2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumMcDaniel's Amazing New Legal Theory For Why He Was Robbed In MS Runoff
DANIEL STRAUSS JUNE 26, 2014, 10:51 AM EDT
Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R) said he hasn't conceded to Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) yet because 35,000 Democrats crossed over to vote in the runoff election for Cochran and claimed that it is illegal for voters to back one candidate in the primary but another in the general.
McDaniel's comments, which he made in an interview on Mark Levin's radio show Wednesday night, follow a runoff election on Tuesday in which Cochran defeated McDaniel. McDaniel and his supporters have objected to the vote outcome because of Cochran's efforts to get African Americans and Democrats to support the incumbent senator in the the Republican runoff.
It's not clear exactly where McDaniel got the 35,000 figure.
"Naturally sometimes its difficult to contest an election, obviously, but we do know that 35,000 Democrats crossed over," McDaniel said. "And we know many of those Democrats did vote in the Democratic primary just three weeks ago which makes it illegal."
Voters in Mississippi don't register by party and the state has open primaries. Voters are only barred from voting in one party's primary and then voting in another party's runoff, but voters who didn't vote in the initial primary are not barred from voting in a runoff election.
McDaniel also referenced a law that said a voter can only vote in one party primary if the voter plans to support the nominee of that primary in the general election. But that law was ruled unenforceable by a federal appeals court in 2008.
more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/chris-mcdaniel-election-law-concede-thad-cochran
sinkingfeeling
(51,445 posts)djean111
(14,255 posts)valerief
(53,235 posts)dballance
(5,756 posts)I'm pretty sure he'll be laughed out of any court. Perhaps people did vote in the Democratic primary a few weeks before. But if he's going to make the argument that he knows what they were thinking and that he's certain none of them changed political parties during the interim he's going to have quite an uphill battle. Claiming to know another person's intentions and thoughts doesn't usually get very far in court.
LiberalFighter
(50,895 posts)He should be careful with that explanation. Then we could go and declare we know his thoughts and get him arrested for per-meditated murder or for thinking about having sex with little boys and girls.
former9thward
(31,984 posts)It is not provable and unenforceable. But he can get somewhere, possibly, with the people who voted in the Democratic primary on June 3 and then voted in the Republican run-off. That is illegal and very easy to show because it is a voter record. Whether a judge would overturn based on that is unknown.
Faux pas
(14,668 posts)In addition to being an asshat, he can add bad sport to his resume'.
wandy
(3,539 posts)Voting in a GOP primary would never have occurred to me.
So in an open primary you can "cross vote". sounds like "crossing the streams" to me.
Sounds like one Teapublican using a Teapublican dirty trick to beat out another Teapubblican.
Hay, McDaniel Who You Gonna Call!
calimary
(81,220 posts)SORE LOSERMAN!!!!
SORE LOSERMAN!!!!
SORE LOSERMAN!!!!
SORE LOSERMAN!!!!
SORE LOSERMAN!!!!
SORE LOSERMAN!!!!
wandy
(3,539 posts)I would have expected nothing better of Thad Cochran had the situation been reversed.
Makes you wonder what will happen when the GOP is final seen as what they are and can't even Gerrymander/buy/Jim Crow or otherwise secure even local elections.
Never mind, at least to me the Bundy Cow-Pie Revolt provides some indication.
calimary
(81,220 posts)CLASSIC!!! That's really good!
Blue Idaho
(5,049 posts)Imagine- a politician asking people to vote for him - no wonder he's so steamed at Cochran! I think with the help of Sara Failin and Rushbo he could gather a bunch of the big name national true believers and create a party with a clear unwavering conservative voice!
Hell I'd even donate to help get them off the ground and out of the republican party.
Anything to gut the TeaPublicans.
calimary
(81,220 posts)Wonder if mark levin even asked him - "how do you know there were A) 35,000 Dems who voted, and B) that "many of those Democrats did vote in the Democratic primary just three weeks ago which makes it illegal."
Where does he get that info? That's a serious charge. Can he provide proof? Or is it merely enough to let him spew and allow that accusation to just stay in the air - uncontested, unchallenged, unvetted, unproven? Can it withstand the facts test? I bet levin didn't even go there. After all, chuck todd says you don't have to provide proof. You don't have to dig deeper and see if what's being said can pass a truth test. Just let it be stated and leave it there, allow it to stand. And then - that thereby allows it to become "true" in the minds of too many.
Blue Idaho
(5,049 posts)The TeaPublican party is fueled with equal parts hate and ignorance. God forbid an unbiased and honorable press should arise to shine a light on this despicable spew.
Same as it ever was.