The Young Turks | Was There Something Wrong with the Puerto Rican Primaries?

[w4rma]

"While local officials expected more than 700,000, only 60,671 made it to the ballot box."

"Though voter turnout in Puerto Rico is usually much higher than in the 50 U.S. states, Sunday's Democratic race had a dismal showing of just 3.45% of eligible voters."

[yourout]

1. the whole dem primary has been a cesspool of "irregularities".

And shockingly they all have seemed to favor one candidate.

[w4rma]

2. A "Sanders for President" reddit page also called the reduction "about as bad as Arizona."

A "Sanders for President" reddit page also called the reduction "about as bad as Arizona." Dozens of Sanders supporters voiced their displeasure on the page over the cuts.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/281639-sanders-supporters-up-in-arms-over-puerto-rico-polling

[w4rma]

3. "In emails with the party, Sanders’ staff asked the party to maintain the 1,500 plus"

SAN DIEGO – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign issued the following statement Sunday on long lines at polling places in Puerto Rico’s Democratic Party presidential primary election:

“Some Puerto Rico Democratic officials are claiming that the Sanders campaign requested fewer polling places in today’s primary contest. That’s completely false. The opposite is true. In emails with the party, Sanders’ staff asked the party to maintain the 1,500 plus presidential primary locations promised by the Puerto Rico Democratic party in testimony before the DNC in April, when the party was asking to have its caucus changed to a primary. They cannot blame their shoddy running of the primary on our campaign. This is just one example of irregularities going on in Puerto Rico voting today. We are the campaign that has been fighting to increase voter participation.”

https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-campaign-statement-puerto-rico-polling-places/

[AikidoSoul]

32. Wow and holy hell.... you guys have to watch the video of what happened in Puerto Rico

I saw the video sitting idly in the OPs main opening, but there is not enough attention being brought to it. THERE IT IS! THIS GUY IS TELLING THE TRUTH OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED. WATCH IT!!! you can see his ethos, and his frustration as he tells his story. God save us....they are stealing this election and playing the dirtiest tricks I've every seen in my 73 years on this earth:

[stopbush]

4. Higher turnout would have increased Hillary's victory margin.

[w4rma]

5. No. Hillary has consistently done better with low turnout elections.

That's because Hillary's voters are old, often retired, and dependable. Sanders voters are working and need to vote during a break.

[stopbush]

7. That's simply not true. Sanders is the one who benefits from low voter turnout (caucuses).

Sanders says he does better with a high voter turnout. That's mostly a lie.

Sanders largely off-base in saying he wins when voter turnout is high and loses when it's low

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/apr/19/bernie-s/sanders-largely-base-saying-we-win-when-voter-turn/

Perfect example are the WA and NB. Sanders won the caucuses in both states with very low voter turnout, while Hillary won those states in the subsequent non-binding primaries where more than three times the number of voters participated v the earlier caucuses.

[w4rma]

11. Politifact is lying. The outlier that Politifact uses to create the headline is based on comparing

caucus turnout to primary turnout. And they compared this year's caucus turnout to a previous years' primary turnout, that wasn't even binding. They could have used the caucus turnout for that year, but they used the primary turnout, to get their lying headline.

[stopbush]

14. Wow.

Go back and take a look at the turnouts for every primary and caucus for this season, then get back to me and tell me where and when Sanders won in a high voter turnout scenario. There are very few.

[w4rma]

17. Wow. You, predictably, ignored my point. (nt)

[cui bono]

30. That's bullshit.

You can't equate voter turnout numbers between caucuses and primaries. That's comparing apples to orangutans.

.

[AllTooEasy]

33. That's Bullshit: the comparison highlights the main problem with caucuses

No one shows up to caucuses because they are such an ordeal and non-anonymous. I never miss a primary, especially since I can mail in my ballot. Caucuses don't allow that. In fact, you're expected to stay for hours or possibly the entire day. Fuck that! I'll stay home. Look at ND and SD today. ND had less than 400 participants in its caucus. The SD primary had over 50,000.

Bottom line is that you can't have it both ways - decrying low voter turnout and praising caucus victories.

[cui bono]

34. I agree that caucuses are ridiculous. We should have primaries, but with NO electronic voting.

We have lost control of our elections and we are supposed to set the standard.

.

[valerief]

20. Just like Republicans. They do better with low turnouts. nt

[Perogie]

26. that's not the point

Geez you hilliary supports don't care about anything except Hill get elected.

Voter suppression bad no matter who wins or loses

[tecelote]

6. What right do we have to "bring Democracy" to other countries when...

It doesn't exist here.

We're puppets. We're owned.

It's all a game and we're simply pawns.

[forest444]

18. But we are, tecelote!

In the form of electronic voting, which is being pushed on any country that hasn't yet banned it outright - particularly in the developing world.

