Robert Reich on Jill Stein

[babylonsister]

https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf

Robert Reich
7 mins ·

Jill Stein is doing America a service. Just 90 minutes before Wisconsin’s 5 pm deadline today for filing with the state’s Election Commission, she filed her petition for an election recount in Wisconsin. She has standing to seek such a recount because she was on the ballot in Wisconsin, and has raised over $5 million so far to pay for it. She also promises to seek recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan. If the recounts show Hillary Clinton won these three states, Clinton will have secured enough electoral votes to win the election.

As I noted yesterday, a group of data experts and election lawyers have urged such a recount in these three states on suspicion that a cyber-attack could have manipulated the results of the election – noting anomalies suggesting that Clinton did more poorly in Wisconsin counties that used voting machines, as opposed to those that relied on paper ballots. (It’s no small irony that if all Stein votes in Wisconsin had gone to Clinton, Clinton would have won the state even without a recount.)

If Stein’s campaign wishes to file recount petitions in the other states as promised, she must do so by Monday to meet Pennsylvania’s deadline, and Wednesday to meet the Nov. 30 deadline in Michigan.
I think we owe Jill Stein our thanks (and our donations to get this recount done as well).

What do you think?

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. K & R

[Raster]

2. YES!

[LisaL]

3. What do I think?

There is no chance of recounts actually overturning the results in the three states.

[babylonsister]

5. I am also skeptical but applaud those who aren't. nt

[Chimichurri]

4. Hell YES!

[colsohlibgal]

6. Never Say Never

I am guessing these experts saw the same thing in Michigan and Pennsylvania....outlying results only where voting machines were used.

If it does come to pass....then things might get harrowing because of Trump and a good portion of his supporters.

We are at a crossroad we have not seen since the Civil War no matter what goes down the next two months.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

18. Kind of tough in Michigan

since they use all paper.

[dragonlady]

30. The lead computer security expert teaches at the University of Michigan

He is undoubtedly very familiar with Michigan voting and does suspect something is wrong.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

31. He well might suspect something is wrong in MI

But he only mentioned what he saw as a disparity between precincts with electronic voting machines and those with paper. Since Michigan has no electronic voting machines, it would be interesting to see what he believes the issue is.

He will most likely detail his concerns in Michigan petition, as he did in the WI petition.

[Farmgirl1961]

7. I too am a bit skeptical...but think that it is important we strive for transparency

I am not so naive to think that it will amount to the EC swinging to Hillary's favor, but boy-oh-boy I'd be THRILLED if it did. Nonetheless I do believe she is doing the American people a service by bringing to the forefront the immense problems we have in our voting. I will be crossing my fingers, hands, legs and more in hopes it reveals more votes for Hillary.

[Little Star]

9. That's where I'm at.

[UTUSN]

8. I'll give'em a Big *MAYBE*!1 - maybe if 3rd parties wouldn't siphon votes to start with

[napi21]

10. I admit 'm quite skeptical of them finding proof enough to overturn the current results, but

during this election, we've seen & heard hundreds or thousands of things we would never have dreamed of, so I'm not slamming the door of possibilities. I will say IF it is proven that Hillary actually won, I think all HELL would bread loose! Hell to the point that I would be afraid of serious violence. I'm 73 & in a wheel chair. I can't deal with violence anymore. If its only wowrds, I can stand up and beat most of them, but physical I just can't help. Maybe the majority of people who voted for him aren't physical, but there sure are a lot who are. Heaven help us all.

[Horse with no Name]

14. I think that "hell" breaking loose is why they are asking Democrats to back down

and just accept it.

[Flaxbee]

11. Even if the recount is in favor of Hillary, she conceded.

Doesn't that make it official? How do you un-concede (without total chaos)? Gore waited to concede until mid-December (the 13th, I think) because the election was so sketchy.

I honestly don't know. Just wondering.

[tammywammy]

12. Conceding is polite, not a legal requirement.

Concession is part of the peaceful transition of power.

[Flaxbee]

13. Yes, but once she has conceded,

does that not make it final?

She acquiesced to this transition of power.

Polite or not, once you've agreed to the winner, how do you go back and un-do that? Peacefully?
Especially if she has not alleged foul play?

