This for me is one of the biggest ironies of the times

[DFW]

Republicans go on a state-by-state binge of regulations restricting voting rights (of Democratic constituencies, it goes without saying), citing non-existent "voter fraud," and the possibility that foreigners (spelled "L-A-T-I-N-O-S&quot might have illegally participated in our elections. The evidence they have provided of this is no more compelling than Cheney's evidence of Saddam's WMD, but they keep trying to enact those "laws."

At the same time, they do everything in their power to allow/cover-up/ignore a rather huge "participation" ("illegal" doesn't begin to cover it) by what is essentially the successor to the KGB--an effort which, obviously NOT coincidentally, brought about the dubious "election" of a candidate who is not only blatantly unqualified, but apparently is also in financial debt to them. His potential cabinet picks have been universally people detrimental both to their departments and to the country.

In short--electoral fraud that favors Democrats: not there, but must be guarded against

But:-- electoral fraud that favors Republicans: evidence of it everywhere, but must be hushed up and then ignored

Republicans have never shied away from embracing a double-standard that favors them, but this one is one of the worst, ever.

RICK fucking PERRY for Secretary of Oops, for Pete's sake! How's he supposed to run a Department he wanted to abolish, and whose location he is not likely to find if he can't even remember its name?

Republicans must think we're a nation of blithering idiots. For that matter, if our Democratic members of Congress do not raise their voices constantly and loudly in opposition, then we are exactly that.

[BSdetect]

1. We can repeat these obvious facts eternally but they will keep doing whatever to stay in power

Fake news will become even more outrageous as they have established a fact free gullible population enough to keep them in power combined with suppression and fraud in elections.

Just avoid total despair.

Not easy.

[DFW]

2. Thank goodness for the German press

I live in Germany, in case that wasn't obvious.

[NightWatcher]

3. Those in power count on the fact that their electorate are idiots

They love that they are trained through a lifetime of religion to shut off their brains and follow the authoritarian du jour, even if he's a tool of the Russians.

They don't care about fraud. They just want white people to run things. Russians, next to Vikings, are the whitest people on the planet.

[mopinko]

4. failure to fight voter suppression is the single biggest flaw in the party.

they think about those votes, which ought to be theirs, but dont care.
they need to think about those voters instead, and their sacred duty to them.

we left 100 times the votes we needed on the god damned table.

[DFW]

29. I quite agree about the votes left on the table

They were there, and every one of them that stayed home or voted third party out of "protest" rather than actual support of the actual candidate they voted for, was one more missed opportunity to head off this disaster at the pass. If you see a sign saying "bridge washed out ahead," and you keep driving, you have no business wondering how come you landed in the water.

[WhiteTara]

5. They don't care what we think

and the Democrats in Congress have been muted.

[jalan48]

6. This is a good way to look at it. I would like to see this pointed out by the corporate media.

Most Americans seem unable to connect different issues-they are led blindly along like cattle with rings in their noses.

[NRaleighLiberal]

7. They truly believe they are the "chosen ones". We cannot

apply our logic to understanding them. The only rules they play by are their own. Ideas, progress are irrelevant. It is all about power and greed.

[Trust Buster]

8. The only conviction a Republican has is winning elections. PERIOD.

[progressoid]

9. It's hard to keep up with all the ironies related to this election.

[pansypoo53219]

10. the GOP needs to CHEAT to win.

just say CHEATERS. and its RIGGED FOR THEM.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. A big fat K&R! n/t

[kgratz]

12. citing non-existent "voter fraud,"

You are aware they had to stop counting votes in Detroit because there counted more votes than they had voters, right? Could be fraud, human error, mechanical error, who knows, but it's factual and existent.

[hunter]

16. Oooooh.... Detroit!

Welcome to DU.

My first post on DU was about evolution. As an amateur evolutionary biologist, by inclination and some formal training, I was clearly displeased with Creationists, most especially Fundamentalist Christian Creationists.

What importance do you attribute to these voting irregularities in Detroit, and how is that related to the original post?

The United States isn't a true first world nation, our elections are not clean. These modern Reagan Republicans have gotten especially good at gaming the system.

I question the legitimacy of a Trump Presidency, oh yes I do.

[brush]

26. Since the Dems were sure to win Detroit, who had the motivation to commit easily proven . . .

voter fraud there that would be found in a recount and result in Dem votes not counted?

For that matter, makes one wonder who would benefit from the ill-fated recount which raised lots of money besides the repugs?

[DFW]

30. "non-existent information?"

Ever heard of places like Wisconsin or North Carolina? Tennessee? Florida?

No, if the locally enacted voter suppression statues there constitute "non-existent," don't even bother.

