The Texas fraudit has finally shattered any remaining spin the GOP was ever about election integrity

[dlk]

Given TFG won in Texas, this latest scam and power-grab initiated by governor Abbott clearly demonstrates the GOP is hellbent on undermining American elections and with them, our democracy. Make no mistake—the fascists are here. The plan to sow division, and chaos throughout our country is working beautifully.

[walkingman]

1. Agreed - these audits are one purpose and one purpose only - to

sow doubt about elections. This is all part of the GOP long game. Change the voting structure in states, reject the voters choices, let the legislatures make the decisions. All based on distrust of our elections.

Not sure how to combat it unless we can do something at the Federal level? Nasty white people have done this since our founding. They want to go back to allowing the ruling class make all governmental decisions. The rest of us are just workers and political fodder.

[dlk]

4. Yes, the GOP plays the long game

Their malevolent intent can never be underestimated. It’s been clear for some time Republicans really don’t believe in democracy. It appears the lack of urgency with some Democrats for passing voter protection legislation can be attributed to the corrupting influence of dark money in our political system.

[orwell]

8. It's not the GOP...

...they are now just a proxy for Libertarian corporate America.

The only reason the GOP stills stands is because of the financial and moral support of US corporations.

They don't care about the "batshit crazy". All they care about is low taxes, bargain basement labor rates, no regulations, and elimination of anti-trust laws.

Which party does that sound like...

[dlk]

10. Yes, corporations & billionaires run the show

Our unofficial fourth branch of government is the lobbying branch. I’m afraid this will remain the case unless dark money is somehow removed from the political process.

[orwell]

12. Citizen's United...

...opened the money floodgates, but this has been an ongoing project for Corporate America for decades. Democracies are unacceptable when you are used to the feudal organizational model.

The 60's scared the shit out of these sociopaths and they have been waging a slow cold war since. They attack by land sea and air (fake grass roots organizations, anti labor trade policies, and total media control.) This is organized and it is relentless.

It is not about what people want, it is about what our overlords will allow us to have.

The GOP is just the political arm. Power by any means necessary.

The American Democratic experiment is likely in it's death throes...

[dlk]

14. Citizens United has definitely been an intentional nail in the coffin of democracy

I agree with your point about the backlash against the 60’s. This is one reason why bit tech, like Facebook is so insidious. Zuck’s goals are abundantly clear and they’re not democratic. The pandemic, however, has caused many more American to begin paying attention and I’m cautiously optimistic our democracy will survive. It will be a close battle, though.

[HUAJIAO]

23. The anti-vaxx, anti-mask mvt is part of the same cause for chaos...

It has nothing to do with vaccines or masks.

[mopinko]

2. i think they're trying to gin up a take over of these blue counties.

i guess they threw in 1 that tfg won to throw us off the scent or something. or maybe it's a little too purple for them.

but they hope to find some bullshit to chase dem election officials out of office. by force if necessary.

[dlk]

5. I agree

Republicans don’t believe in two-party rule or sharing power, as in democracy They check off the boxes for fascists.

[underpants]

3. Trump is making the monkeys dance

The idea of starting an audit now is purely pandering to a crowd of one.

[dlk]

7. TFG must have some incredibly damaging kompromat on Abbott

With Russian assistance, no doubt. Abbott is looking unhinged these days.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

11. It's the ability to say 'I don't like Governor Abbott anymore' and then he loses re-election

and/or support in general for his agenda from the other PuQ's

[dlk]

18. If all eligible Texans were permitted to vote without impediments, Abbott would surely lose

This latest stunt is to make sure that doesn’t happen.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

21. True, but that's a bit of a change of subject vs. my response to your previous post :) nt

[dlk]

31. The point is Abbott in Texas is working to subvert and undermine elections

The goal is to establish permanent GOP minority rule. He will do it however he can, whether by passing voter suppression legislation or damaging the election systems in four large texas counties. It’s all part of the same playbook.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

35. Okay but I don't understand how TFG having kompromat on anyone is part of that equation

Seem to me this is just what the GOP has become

[dlk]

39. My personal opinion

By any stretch, Abbott is no saint. However, I think TFG’s leverage over Abbott is making him take these recent over-the-top actions that are so extreme, they are harming him more than helping him.

Whether it’s the vigilante law, the border agents on horseback with whips, or this most recent “fraudit,” that will waste millions of taxpayer dollars. TFG is pulling the strings and sitting back & enjoying the show with his twisted mind.

With each new extremist undertaking, Abbott’s numbers sink further, even in bright red Texas. Of course, if the election systems are compromised enough, it won’t matter, which I think is the ultimate goal.

You are right about the GOP, though. I see them having devolved into a fascist organization that doesn’t believe in democracy. TFG was only a means to an end for them and it has always been a mutually manipulative relationship.

[ck4829]

6. So then... what are we gonna do about it?

[dlk]

9. Excellent question

How do we light a fire of urgency under Democrats? I’m not an expert. What are your thoughts?

[CrispyQ]

13. Their goal is to turn our elections into total clusterfucks from here on out. -nt

[dlk]

16. Exactly because free and fair elections are the foundation of our democracy

There’s a good reason for Republicans’ widespread battle against them.

[JustAnotherGen]

15. Look at the four counties

Their fraud will be inflicted on.

Look what happens to the voting machines after these fraudulent activities.

The fix is in. Those voting machines will not be replaced or not replaced to the previous number . . . its all about making it as difficult as possible for those folks to vote . . . just in time for the Governor's race.

