2016 Postmortem

TomCADem

(17,390 posts) Tue Nov 29, 2016, 01:20 AM Nov 2016

Salon - Forget Jill Steins recount! Its yet another distraction...

I agree that Jill Stein's recount crusade is not only hypocritical, since the Green party has attacked Democrats as being no different from Republicans, but it ignores and distracts from the voter suppression and hacking that is clearly provable. Why chase after ghosts when you have monsters staring at you right in the open?

http://www.salon.com/2016/11/28/forget-jill-steins-recount-its-yet-another-distraction-from-the-deep-structural-problems-that-led-to-president-donald-trump/

Then there’s the demonstrable problem of state-run voter fraud, that is, the various states that have passed onerous paperwork laws that make it difficult or impossible for certain voters to cast ballots. You get one guess which party such laws tend to favor. On top of it all, there is compelling evidence that the Russian government was behind efforts to hack the email accounts of prominent Democrats, maybe in an effort to help Trump and perhaps to just stoke confusion and paranoia.

So yes, it’s safe to say that Trump, with a big assist from the outdated institution of the Electoral College and the brand-new phenomenon of foreign hackers, did not win this election by means that most people would consider fair and square. But the way he did it is right out in the open, not lurking in the data of some Wisconsin voting machine.

It’s unwise for Democrats to be put their time and energy and hopes into a recount effort that’s almost certainly not going to reveal any evidence of secret, widespread fraud, much less flip the election to Hillary Clinton.

There’s a real danger that voting machine paranoia will distract liberals from looking at the real reasons that Republicans have been able to grab a stranglehold on power in Washington, even though their agenda on economic issues, foreign policy and human rights is broadly unpopular. This has been going on for decades now, and Trump is just coasting into the White House on years of Republican efforts to undermine our democratic systems.

8 replies

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Salon - Forget Jill Steins recount! Its yet another distraction... (Original Post) TomCADem Nov 2016 OP

I'm inclined to agree. Garrett78 Nov 2016 #1

Democrats and Progressives Should Support Our Guy In La Instead of Stein Vogon_Glory Nov 2016 #2

Not instead of - people can support more than one cause womanofthehills Nov 2016 #4

I'll post this again TDBroke Nov 2016 #7

Perhaps a lost cause but the effort should be made anyway Vogon_Glory Nov 2016 #8

Salon is to middle of the road for me womanofthehills Nov 2016 #3

So tell me again MFM008 Nov 2016 #5

According to the author of this article, from the excerpt lovemydog Nov 2016 #6

Garrett78

(10,721 posts)

1. I'm inclined to agree.

Reply to TomCADem (Original post)

Tue Nov 29, 2016, 02:45 AM

Nov 2016

The recount runs the risk of people dismissing issues that are indisputably real, such as voter suppression and the FBI's interference.

On the other hand, Trump is so unbelievably bad that I can't blame people for wanting to support any effort that may prevent him from taking office.

Vogon_Glory

(9,127 posts)

2. Democrats and Progressives Should Support Our Guy In La Instead of Stein

Reply to TomCADem (Original post)

Tue Nov 29, 2016, 03:42 AM

Nov 2016

Foster Campbell is facing a Republican opponent in Louisiana's run-off election for a US Senate seat. After the previews we've been getting of a Trump presidency, a Republican-controlled Congress, and a second Republican trifecta, there is NO excuse for Democrats with at least a little change left over to meekly yield yet another Senate seat to the vicious reactionaries chomping at the bit to ruin our country for generations to come starting in January.

womanofthehills

(8,745 posts)

4. Not instead of - people can support more than one cause

Reply to Vogon_Glory (Reply #2)

Tue Nov 29, 2016, 03:47 AM

Nov 2016

I supported Jill and Foster Campbell.

TDBroke

(25 posts)

7. I'll post this again

Reply to Vogon_Glory (Reply #2)

Tue Nov 29, 2016, 10:26 AM

Nov 2016

I posted this already somewhere else on DU but here it is again.

This is a heavy Republican state. I live here. The only reason the Democrat won Governor is because the Republican had a lot of marital baggage. It's a very moral leaning state. I believe the Republican will take this one easily. And the push by Democrats to get out the vote won't be here simply because a lot of people feel like it won't matter anyway now. Voter turnout is going to be really low which doesn't bode well for us.

Vogon_Glory

(9,127 posts)

8. Perhaps a lost cause but the effort should be made anyway

Reply to TDBroke (Reply #7)

Tue Nov 29, 2016, 11:14 AM

Nov 2016

Let us pretend that we have foreknowledge that Foster Campbell will lose. Do we concede in advance like gutless, whining cowards, living down to the vile charicature of Democrats-as-wimps portrayed by our enemies and the enemies of the idea of democracy itself, or do we resist?

We may well go down, but I fail to see why we should go down without a fight.

womanofthehills

(8,745 posts)

3. Salon is to middle of the road for me

Reply to TomCADem (Original post)

Tue Nov 29, 2016, 03:45 AM

Nov 2016

seems to be right leaning on too many subjects

MFM008

(19,818 posts)

5. So tell me again

Reply to TomCADem (Original post)

Tue Nov 29, 2016, 04:29 AM

Nov 2016

why counting votes seems to be so evil?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>We have 4 years to figure out why democrats screwed up.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Republicans were perfectly happy to keep Al Franken out of office for at least 8 months
every minute the maggot can be held up or vexed about this election is a good one.

lovemydog

(11,833 posts)

6. According to the author of this article, from the excerpt

Reply to TomCADem (Original post)

Tue Nov 29, 2016, 05:23 AM

Nov 2016

posted here, we should all 'forget' something that's happening. Liberals should not be 'distracted' from looking at 'the real reasons' that republicans have a stranglehold on power in DC but the author doesn't even bother clarifying any of these reasons other than to say democratic policies are popular and republicans spend a lot of effort undermining 'our democratic systems.'

From the excerpt given here, the author seems both patronizing and vague.

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