[Maeve]

18. The recount was stopped for a different reason

Because it was judged that 'Stein was not an “aggrieved candidate” ' under the law.

That there are differences in the counts of votes and recorded voters is true (one third had undercounts see: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2016/12/12/records-many-votes-detroits-precincts/95363314/). And there is no way of knowing at this time which candidate(s) received those votes. That needs to be addressed. Until then, no one validly claim 'voter fraud'. As you point out, it may be error, mechanical or human.
But the opening post is speaking of the numerous claims of repeat voting and/or illegal voting that have been made with no factual evidence; research has indicted you have more people being struck by lightning each year than committing voter fraud.

[mopinko]

32. that is not "voter fraud" that is election fraud.

nobody argues that there is no election fraud. just that voters dont vote illegally. it just doesnt happen.

enjoy your stay.

[Coyotl]

13. This election, we had more Trump sexual assualt victims than voter fraud cases.

This narrative needs to be repeated every time they mention the subject.

[GentryDixon]

14. You have relationships with many of our high ranking Dems.

I hope you are sharing your insight with them. The German press post was especially insightful.

Thanks for keeping get us informed with the world view versus what we have for factual discourse. Money over country, democracy be damned.

[DFW]

20. I will be in touch with more than a few of them soon

The time difference plus my loss of most of a month's work due to my wife's illness requires me to be doing my real-world stuff until the 27th. Then comes Renaissance Weekend. I expect to be talking a LOT to Jerry Nadler, and will definitely see Katrina vdH and hopefully Howard. Whatever part they deem "on the record," I will definitely pass on.

[GentryDixon]

23. Thank you.

Hugs to your wife and your lovely daughters during this trying time. I am glad she had a good diagnosis.

[DFW]

31. As good as can be expected, under the circumstances, thanks

When she got told that her form of cancer was nicknamed "the murderer," obviously we all went *gulp* but when the specialist, who attends conferences in his field around the world, came and told he had discussed my wife's case with a round-table of other tumor specialists, and decided in this rare case to forego chemotherapy for now, it meant she was in the 1% or so of cases where a majority of the specialists thought she had been lucky enough to catch her silent killer before it could spread. Being pretty much impossible to detect until it is too late, that almost never happens. As is usual in cases like hers, the malignancy was discovered by chance by a very heads-up gyn during a routine checkup for something else entirely.

[lunatica]

15. It isn't that voters are all stupid

It's that unless they're political wonks and junkies, they're too busy to see the machinations of the Republican Party. They believe what they're told.

That's where the media has fallen down. Mostly they just regurgitate what the Republicans tell them to say. so the electorate are fooled twice. Once by the GOP lies and then by the media.

[Cosmocat]

17. They are idiots

You don't need to be an astrophysicist to figure this shit out.

Every bit of what Republicans spew is mind boggling obvious Bulls hit, first. I mean, "we need to give rich people tax cuts so they create jobs? " yeah, and unicorns exist.

Second, they openly scream about dismantling SS, Medicare, etc.

[world wide wally]

19. You answered your own question,

"we're a nation of blithering idiots."

[DFW]

21. This is not Halloween

Don't go around scaring people like that

[Lionel Mandrake]

22. Rick Perry is a typical of Trump's proposed cabinet

in that he is obviously unqualified for the job. That alone shows, if any more proof were needed, that Trump is unfit to be president.

As a scientist, I cringe when I see climate-change skeptics and Darwin haters proposed for the positions where they can do the greatest harm. Evidently Trump has chosen the very worst people for most of the top spots in his administration. Unless enough Republicans in the Senate come to their senses, we will end up with the worst cabinet in US history backing up the worst president in US history.

[ananda]

25. We are a country that values power and greed over decency ..

morality, and democratic ideals.

[DFW]

27. I don't know people in every state, but that's not universal

I make it a point every year to visit a part inhabited mostly by interesting, aware, educated, caring people, and haven't been disappointed in over thirty years (the outer tip of Cape Cod). I also know such people in Virginia, California, Hawai'i, even Georgia and Texas.

The intellectual laziness of so many is not the result of mass evil, but rather the result of a few dedicated people who went over to the dark side of human nature. Fox "News" didn't get started up by some kind of popular demand. It was the brainchild of a few educated, but evil and greedy, people who guessed--correctly, unfortunately--that there was a huge market out there for people who wanted their "news" melted down into easy-to-swallow tainted pellets.

Obama put it so well: people who are "proud of their ignorance." It took a genius to figure out there was such a huge audience out there just begging to be lied to and manipulated. The rest of us thought our educational system was actually getting us somewhere.

[niyad]

28. k and r many times over.