[tammywammy]

16. If a recount changes the electoral college then it doesn't matter.

Whomever wins the electoral college is president. It's highly unlikely to happen, but if it did then I'd expect Trump to say it was rigged and Hillary to say something gracious. She'd then move to assembling her cabinet.

[Flaxbee]

19. Yeah, I don't think it's that easy

You can't go back and change results even if there's a bad call discovered later. (thinking of gamesmanship, though I know this is much more important).

If she wants to start a civil war, perhaps that would be the thing to do. But an enormous percentage of this country voted for Trump - almost half - and they're not going to just sit by and say "OK, even though she conceded to Trump, we'll accept this".

I live in a very red part of a purple state, and even if the votes turn out in her favor in those three states, I do not believe it would even remotely be a peaceful transition.

It would be utter chaos. With an evenly-divided Supreme Court in the middle.

[tammywammy]

22. It's not a bad call discovered later

The electoral college doesn't vote until Dec 13. Once they vote it's over with. If, and this is if, a recount/audit changes the results in a state like Wisconsin the electoral votes would then be allocated to Hillary.

Of course there would be a lot of outrage if a recount changes the results. But whomever wins the electoral college is the president. Even if she conceded in November if the results in some states are changed due to a recount then she would still become president on inauguration day. She wouldn't just say "oh no, let him have it". If the results reported were fraudulent there are a lot more issues than the fact that Hillary conceded.

[Flaxbee]

23. If the tallies were wrong in those states, that isn't automatically fraudulent

Fraud is an actual criminal act. Miscounts aren't automatically fraudulent.

The electors can give it to whomever they choose.

If she hadn't conceded, it would be very easy. Since she has, un-doing it would cause so much upheaval that I'd honestly be surprised if she did it.

Sure, recount everything. There's time. But it is completely ludicrous to think there would not be serious conflict that could create a permanent rift in this country. Just because we might prefer the result doesn't mean it's the best thing to do. And no presidential election from this point forward would ever be decided in November.

[pnwmom]

25. No, it doesn't make it final. Gore conceded, and then un-conceded.

And then he finally conceded again after the SCOTUS decision.

[Flaxbee]

29. I know - it's just going to be a very difficult row to hoe.

If she un-concedes. It might be perfectly legal and proper if the vote count goes her way but I do believe there would be outright mutiny by the right.

[LisaL]

33. You are worried about something that is so extremely unlikely that there is no reason to worry about

it. Recount will have to overturn results in 3 states for Clinton to un-concede.

[Flaxbee]

34. I know. Very unlikely. I'm just actually quite interested in the process ...

What she would have to do to "un-concede" after two+ weeks, if the Supremes would insert themselves into this effort as in 2000. It's more of a discussion point than anything else.

I don't wish harm on anyone or anything, but I think our political system is entrenched and corrupt - both sides - and a little chaos might be interesting.

[tinrobot]

24. It does not make it official.

The electors in the Electoral College make it official.

If the vote switches, there will be new electors.

[iluvtennis]

15. I want folks to be positive about this...we have a glimmer of hope...

...so glad that Jill Stein and Rocky De La Fuente are challenging these vote counts... we need to know if the Russians hacked the vote counting systems. I don't put anything pass them. My opinion only.

[Hekate]

17. KnR, BabSis

[SickOfTheOnePct]

20. Link to Stein's petition

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9q5o4e3lj8uszu1/Wisconsin%20Recount%20Petition%20of%20Jill%20Stein%20%2800268242x9CCC2%29.pdf?dl=0

She's also claiming that the increase in absentee ballots indicates the possibility that hackers voted absentee.

[AgadorSparticus]

21. Knr!!

[rwheeler31]

26. We need to continue to point out that he

continuously said it was rigged. If they do find evidence press them on what they knew, this Russian interference cannot be smoothed over.

[marybourg]

27. If it's good with Robert Reich,

it's good with me.

[RKP5637]

28. K&R!!!! n/t

[Pacifist Patriot]

32. I am reluctant to get my hopes up, but...

I am heartened to see people in a position to do something about it take the integrity of our election systems seriously.