Ossoff got 49% in the first round, led the polls

[joeybee12]

Then loses. Tell me this wasn't rigged. Again

[Gravitycollapse]

1. It probably wasn't rigged.

Our opponents don't need to rig elections to win them. They have more nefarious tools.

[angstlessk]

3. Yeah, unverifiable electronic voting

[LenaBaby61]

6. The pig who won today ...

Is master-class at voter-purging. Add that in with Dems not coming out to vote and add that to thuglicans who did come out to vote in a very, very red Cobb County. Like I said in another post, they better enjoy their health insurance while they still have it and while they're still alive in their RED state.

[Gravitycollapse]

11. I agree that voter caging/purging, voter ID laws and gerrymandering win elections

Those are the "legal" tools Republicans use to cover their tracks.

[LenaBaby61]

20. And unfortunately ...

There is little to nothing Dems can do about it, because even IF Dems numbers are huge, and they show out to vote in 2018 and 2020, all thuglicans need to do to decrease a high turn out is .... purge the voter rolls. cross-check, voter-ID Dems OFF of the voter rolls at the county level and have the ruskies do whatever it is they'll have improved on doing TO Dems on their end.

I've no clue HOW Dems ever win back the White House, the Senate or Congress with all of the rock-solid, built-in advantages that thuglicans HAVE, and Good God, don't let them win the few House Seats they need to start meddling with the US Constitution.

Dems can try to spin a couple of losses all they want to, which is in a positive way saying they "ONLY" lost by a few percentage points, but like we KNOW thuglicans will be spending monies and "cheating" to hold their majorities with the help of their new buddies the ruskies in whatever way they want to in 2018 and 2020.

[BeyondGeography]

18. Follow the dark money

But Ossoff was able to shatter fundraising records in part because his election was one of a tiny number going on right now, at a time when Democrats are particularly furious over Trump. Nobody knows if the hundreds of House Democratic candidates can rely on such an outpouring in 2018.

And Handel almost totally neutralized it. Crushing the grassroots donor surge from across the country, she benefited from out-of-state groups tied to private industry. Ossoff received $22 million, but outside groups spent $18 million for Handel. The US Chamber of Commerce, Donald Trump, and the National Republican Congressional Committee have all directly raised money for Handel’s campaign, which may in turn be used to fund the anti–outside money attacks.

Moreover, Handel has been helped by groups like the Congressional Leadership Fund, closely associated with Speaker Paul Ryan, which spent $2 million on the race. Not only are CLF’s donors outside Georgia’s Sixth, but campaign finance experts can’t even find its funders because the groups that are funding it do not have to disclose their donors.

Some Democrats like Ossoff may get lucky and again catch fire with the grassroots donor base in 2018. But even if they do, Republicans are likely to have private industry to bury them in a mountain of cash.

https://www.vox.com/2017/6/20/15843864/jon-ossoff-special-election

[Wellstone ruled]

33. This is the model which McConnell and Ryan plan on using for 2018.

[redstateblues]

2. It wasn't. Osoff got his ass kicked. He needed to bring some fire.

I'm not buying the rigged thing.

[angstlessk]

10. Screw you...you gotta feel a fire in your gut.....did SHE do it for you?

[mythology]

12. What a classless response.

[angstlessk]

16. So now you are the arbiter of class?

[redstateblues]

34. Osoff couldn't rent an apartment in the district?

No one thought that would be used against him?I'll say it again-Osoff got his ass kicked. He was afraid to say anything bad about Trump

[angstlessk]

35. Well, there IS that...

He should have pushed the anti trump venue

[BainsBane]

37. Not living in the district is bad

I can see voters not liking that.

[LuvLoogie]

38. Jess! What a fucking waste! Let's choose someone

from the district! I thought that was a given, 101, prerequisite. I mean WTF. I had no idea he wasn't. That's just fucking arrogance. No fucking wonder I didn't get worked up about this race.

Jesus Bane, I would never send even a dime to a candidate that ran from outside the district. Fucking hell who's running this pop stand?

[BainsBane]

41. I did contribute

I think about $60 total, not recently though because I have less right now.

[spiderpig]

45. I'm far from GA, but I just couldn't get my head around

his fiancee's 5-minute walk to med school overriding his residential location. We're talking about a congressional seat.

I'm thinking can't she Uber to campus when he's pulling in $50mil in donations? I don't care if he's 10 minutes away from where he grew up. He's not a resident. Is he really stupid enough to think it didn't matter?

Jeez Louise - no wonder we keep losing.

