Republicans won't concede: They react to sweeping losses by attacking democracy
Matt Bevin hopes the Kentucky legislature will just appoint him governor: One more sign Republicans hate democracy
SOPHIA TESFAYE
NOVEMBER 8, 2019 11:00AM (UTC)
Republicans, led by President Trump, have been a united chorus of cries that any impeachment inquiry is meant to overturn the results of an election. But as theyve suffered sweeping statewide and local electoral losses in the Trump era, theyve grown increasingly unconstrained in their efforts to overturn unfavorable election results by attacking the democratic process.
Election integrity and transparency are two things that should engender bipartisan support. But it has been a long time since the GOP viewed democracy as anything like an ideal to be upheld rather than a system to be gamed in order to consolidate power. Their reaction to recent election losses, while hardly stunning, still manages to push the barriers of what a healthy democracy can reasonably accommodate.
In Kentucky, Republican incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin has refused to concede to Democrat Andy Beshear and has already requested a recanvass, to be conducted Nov. 14. If that process should reveal "sufficient" evidence of "irregularities," then the Republican-controlled state legislature has the legal authority to hear a case and decide the election. So at least hypothetically, the GOP can claim irregularities, get that claim rubber-stamped by a Republican judge, run the case through the Republican legislature, and then appoint the Republican governor.
More: https://www.salon.com/2019/11/08/republicans-wont-concede-they-react-to-sweeping-losses-by-attacking-democracy/?fbclid=IwAR12dmLi6sbHmOs82mG8GTOSovJ_v084CYgPJbhocAMz1AbB8x5CGvjrKRc