrow Steve Bannon's imagery. Trying to annul elections is well into the latter category.
According to The Guardian Murdoch has already turned on Trump.
IMO, that is not turning on Trump so much as continuing to play both sides for the ultimate goal of making money. The Fox newsroom have been earning Trump's ire for writing closer to reality whilst the rest of the network polish his behind and attempt to influence his thoughts. Trying to get him to concede with grace is trying to keep him influential past his presidency, therefore strengthening Fox.
Although, short of a real sea change, they will continue to be no.1 (despite spewing no.2) for a while yet.
In my observation (at various distances) of elections in a variety of countries over several decades, I would say that almost all countries more or less accurately count the votes that have been actually cast. On the evidence so far, that includes the USA, notwithstanding Trump's evidence -free claims to the contrary.
The real crookery takes place in the lead up to the election: voter registration and eligibility of candidates.
In one country where I lived, what happened on voting day and in the counting was all quite in order, but the dirty work lay in putting most of the likely opponents in jail before the election, thus making them ineligible to stand. This method seems to be the standard in many of the former Soviet states, for example. Strategic charges of corruption in previous times or or of financial fraud are widely used for this purpose. However I perceived no sign of these forms of shenagins in the USA in recent years.
Instead, the big election rigging in the USA lies in making it hard to (a) register to vote (e.g. by requiring paperwork that poor people don't usually have, and (b) to actually vote (e.g. by restricting the number of polling places so voters have to travel far and queue for a long time, all on a working day , or (c) gerrymandering the electoral districts . All of these in the USA are under the control of state governors and/or state legislators, and States that have Republicans in power have been very conspicuous in doing all these things in the lead-up to this election. Unfortunately all these undemocratic processes appear to be both legal and constitutionally OK. Certainly there was no sign of Trump and his cronies protesting against them!
In more enlightened democracies, all the relevant processes are controlled by an independent Electoral Commission
The electoral college could still swing a victory for trump. The states ultimately control who goes to vote and how they vote. Look to Republican influence trying to sway Republican controlled states to change electors to favour trump.
I think the Trump campaign may try it but I think that the GOP generally recognise the difference between the sort of shenanigans they can get away with and those that ends up with heads on the ends of pikes, to borrow Steve Bannon's imagery. Trying to annul elections is well into the latter category.
McConnell was willing to lose the Presidency and even the Senate to gain the Supreme court. Why would he care about more future heads on pikes now?
The electoral college could still swing a victory for trump. The states ultimately control who goes to vote and how they vote. Look to Republican influence trying to sway Republican controlled states to change electors to favour trump.
That's a bit deceptive. Article II, § 1, cl. 2 of the U.S. Constitution states:
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
So in a broad sense your statement is correct. However, every state legislature has "directed" that its electors be allocated via popular election. They've done this via legislation. It is theoretically possible for them to quickly pass a piece of legislation directing that state's electors be appointed in some manner other than the law currently on the books. Then they'd have to be sure that the governor wouldn't veto such a bill. There are only two states that are nominally in Biden's column where Republicans control both houses of the state legislature and the governorship: Arizona and Georgia. Even if state-level skullduggery shifted the electors from both of these states to Donald Trump it wouldn't be enough to insure his victory. An additional complicating factor is that neither of these state legislatures is currently in session, so a special session for the explicit purpose of redirecting electoral votes would have to be called.
I've been noting the massive numbers of untrue allegations about vote numbers exceeding number of registered voters, direct ballot tampering, federal sting operations netting millions of fraudulent votes ad nauseam
I have a nasty feeling that Biden's presidency is going to be haunted by this shite just as Obama was with the conspiracy theories that he was really Muslim and/or not eligible for the presidency by his birth.
I've been noting the massive numbers of untrue allegations about vote numbers exceeding number of registered voters, direct ballot tampering, federal sting operations netting millions of fraudulent votes ad nauseam
I have a nasty feeling that Biden's presidency is going to be haunted by this shite just as Obama was with the conspiracy theories that he was really Muslim and/or not eligible for the presidency by his birth.
If not this, then something else. Baseless conspiracism has been a basic Republican tactic against Democratic presidents since the Clinton years.
