July 17, 2017

We keep hearing about Trump needing to hold his base -- but how big is his base?

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Trump received the votes of just 26 percent of the voter eligible population, and Clinton received 26 percent as well. A whopping 48 percent voted for neither.

It appears to me Trump can hold onto every single voter who supported him in the 2016 election and still get his posterior kicked by the right opponent. I use those last two words because I am sure we all as individuals have our own idea just who that opponent should be. Not wanting to distract from the essence of this thread by generating heated discussions over who should take him on, I ask you to just reflect on the fact that it appears a myriad of contenders could throw him onto the mat with ease....

And just that thought will help me sleep better at night.

Sam

chart from https://mises.org/blog/26-percent-eligible-voters-voted-trump

July 9, 2017

Is it as easy as 1-2-3 to facilitate the Russians penetrating US voter registration rolls?

or are these three subjects simply coincidences....

Watch your step.

Step one: on the subject of Russia attempting to access voter information rolls in the summer and fall of 2016

In Illinois, investigators found evidence that cyber intruders tried to delete or alter voter data. The hackers accessed software designed to be used by poll workers on Election Day, and in at least one state accessed a campaign finance database. Details of the wave of attacks, in the summer and fall of 2016, were provided by three people with direct knowledge of the U.S. investigation into the matter. In all, the Russian hackers hit systems in a total of 39 states, one of them said.

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/us-news/2017/06/13/russian-cyber-hacks-us-electoral-system-far-wider-previously-known

Since the hackers did not get all they wanted, perhaps they took a look at the next step.

Step two: perhaps a surreptitious collaboration can, under cover of a joint cooperation, supposedly be formed to allow those who hack to "work" with those who are unknowingly the target of the attacks.

"The establishment of a working group as reported by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to study how to curb cyber interference in elections in which the Russians would play any role, would be akin to inviting the North Koreans to participate in a commission on nonproliferation," Schiff said in a statement Friday. "It tacitly adopts the fiction that the Russians are a constructive partner on the subject instead of the worst actor on the world stage."

Lavrov's proposal comes amid a new CNN report that cites US intelligence officials who say Russian spies, emboldened by the tepid response to their hacking activities from President Donald Trump and the Obama administration, were increasing their efforts to collect intelligence in America.

http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-putin-cybersecurity-hacking-syria-lavrov-adam-schiff-2017-7

If publicity snuffs this asinine proposal for the Russians to get what they want, go directly to Step 3.

Step three: If at first one does not completely succeed try a different route:

The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity's vice chairman, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, sent a letter to each state Wednesday asking a series of questions soliciting feedback about election administration, voter fraud and the integrity of the process. CNN obtained a copy of the letter sent to Maine's secretary of state.

Kobach also requested that each state provide "publicly available voter roll data" as allowed under each state's laws, which could include full names of registered voters, dates of birth, party registration, last four digits of Social Security numbers and voting history. (bold emphasis added)

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/30/politics/kris-kobach-voter-commission-rolls/index.html

Are these series of events simply coincidences or might the voter registration rolls from the states ultimately end up where one might least expect them, unless of course that is in the hands of hackers.

Think about it.

Sam