In many of these countries, you'll notice that the more their head of state brown-noses U.S. neocons and corporacrats, the more they're likely to support electronic voting (which they all know can be hacked by any high schooler with a little training).

Elections have gone from theater to charade, and soon to outright farce.

[ChiciB1]

8. WHY Does Anyone Here Even WONDER Why So Many Millions Of People

are sooooooooo suspicious of ALMOST EVERY Primary that's taken place thus far??? The CONSTANT and OVERWHELMING information that goes out stating UNTRUE facts about Bernie's campaign that almost always turns out to be true tells a very clear story... Blame Bernie, then say it was HIS fault or his campaign's fault and then ATTACK his supporters because it ALL STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN!

I've been around a very long time and KNOW that voting by machines can be "fixed" and it does happen. Especially in 2000 and 2004, but THIS Primary season it's simply a common occurrence that is now completely acceptable!

Keep talking about the 3 million more votes SHE has but I'll NEVER believe all were legit! I got the Clinton emails that they sent out and I had to keep telling them to STOP sending them, I guess they finally got the message. BUT I did find out that one of the BIG points was to keep talking about 3 MILLION more votes!

I've never in my life seen anything like what's been going on this time around. And NOW, the day BEFORE California SHE'S declared THE WINNER??? I think they jumped the gun here because what I've heard from so many people today is ANGER! My 2 grand kids and their group of friends who support Bernie are absolutely LIVID! I can only speculate and wonder what might happen only July 25th! But IMO the DNC will only have themselves to blame.

I live down here in Florida so I won't be anywhere near the Convention, but then I wonder "WHY even have a Convention?"

It just stinks and I really wonder if this isn't going to cause MORE DAMAGE than do any good. I could go on about MUCH MORE, but I already know EXACTLY what the reply will be.

[stopbush]

9. I'm interested: which caucuses/primaries that Sanders won are you suspicious of?

I'll wait.

[think]

12. The establishment Dems aren't in a hurry to make sure Bernie wins anywhere. It's more than obvious

to most people

The TV lobbyist are top fund raisers for Hillary. The bank lobby, the health care lobby, and all the rest of the corrupt corporate lobby is in the bag for Hillary.

The over whelming majority of super delegates pledged loyalty before a single vote was cast.

But go on and think it's been a fair election if it makes you feel better....

[stopbush]

13. You didn't answer the question. Name a contest that Sanders won that was rigged/unfair/stolen

in Sanders favor.

Again, I'll wait.

[think]

15. The establishment Dems run the elections. They won't fudge things for him and Bernie wouldn't allow

it. So ZERO.

There are none because Bernie's supporters aren't running the elections.

How hard is that for you all to comprehend?....

[stopbush]

16. No, the states run the primaries. The parties run the caucuses.

So here in CA, for example, the DNC would need to be colluding with the CA state government to rig the primary in Hillary's favor. is that what you're alleging is happening?

[aggiesal]

19. In California, the state does not run the primaries ...

each county only administers the election for the parties.
In essence, they hire the county ROV to run the elections for them.
The state makes the laws on who can vote in the primaries, but
the parties are the one that runs them.

If you had a private company that administers elections, either party
could hire that company to run the election.

I learned this when I was doing election integrity, and the ROV told
us how it worked.

[HeartoftheMidwest]

27. Mathematician and election fraud expert Richard Charnin:

MA Primary: Unadjusted Exit Poll Indicates Bernie Won:

https://richardcharnin.wordpress.com/2016/03/02/ma-primary-unadjusted-exit-poll-indicates-bernie-won/


"Late changes to the MA Democratic Primary exit poll indicate that the election was likely stolen. As always, the exit poll was adjusted to match the recorded vote."

[cui bono]

31. We can start with the ones that are actually under investigation.

[MisterP]

10. USelectionatlas says Clinton won 2008 263,120 to 121,458, and 2016 36,026 to 22,768!

[MrMickeysMom]

21. The Dunderheads here were ready to blame Bernie supporters...

... the reduction in polling places is not good for anyone, least of all the Democratic party.

[dorkzilla]

23. They weren't just ready to

They in fact did.

[w4rma]

24. Brock puppets.

[chknltl]

22. If it walks/talks/acts/smells like a Republican...

...those who control that party are behind it. Election fraud smells like a Republican.

[OhZone]

25. No, but there is something wrong with TYT Brains. nt

[Uben]

28. HAsn't therte been an exodus because of the economy there?

MAybe that has something to do with the low turnout.

edit for link: http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/02/americas/puerto-rico-exodus/

Doesn't look like the numbers are big enough

[w4rma]

29. The Puerto Rico population is stable. Folks leave for the mainland but are replaced by births.

No, that is not responsible for an 85% reduction in voter turnout. Maybe you should watch the videos that do explain the 85% reduction in voter turnout, before making assumptions.