[dlk]

17. Yes, Abbott's numbers are tanking

This latest anti-democratic power grab only underscores the urgency of Democratic voting rights legislation in congress.

[JustAnotherGen]

19. I'm going back into trauma mode

Its how I was from the day the asshole was inaugurated until Biden was inaugurated.

I will breathe much better when every American who wants to vote CAN vote - and that happens with suspending the filibuster to get the two voting rights bills through Congress.

I'm very worried about Warnock's re-election.

[dlk]

24. Yes

[LiberalArkie]

22. Here is our problem. It isn't just one party

https://ballotpedia.org/Net_worth_of_United_States_Senators_and_Representatives

[dlk]

27. True, money has corrupted the entire system

However, the fact remains we only have one major political party that still believes in democracy. The GOP has devolved into a fascist tribe

[Botany]

25. "The GOP was ever about election integrity"

They haven't been about election integrity for years.

See bush v Gore
See Ohio 2004
See Trump 2016
See Dick Nixon's deal to stop LBJ's plan to end the Vietnam War in 1968
See gerrymandering
See voter I.D. laws
See interstate cross check
See future Chief Justice Burger's stopping people from registering to vote in Arizona

The GOP knows they are a minority party so they have to cheat in elections, pack the courts, gerrymander,
flood the zone with dirty and dark money, and manipulate the media (Hell, I just learned that Zuckerberg
and Facebook paid a $5 billion penalty for working with Cambridge Analytica/Russia to help rat fuck the
2016 election.)

[dlk]

28. You're exactly right

The GOP has devolved into an organization that’s a clear threat to our democracy.

[Botany]

33. Ever since "they" pushed through HAVA (Help America Vote Act) which put a lot of America voting ....

... on electronic machines the exit polls quit matching the vote and the GOP got more and
more people in despite the demographics and societal desires being against them.

[dlk]

36. Paper ballots are the solution

Electronic voting machines that can’t be audited set the stage for too much mischief.

[Botany]

37. I think the Russians were all over electronic voting machines in targeted areas in 2016 and in ....

.... 2020 Trump flipped out because mail in voting because that took a lot of the EVMs out of the equation.

BTW When she was Sec. of State in OH Jennifer Brunner had an in depth and long term study done on
electronic voting machines and it showed that all of the machines had electronic back doors that allowed
outside parties to look @ and or manipulate the data in the machines w/out leaving any "finger prints."

[MissMillie]

44. 95% of all votes are on machines that generate a paper back-up

that's nation-wide.

All of the states that are close use machines that generate paper back-ups.

[tanyev]

26. Texas Secretary of State position currently unfilled; no immediate vote needed on Abbott's pick.

I wondered why the news story on the audit kept saying "Texas secretary of state's office" instead of naming the secretary of state. Isn't that conveeenient??

Gov. Greg Abbott will end a second consecutive legislative session without a secretary of state.

Texas Secretary of State Ruth Ruggero Hughs, the state’s top elections official, has notified the governor she would be stepping down from her post, which she was appointed to in August 2019, according to a press release from her office. Her resignation is effective May 31 — the last day of the legislation session.

A secretary of state appointed in between regular legislative sessions is constitutionally required to leave office immediately if the Senate goes through an entire session without confirming them. The Senate Nominations Committee, chaired by Republican Dawn Buckingham, never took up Hughs’ nomination. Buckingham's office declined to comment on why the committee did not consider the nomination.

Hughs' departure at the end of the session will allow Abbott to pick her replacement without needing an immediate confirmation vote from the Texas Senate, which will be unable to vet the next pick until lawmakers return to the Capitol in the fall for a special session to redraw the state’s political maps.

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/21/secretary-of-state-resign-texas/

[dlk]

29. This is all part of the GOP/fascist playbook

They have made enormous inroads toward hollowing out our democracy to ensure their permanent, minority rule.

[iemanja]

30. Your post suggests you think the truth actually matters

to the MAGAs. It does not.

[dlk]

40. They live in their own fact-free reality

[czarjak]

32. Been saying for quite a spell, y'all. Trickle Down Economics is about to kick-in too?

[CaptainTruth]

34. I would say it's not working beautifully. It helps them to continue fleecing their cult...

...but it's not gaining traction with the majority of Americans. If anything, it's making millions of people like myself realize that we need to be prepared to fight GOP fascism in whatever way is necessary to save our democracy.

I have several neighbors who are former Republicans, Trump & his antics drove them out of the party & they're now registered Dem & will vote Dem because they see what the GOP has become. So while the GOP election fraud BS does fire up their brainwashed cult base, I think they underestimate how many people it's driving away & how much it's making millions of people more determined than ever to defeat them.

[dlk]

41. Especially for TFG, it's all about the grift

It’s clear, so many GOP leaders have no respect for their constituents and couldn’t care less whether they live or die

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

38. Supporting the Texas fraudit means you agree that T**** is the legitimate president.

It's a loyalty test. Do you believe in democracy or the retired guy at Mar-A-Lago? If you don't jump onto the Big Lie Train then TFG is going to run over you with his Base.

[dlk]

42. Testing the waters for the next election...

[MissMillie]

43. Well, now that the Ninjas are done in AZ, time to make money off of TX

It's all about the grift.


Report on NPR today says that the Ninja report recommends that these audits are done regularly and on a rotating basis.

Money, Money, Mondy

And if it damages democracy, all the better, as far as they're concerned.