I've been noting the massive numbers of untrue allegations about vote numbers exceeding number of registered voters, direct ballot tampering, federal sting operations netting millions of fraudulent votes ad nauseam
I have a nasty feeling that Biden's presidency is going to be haunted by this shite just as Obama was with the conspiracy theories that he was really Muslim and/or not eligible for the presidency by his birth.
If not this, then something else. Baseless conspiracism has been a basic Republican tactic against Democratic presidents since the Clinton years.
A bit further back than that, I'd say. Al Smith's underground tunnels for bringing Vatican armies to the US etc.
69 million wanted it different. What's the list of problems beyond racism and economic inequality? Apparently even with a thoroughly defective leader, his party controls the senate. Doesn't this mean trumpism and fascism have power still?
Woman leading. Diversity leading. Will it change anything?
Brown and black women leading. White women voted in GREATER numbers* for Trump in 2020 than in 2016.
*Early numbers, could shift a bit. Still, this indicates little to no change, at best.
I don't find this odd or hard to believe at all. Trump's appeal was to the disenfranchised and frightened. And there are more of those now, thanks in large part to his actions and inactions over the last 4 years, than there were last election cycle.
I don't find this odd or hard to believe at all. Trump's appeal was to the disenfranchised and frightened. And there are more of those now, thanks in large part to his actions and inactions over the last 4 years, than there were last election cycle.
I think "aggrieved feeling" would be a better descriptor than "disenfranchised". The Republican party works very hard to disenfranchise America's potential voters, and if you're truly disenfranchised you can't vote for anyone.
Yesterday, as I read of the misbooked press conference for Giuliani, I had an image of the chaos in Hitler's bunker* - everyone high, drunk, or desperately trying to find an escape route, with some minion sweatily flipping through the phonebook looking for The Four Seasons. Then I thought, No, it was someone planting a departing landmine in The Ghoul's path.
*Think the excellent Untergang (Downfall). Hitler's results analysis. (For those who speak German, ignore the words and listen to the 'verbal music' as you read the subtitles.
Why in God's name would they choose a venue like that for what Trump Tweeted was going to be such an important news conference? A mistake? Sure. Deliberate? Unfathomable.
Why in God's name would they choose a venue like that for what Trump Tweeted was going to be such an important news conference?
A misfired attempt at populism?
An attempt to find a part of Philadelphia where they wouldn't be shouted down by protesters or mercilessly heckled.
But the campaign had always intended to hold the news conference in a friendlier part of town. The president’s team had struggled with news conferences in this Democratic stronghold all week. Since Wednesday, the streets outside of the Convention Center have been filled with pro-Biden protesters chanting, “Count every vote!” On multiple occasions, the Trump campaign surrogates were drowned out and surrounded by the much larger pro-Biden crowd.
Earlier this week, Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, and Mr. Lewandowski attempted to hold a celebratory news conference after obtaining a favorable court order in Pennsylvania. But a local D.J. blasting Beyoncé completely overpowered Ms. Bondi, who was forced to simply hold up the order as most of the media gathered nearby could not hear her speaking.
Dan Scavino, the keeper of the presidential Twitter feed and a deputy White House chief of staff for communications, eventually tweeted out the corrective, people familiar with the event said, while White House officials overall were rolling their eyes and dismissing the entire embarrassing episode as another “Rudy special.”
The campaign declined to comment, as did the White House.
The electoral college could still swing a victory for trump. The states ultimately control who goes to vote and how they vote. Look to Republican influence trying to sway Republican controlled states to change electors to favour trump.
That's a bit deceptive. Article II, § 1, cl. 2 of the U.S. Constitution states:
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
So in a broad sense your statement is correct. However, every state legislature has "directed" that its electors be allocated via popular election. They've done this via legislation. It is theoretically possible for them to quickly pass a piece of legislation directing that state's electors be appointed in some manner other than the law currently on the books. Then they'd have to be sure that the governor wouldn't veto such a bill. There are only two states that are nominally in Biden's column where Republicans control both houses of the state legislature and the governorship: Arizona and Georgia. Even if state-level skullduggery shifted the electors from both of these states to Donald Trump it wouldn't be enough to insure his victory. An additional complicating factor is that neither of these state legislatures is currently in session, so a special session for the explicit purpose of redirecting electoral votes would have to be called.