[hatrack]

4. Oh, and btw, who were the ass-clown D primary candidates who kept Ossoff from winning the primary?

Not that I think he could walk on water or anything like that, but wouldn't it have been nice to win it the first time around when he really had a chance?

[we can do it]

5. I'm with you. Rigged. I'm sick of this shit.

[hrmjustin]

7. Actually the last polls showed Handel in the lead.

[geek tragedy]

8. More GOPers came out this time nt

[angstlessk]

15. And you know this how...on unverifiable voting machines?

[Loki Liesmith]

30. Ask the precinct officials

This is publicly available information. They know who turned out.

[mvd]

9. It looks like he lost votes

How did that happen? This also was supposed to be closer according to the polls. Why are polls so often wrong in one direction?

[mythology]

31. Perhaps because you're wrong.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/06/19/ga-6_poll_shows_2-point_lead_for_gops_handel_134230.html

A poll released on the eve of the special election in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District shows Republican Karen Handel with a slim two-point lead over Democrat Jon Ossoff.

The survey shows Handel with 50.46 percent of the vote, while Ossoff has 48.59 percent, within the margin of error. The poll, done by Trafalgar Group, a Republican polling firm, surveyed more than 1,100 likely voters June 17-18. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

People seem to only remember the polls that they want to.

[diva77]

39. trafalgarstrategy.com - perhaps repug pollster wagging the dog -- polls tailored to give unlikely

outcome favoring repugs, and coordinated in advance so they can claim their genius when the unexpected (fixed) results match their results, contrary to majority findings.

[bench scientist]

13. Not rigged,just a very red district. It's mostly white,very well off and they vote Rethug mostly.

From Politico:

"In today’s 6th, just 5 percent of families live in poverty, compared to a statewide poverty rate of 17 percent. More than 58 percent of its residents are college graduates, more than double the statewide rate of 28 percent. It sprawls across the northern arc of metro Atlanta, encompassing well-heeled bedroom communities, such as Alpharetta (median household income: $92,839) and Roswell (median household income: $102,500) and Enjeti’s neighborhood of Johns Creek (median household income: $106,950)."

[JI7]

14. because many republicans did not vote in the first round

Since there were many republicans running. This time arOund it was just 2 choices. With one being the democrat .

[Phoenix61]

17. It wasn't rigged

It's that area. She's a good Christian woman with traditional values. He has a fiancé who is going to be a doctor and he supports that. Way too radical for the good old boys.

[jonno99]

21. True - I think though that by choosing not to live in the district, he gave

his opponent(s) ammunition to use against him - that they wouldn't have otherwise had.

[SoCalDem]

19. Perhaps more money should have gone to help him over the 50% line...back THEN

no need to have part two today.. Snooze= lose

[LeftInTX]

22. He ran against several Republicans in the 1st race

He had 48 %
The Rs combined had 51 %

[LovingA2andMI]

23. Frankly....It's Time To Reassess

Democrats are losing. Now, some of this could easily be election rigging on behalf of Republicans, true enough. But also, the FACT has to circle around Democrats are losing too.

There were in the last three months - three special elections. Trump's so-called "approval rating" is supposedly 36% and has never supposedly reached beyond 45%. Yet, the Democrats have lost all three Special Elections.

Money was NOT the issue in the Ossoff race. Repeat, NOT the ISSUE. When upwards of $25 MILLION DOLLARS is spent on a Congressional race, sorry Charley -- there was enough money in the race to win it, point, blank, period.

So now, we return back to election rigging. Which is/was a possibility.

However, don't we know this is a UNIQUE POSSIBILITY, after the Clinton/Trump race?

If we have not learned that YET, and know to REALLY win, the other side must be down by 10 points a night before the election (instead of us up by 1-2%) -- then races will continue to be lost - as they (the GOP will rig the game if its close).

Another point. Ossoff not living in the district was the X-Factor which also lost this race for him, in the end.

IT MATTERS WHERE FOLKS LIVE IF THEY ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE. And if one is running to represent an area, district, township, city, state --- they need to LIVE where they want to be elected at.

Lastly, the Democrats need to new game plan. How to build it, we don't know but it HAS TO BE BUILT -- as the GOP will cheat, lie, steal and anything else they have to do, to win.

What Will The Democrats Do, In Return?

[Still In Wisconsin]

28. "What Will The Democrats Do, In Return?" Same shit, same results I expect.

We don't seem to learn.

[LovingA2andMI]

29. Nope...

Sadly....

