GET OUT: US politics November 2020

no matter if every other state falls in line and does what they're supposed to, everybody needs to buckle down and make sure MI doesn't miss that deadline or get subverted. even one state extralegally flipping is unacceptable and banana republic shit.

Neanderthal otm. I'm so sick of seeing people say, "well Biden still wins even if MI flips", which is so widely missing the point.

I'm not going to yay-rah the guy but I appreciate how Raffensperger just keeps holding the line:

https://www.gpb.org/news/2020/11/19/georgia-secretary-of-state-on-election-attacks-integrity-still-counts

xp Yeah, I'm very worried about the precedent-setting.

The most dangerous aspect of this is it's now normalized -- in fact something R voters will know to ask and demand of leaders in relevant positions -- to try to overturn election results and backfill it with a false conspiracy TBD. That's extinction-level bad for democracy.

— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) November 19, 2020

Raffensperger reminds me of the guys who run our local election office here. They're all Republican appointees, because it's a Republican state, but they are total pros about their jobs. They really, passionately believe in voting, protecting the vote, protecting the results, maintaining the integrity of the system. I'm sure there are bad and hacky election administrators out there, but the ones I've dealt with all take the responsibility really seriously.

xpost

and Benjy Sarlin otm.

Neanderthal otm. I'm so sick of seeing people say, "well Biden still wins even if MI flips", which is so widely missing the point.

― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, November 19, 2020 2:33 PM bookmarkflaglink

exactly. the message should be "Michigan will not flip, and if it does, federal lawsuits need to be filed immediately". once you get complacent that it's "ok" for one state to flip extralegally, we're already on our way out of democracy

Well, going back earlier in this thread when it was a somewhat more hypothetical possibility, I do really think that the public pushback against any state trying to overrule its own veters would be overwhelming. I guess the Trump side would try to hype it up as violence in the streets — and there would be some, I'm sure — but I really don't think it's something your average Michigan legislator wants to deal with.

It's pretty clear that the GOP is way more afraid of their own voters than anyone else.

People react surprisingly strongly to blatant violations of their sovereignty. This is true of Trump voters too of course but in their case the violations of their sovereignty are brain worm driven.

the Governor and Sec of State are both Dems, and the board is half Dem, half Rep. the chances of de-certifying Michigan are reaaaaaaaaaaaaally weak.

but i'm angry that it's even coming to this and that people are treating it with kid gloves. Tlaib has already commented. everybody else should be.

The Guardian is writing more appropriate takes at the moment than US publications are

i def don't think this shit is normalized. i don't think anyone in MI is treating it with kid gloves, esp. if you look at the Secretary of State and AG

i mean you look at Wayne County the other night, the two assholes who said they weren't going to approve their results, but then got pushback and backed down.

these people are cowards and none of this stuff is right--even Fox news and Karl Rove is like "that Rudy press conference was batshit"

AGree that our press ain't exactly up to the cause, esp the "it's not yet clear how the lawsuits would play out."

It's pretty clear to me that there's no possible way for Trump to steal the election without getting the military involved. Just because he's a shit flinging monkey doesn't mean we have to listen to him.

The state board may not have the last word. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and Attorney General Dana Nessel are all Democrats and would not idly stand by while Republicans try to steal Michigan’s electoral votes from Joe Biden. There would be lawsuits. But it’s not yet clear how those lawsuits would play out.

Overall, even if Republicans somehow manage to block Biden from getting Michigan’s electoral votes, Biden still has more than enough electoral votes to become president if other states remain on track with certification. Trump would have to overturn the outcome in at least two other states to prevent Biden from getting 270 electoral votes.

and it's important to remember conservatism isn't popular, which intensifies the GOP's normal anti-small-d-democratic inclinations, hence the obsession with not counting Milwaukee and other cities where POC dominate.

Neanderthal otm. I'm so sick of seeing people say, "well Biden still wins even if MI flips", which is so widely missing the point.

Well Chris Krebs is in full DGAF mode, as he should be.

That press conference was the most dangerous 1hr 45 minutes of television in American history. And possibly the craziest. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re lucky.

— Chris Krebs (@C_C_Krebs) November 19, 2020

Meantime, in an actual courtroom (thread, already some LOLs)

Happening now: a Zoom hearing in Lin Wood v. Raffenspeger, a long-shot lawsuit over Georgia's absentee ballot signature review process.

129 people on the call so far, including some members of the public that haven't muted mics or videos...https://t.co/aqX5zgaNR3

— stephen fowler covers Georgia's election! (@stphnfwlr) November 19, 2020

Sums it up

Judge: Can you explain what due process violation has occurred?

Counsel: ...

Judge: Do you have a constitutional right to have an election monitored, or recount monitored?

Counsel: ...

— stephen fowler covers Georgia's election! (@stphnfwlr) November 19, 2020

try our brand new GOP: now also gerrymandering your electoral system!

loollll at Joni Ernst denouncing the bullshit because now her election's getting questioned.