It seems to me that even this would run into the restrictions of Article I Section 10.
No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.
It seems to me that even this would run into the restrictions of Article I Section 10.
No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.
Not necessarily. Remember that what we have at the moment are media projections of election outcomes based on uncertified vote counts. No state has certified its election returns yet and no slates of electors have been officially designated. Short-circuiting a process underway doesn't necessarily violate the Constitution's prohibition against ex post facto laws.
Comments
Re Arizona. I did know about the 0.1% rule which I think means a recount if the majority is less than about 2,500. My estimates on trends were showing a pretty good chance of results in that range.
But I hope you’re right! With Nevada now called, a win in Arizona also for Biden means there is no point in disputing Pennsylvania. Biden wins without it and without Georgia.
Anything which causes Trump to throw in the sponge is good news. The USA can well do without any more dispute.
But by taking a lost cause to the courts he just looks even more of a loser. The action underlines his lack of grip on reality.
I suggest that the party says to him "if you believe it and have evidence pay for it yourself."
I believe he has been, and is, fundraising explicitly for legal action. I don't think there will be any shortage of willing donors.
Look how many "stop the steal" Facebook groups there already is.
...and in the small print revealing that half of donations will go to pay the campaign's debts.
I'm trying to imagine what the contents will be. All the editions of "The art of the deal"? Some Stormy Daniels DVDs?
Biden sits at a table having been given a deck loaded against him.
And given the average person doesn't actually understand what good governance is, whatever he does can be spun negatively.
None of this is to say he cannot make things better nor that he cannot put a positive face on what he does. Just that it will be difficult and not everything is in his control.
I doubt it. They still think leaving the EU was a good idea, so they are not noted for their perspicacity.
Congratulations, America. This is probably bad news for the UK under our present (mis) management, but good news for the rest of the world and especially for Northern Ireland.
Woman leading. Diversity leading. Will it change anything?
Mitch McConnell, now is the time. Or maybe Rupert Murdoch?
Plus Trump's whole MO for the last few decades is bellowing victory and litigating setbacks. His business strategy was to tie everything up in court until opposing parties either ran out of money or gave up in frustration. He doesn't seem to get that state governments aren't like some glazier from Paramus who will accept a payment of 15% of the agreed-upon fee if you throw enough delays his way.
Presidential libraries are built entirely with non-federal funds. Usually a foundation of some sort is involved to fundraise for this, though sometimes state or local governments will pitch in taxpayer money. Once built the operations are paid for partly by the National Archives (who are responsible for maintaining all presidential documents whether they're in a library/museum or not) and partly by the foundation. So no, federal taxpayers aren't going to have to pay for the Trump Library's erection.
Well, there’s a thought. Trump is so transactional. Maybe he’s preparing a deal? “I’ll go quietly if I get immunity from my sins. Otherwise I’ll just make trouble”.
Truth is I don’t think he’s got much to make trouble with. Doesn’t mean he won’t try for a little. But Laura Ingraham’s words may have cracked the shell.
No surprises there
The real crookery takes place in the lead up to the election: voter registration and eligibility of candidates.
In one country where I lived, what happened on voting day and in the counting was all quite in order, but the dirty work lay in putting most of the likely opponents in jail before the election, thus making them ineligible to stand. This method seems to be the standard in many of the former Soviet states, for example. Strategic charges of corruption in previous times or or of financial fraud are widely used for this purpose. However I perceived no sign of these forms of shenagins in the USA in recent years.
Instead, the big election rigging in the USA lies in making it hard to (a) register to vote (e.g. by requiring paperwork that poor people don't usually have, and (b) to actually vote (e.g. by restricting the number of polling places so voters have to travel far and queue for a long time, all on a working day , or (c) gerrymandering the electoral districts . All of these in the USA are under the control of state governors and/or state legislators, and States that have Republicans in power have been very conspicuous in doing all these things in the lead-up to this election. Unfortunately all these undemocratic processes appear to be both legal and constitutionally OK. Certainly there was no sign of Trump and his cronies protesting against them!