[YCHDT]

44. Voter suppression and hacks do matter

[Awsi Dooger]

24. I bet on Handel because Georgia polling is historically inept

I've posted the same theme here for nearly 15 years: Polling in Alaska and Georgia is laughably incompetent. It virtually always overstates Democratic support. I have no idea why the trend continues or the models are so flawed but I'm not going to stop taking advantage of it when the opportunity presents itself, like tonight. Wagering on the Republican in those two states is always an incredible bargain, since the polling does not reflect the true status of the race.

Regardless, I'm sure there will be touted polls from Georgia and Alaska in the next cycle, and subsequently. Rachel Maddow will toast them with a grin. Then, as always, she will have absolutely no clue what happened when the result tilts the other way. For me, at least it's not a mystery and I profit from it, even if the result doesn't match my partisanship.

Big picture I do think we are in an era in which voters are shying away from voicing support for Trump and his policies, even if they intend to vote that way. It is an American version of Shy Tory.

Here in Miami I am experiencing something shocking and unprecedented, regardless of where I have lived. My sister is a registered Republican and her legal voting address is apparently still at my house, even though she moved out a year ago. I have mentioned this several times previously. Regardless, I get bombarded with Republican flyers and phone calls and now the door to door onslaught is literally unbelievable. I have never seen anything like it. There is a local race or two coming up in Miami. One candidate is named Diaz and another Perez. I know that much because I see yard signs everywhere and flyers in my sister's name show up literally every day. Otherwise I haven't paid attention to the race. But the door to door aspect is beyond incredible. Every day I see waves of volunteers going up and down the street, knocking on doors and handing out flyers. They are wearing T-shirts supporting their candidate and with the word "Republican" prominently in the description. Some tout "Conservative Republican." Anyone who believes they are shying away from their brand due to Trump atop the party is out of their mind. It looks like exactly the opposite is true...to push, push, push. Every time one of them knocks on my door I bark at them with the same line, "I would never vote for a Republican in my life. Get out of here," while pointing toward the street. They generally say, "Thank you sir," or something like that, and quickly leave. But then somebody else will follow them -- undaunted -- later that day or the following day.

We need to get our act together or tight losses will be standard, including in pivotal midterm races. Let's face it, our base does not turn out dependably other than in presidential years, and young single women in particular are to blame.

[LaydeeBug]

25. They will *continue* to rig *EVERY* and *ANY* which way they can, and it's not helpful when our side

GASLIGHTS FOR THEM.

But they will. They will wedge, wiggle and demand you prove it to them.

And that is how and why it will continue to happen. Bullies will bully you until you make them stop it. We are in a coup.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

26. Wouldn't doubt it.

[customerserviceguy]

27. GOP turnout

was much bigger in this election than the primaries. There's the difference right there.

[Tiggeroshii]

32. Define "rigged"

Gerrymandered to the core, more money sent out than God knows, exploiting a mass shooting to smear the Democratic candidate, all in a state with a history of voter suppression. Potential hacking is only the tip of the iceberg -and probably a non issue in districts like this.

[BainsBane]

36. Because the GOP vote was split in the first round

whereas they all supported Handel in the run off. Also more money flowed into the race since. 51 is more than 49 anyway.

[still_one]

52. Thanks Bains. I don't know why people seem to be forgetting that in the first round the many

republicans in that race were splitting each others votes among each other, and because of that Ossoff's best chance was if he could win the first round. If it went to a runoff, it would be very difficult for Ossoff to win.

[Azathoth]

40. It's a district gerrymandered literally with computer precision

And it's exactly a week after a Bernie bro attempted to massacre Republicans. The odds weren't in our favor.

[LBM20]

42. No, it is a DEEP RED Republican congressional district they have held for nearly 30 years.

[pnwmom]

43. But his GOP opponents, combined, got 51%. This time they banded together.

Don't forget, this is a strongly Democratic district that hasn't voted for a Dem since Jimmy Carter.

[titaniumsalute]

46. Well the republican ticket was also split in the first round heavily

[oberliner]

47. It wasn't

There were more Republicans in the district than Democrats, so the Republican won.

[jmg257]

48. Sure- let's go with that. Nt

[Madam45for2923]

49. PLUS there was some vote suppression type of shenanigans courtesy of Handle.

[Jose Garcia]

50. He wasn't facing anywhere as much negative media in the 1st round compared to the 2nd

[still_one]

51. The reason he did so well in the first round is because there were so many other republicans and

independents in that round, that they took votes away from each other.

Because of that, Ossoff's real chance was only if he could win it outright. If it went to a runoff the odds were very difficult for him, since all the other republicans in that race would unite behind Handle