Yeah that was rich. But if that's what it takes...

For reference

🚨 Just asked GOP Senator @JoniErnst about this on the @GuyBensonShow. She called it an “offensive” insinuation & an “absolutely outrageous” attempt to confuse voters about what’s true & undermine faith in the system. Audio to come ... https://t.co/Mr6omwINmO

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) November 19, 2020

Interview: https://t.co/IOeNXqCnl5

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) November 19, 2020

The Guardian is writing more appropriate takes at the moment than US publications are

If only they were as good at writing about the UK.

holy shit Rudy

Here's why you should hire union hair and makeup professionals: pic.twitter.com/84urAAuh9E

— IATSE (@IATSE) November 19, 2020

He's MELTING!!!

Even Turley's had enough

https://jonathanturley.org/2020/11/19/is-dominion-going-to-sue-the-trump-team/

Rudy's got a ways to go before he gets to "rent is too damn high" levels.

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/188/051/alg_jimmy_mcmillan_1.jpg

GSA Emily appears to be having a nervous breakdown on twitter

My office in GSA headquarters is a place I haven't been in some time. The corridor which leads to it has a smell of old carpet and furniture oil and the drab anonymity of a thousand shabby lives.

— Emily Murphy (@EmilyMurphyGSA) November 19, 2020

I feel like an amputated leg.

— Emily Murphy (@EmilyMurphyGSA) November 19, 2020

The President-elect must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man.

— Emily Murphy (@EmilyMurphyGSA) November 19, 2020

well then

I'm about to ascertain . . .

— Emily Murphy (@EmilyMurphyGSA) November 19, 2020

Just a regular gal from the Show Me State, like anyone with a $28 billion budget. Parody account. Administrator of GSA. Proud Trump Supporter. #MAGA

How can she be so ascertain she is making the right choice?

At least the Rent guy is saying one thing that's true

goddamnit, got nabbed by a fake account

The press conference was an explosion of potentially defamatory claims by individuals or companies. The only clear defense is truth. The team insists that it can prove these allegations. It may have to do so. Not only can the individual lawyers face such lawsuits but the Trump campaign itself could be liable under the principle of respondeat superior, where an employer is liable for the conduct of his employees when they are acting within the scope of their employment. Ironically, the Latin term means “let the master speak.” The President or his campaign could be forced to speak in a defamation case if they have not spoken in the promised court filings.

Holy shit

That GSA Emily account is a parody account fyi

xpost That's not her real account, btw.

twins!

The press conference was an explosion of potentially defamatory claims by individuals or companies. The only clear defense is truth. The team insists that it can prove these allegations. It may have to do so. Not only can the individual lawyers face such lawsuits but the Trump campaign itself could be liable under the principle of respondeat superior, where an employer is liable for the conduct of his employees when they are acting within the scope of their employment. Ironically, the Latin term means “let the master speak.” The President or his campaign could be forced to speak in a defamation case if they have not spoken in the promised court filings.

Holy shit

― a (waterface), Thursday, November 19, 2020 4:19 PM (twenty-nine seconds ago) bookmarkflaglink

lol @ this amateur legal analysis

respondeat superior defamation against the president, ok bud

Well, to be fair, we are dealing with a bunch of amateurs here.

I mean, Turley's a tool, but the point is Turley was Trump's tool -- he was on the President's defense team for the impeachment IIRC! So if he's saying this, the bloom's off the rose.

Another smashing success

New: A judge has dismissed the Arizona GOP's challenge to the state's election. This case lasted one week. https://t.co/DudkxeylSm

— Jan Wolfe (@JanNWolfe) November 19, 2020

I feel the tide turning. Trump's gonna take this.

Note the response from nutjob Kelli Ward, who says they'll just...ask for new state legislation for the future. As opposed to anything else now.

Here is @azgop response: pic.twitter.com/O2ZBEkZRar

— The AZ - abc15 - Data Guru (@Garrett_Archer) November 19, 2020

The main problem with Turley's take is it assumes Dominion cares enough about all this bullshit to file a defamation suit. Big corporations often choose not to bother with defamation suits because then you open yourself up to depositions and all kinds of headaches.

I mean, Turley's a tool, but the point is Turley was Trump's tool -- he was on the President's defense team for the impeachment IIRC! So if he's saying this, the bloom's off the rose.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, November 19, 2020 9:25 PM (five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

exactly this. he's been a fucking tool for Trump forever, I could give a shit about the analysis

that is def one of the problems xp. But agree with Ned's point.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-strategy/trumps-election-power-play-persuade-republican-legislators-to-do-what-u-s-voters-did-not-idUSKBN27Z30G?il=0

gameplan revealed. This seems .... very unlikely to succeed.

Asked at a news conference on Thursday if the campaign’s aim was to block state certifications so Republican lawmakers could pick electors, Giuliani laughed and said the goal was to get around what he called an “outrageous iron curtain of censorship.”

What the fuck is he even talking about here?