In more enlightened democracies, all the relevant processes are controlled by an independent Electoral Commission
Or for that of anyone who might peruse its stacks.
Miss Amanda will get her wrap.
You have prevailed at the ballot box, my American friends. I am so very happy. Biden's speech was wonderful, an outpouring of pent up emotion for me. I missed Harris', but I am told it was equally good. Roll on January!!
So far as this election is concerned, Pennsylvania now shows a 40k plus majority and still rising, Georgia a 9k plus majority and Arizona an 18k majority, all for Biden. Based on yesterday’s votes I now think Croesos is right about Arizona remaining for Biden. It will get closer but I don’t think close enough.
Biden’s lead in Pennsylvania will be proof against any exclusion of late ballots by the Supreme Court. But even if Pennsylvania got flipped somehow, Biden doesn’t need it. Either Arizona or Georgia is good enough. The Georgia majority looks recount proof now.
Kushner is reported to have the job of advising Trump to consider giving up the legal challenges. GOP Senators and House Representatives still seem to be ducking it. Medieval messengers went in fear of their lives when giving autocrats bad news. I’m sure GOP messengers hope Kushner succeeds.
I don't know if I'm the first to think of this, but (With apologies to Guy Mitchell):
There's a porn shop on the corner
Of Philly Pennsylvania
And he holds forth in the parking lot
By the porn shop on the corner
Just by the crematorium
And it's clear that he's now lost the plot.
*Early numbers, could shift a bit. Still, this indicates little to no change, at best.
I think the Trump campaign may try it but I think that the GOP generally recognise the difference between the sort of shenanigans they can get away with and those that ends up with heads on the ends of pikes, to borrow Steve Bannon's imagery. Trying to annul elections is well into the latter category.
Although, short of a real sea change, they will continue to be no.1 (despite spewing no.2) for a while yet.
That's a bit deceptive. Article II, § 1, cl. 2 of the U.S. Constitution states:
So in a broad sense your statement is correct. However, every state legislature has "directed" that its electors be allocated via popular election. They've done this via legislation. It is theoretically possible for them to quickly pass a piece of legislation directing that state's electors be appointed in some manner other than the law currently on the books. Then they'd have to be sure that the governor wouldn't veto such a bill. There are only two states that are nominally in Biden's column where Republicans control both houses of the state legislature and the governorship: Arizona and Georgia. Even if state-level skullduggery shifted the electors from both of these states to Donald Trump it wouldn't be enough to insure his victory. An additional complicating factor is that neither of these state legislatures is currently in session, so a special session for the explicit purpose of redirecting electoral votes would have to be called.
I have a nasty feeling that Biden's presidency is going to be haunted by this shite just as Obama was with the conspiracy theories that he was really Muslim and/or not eligible for the presidency by his birth.
If not this, then something else. Baseless conspiracism has been a basic Republican tactic against Democratic presidents since the Clinton years.
A bit further back than that, I'd say. Al Smith's underground tunnels for bringing Vatican armies to the US etc.
Highest since 1908
I don't find this odd or hard to believe at all. Trump's appeal was to the disenfranchised and frightened. And there are more of those now, thanks in large part to his actions and inactions over the last 4 years, than there were last election cycle.
I think "aggrieved feeling" would be a better descriptor than "disenfranchised". The Republican party works very hard to disenfranchise America's potential voters, and if you're truly disenfranchised you can't vote for anyone.
*Think the excellent Untergang (Downfall). Hitler's results analysis. (For those who speak German, ignore the words and listen to the 'verbal music' as you read the subtitles.
A misfired attempt at populism?
An attempt to find a part of Philadelphia where they wouldn't be shouted down by protesters or mercilessly heckled.
It seems to me that even this would run into the restrictions of Article I Section 10.
Not necessarily. Remember that what we have at the moment are media projections of election outcomes based on uncertified vote counts. No state has certified its election returns yet and no slates of electors have been officially designated. Short-circuiting a process underway doesn't necessarily violate the Constitution's prohibition against ex post facto laws.