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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCNN Presidential Historian: Trump's Rigged Election Claim Is "Bogus" And "Anti-American At Its Core"
http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/10/17/cnn-presidential-historian-trumps-rigged-election-claim-bogus-and-anti-american-its-core/213872ZELIZER: Well, actually, that's not true. In 1960 in Illinois, there's a lot of evidence that Republicans stole tickets -- stole votes downstate, so in some ways it would balance out. And in Texas it's also unclear that it threw the election. There were actually recounts in Illinois in 1960. And they didn't find that there was enough fraud to throw the election. So it's an undetermined issue but historians don't agree that the election was thrown that way.
CAMEROTA: Douglas, what about what Rudy said there, that from his own experience, with his own election, that he saw people being bused in to places where they shouldn't have been voting.
DOUGLAS BRINKLEY: Well that's Rudy's own experience, I wasn't there. What I can tell you is there is voting suppression and irregularities all throughout American history. I mean the whole story of the South was voter suppression, having Jim Crow laws, voter literacy tests. Jimmy Carter first ran for Senate in Georgia on a rigged election. They brought out a cemetery vote when he ran for state senator. He challenged in the court and got it reversed. So history's replete with illegal things going on during elections. But at this point in the 21st century, to make the grandiose statement like Trump is that the election is rigged is bogus. It's anti-democratic spirit, it's anti-American at its core. That there may be problems in some cities we've got to watch, we're going to have to have more watchdogs out there, yes. But what Trump is saying is disingenuous and anti-historical.
"CNN Presidential Historian"?
underpants
(182,811 posts)After he was elected Governor he set up to change spouses being allowed to vote for their deceased loved ones. The problem wasn't really rigged elections, it was that political machines around the state had votes "in their pocket" that they used for influence and favors in legislation - spending on roads, schools, fire trucks etc.
This, as Carter reminds the listener, was still a time of county "Bosses". Often the Sheriff was the eyes, ears, and muscle or was the boss themselves. They would personally deliver "relief" checks and offer their opinions to th receiver. They also stood over ballot boxes keeping tabs on who was with them and often deciding which votes went into the official count.
Carter finally negotiated a deal - a widow or widower would be allowed to vote for the deceased for on Presidential election after their death.
roamer65
(36,745 posts)Just go read up on the 1876 election and you will see why I say what I do.
Colorado that year didn't even let people vote. They let the state legislature "select" the electors.