WASHINGTON: There are increasingly ominous signs that the us is heading towards post-election strife with massive distrust over voting procedures and counting of ballots. Unless there’s a landslide in favour of 1 of the candidates – and maybe albeit there’s one – it’s unlikely the country will see finale on November 3.
President Donald Trump himself has laid the bottom for questioning any adverse result by repeatedly highlighting stray errors, mistakes, or malfeasance within the distribution of ballots, albeit most experts agree they’re not on a scale that ought to make a difference to the ultimate outcome.
On Monday, Trump retweeted a story a few New Jersey postal employee accused of dumping 1,800 pieces of mail, including 99 ballots for the upcoming election, with a one-word comment: “Rigged!”
With polls all across the country, including in battleground states, showing Biden opening up big leads and drawing level even in toss-up states that Trump won in 2016, the President appears to possess selected a slash-and-burn strategy which will involve torching any result that doesn’t favour him.
President Donald Trump himself has laid the bottom for questioning any adverse result by repeatedly highlighting stray errors, mistakes, or malfeasance within the distribution of ballots, albeit most experts agree they’re not on a scale that ought to make a difference to the ultimate outcome.
On Monday, Trump retweeted a story a few New Jersey postal employee accused of dumping 1,800 pieces of mail, including 99 ballots for the upcoming election, with a one-word comment: “Rigged!”
With polls all across the country, including in battleground states, showing Biden opening up big leads and drawing level even in toss-up states that Trump won in 2016, the President appears to possess selected a slash-and-burn strategy which will involve torching any result that doesn’t favour him.
At an equivalent time, political operatives on the bottom on each side are preparing for legal challenges amid sporadic reports of ballot harvesting and malfeasance. In California, the local media is reporting that Republicans are installing unauthorized ballot-drop off boxes marked “official” inviting charges of illegal and personal vote gathering.
Although California may be a Democratic stronghold and no amount of illegal ballot harvesting can change the result, such efforts seem aimed toward befouling the voting process such a lot that it’s robbed of all credibility. On Monday, in another wild burst of tweeting, Trump took the battle to solid blue states he has no chance of winning, posting, “California goes to hell. Vote Trump!” “New York has gone to hell. Vote Trump!” “Illinois has no place to travel . Sad, isn’t it? Vote Trump!”
California goes to hell. Vote Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 1602506324000
California goes to hell. Vote Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 1602506324000
New York has gone to hell. Vote Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 1602506381000
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 1602506381000
Illinois has no place to travel . Sad, isn’t it? Vote Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 1602506469000
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 1602506469000
In two other tweets, Trump already projected himself because the winner, despite polls showing he’s down by 10+ points nationwide and trailing even in battleground states he had won last time. In fact, there’s just one battleground state where he leads – Georgia, a state known for minority voter suppression. Reports also point to heavy advance mail-in and in-person voting in favour of Democrats.
“SO MUCH FAKE NEWS! The Lamestream Media has gone absolutely insane because they realize we are winning BIG altogether of the polls that matter. They write or show one false story after another. they’re truly sick people. VOTE!!!” Trump said.
SO MUCH FAKE NEWS! The Lamestream Media has gone absolutely insane because they realize we are winning BIG altogether o… https://t.co/TTherWA6nL
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 1602507730000
“SO MUCH FAKE NEWS! The Lamestream Media has gone absolutely insane because they realize we are winning BIG altogether of the polls that matter. They write or show one false story after another. they’re truly sick people. VOTE!!!” Trump said.
SO MUCH FAKE NEWS! The Lamestream Media has gone absolutely insane because they realize we are winning BIG altogether o… https://t.co/TTherWA6nL
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 1602507730000
But not one credible poll, including his favoured Rasmussen poll, shows him winning. In another tweet, Trump claimed ” November 3rd. are going to be the foremost exciting day in U.S. Election History, even more so than 2016. Tremendous excitement and enthusiasm, like perhaps never seen before. Nobody exposure to Sleepy Joe Rallies. Places are DEAD. Stiff!!! See you in Florida tonight.”
November 3rd. are going to be the foremost exciting day in U.S. Election History, even more so than 2016. Tremendous excitement… https://t.co/0R1hWGVSXZ
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 1602514072000
November 3rd. are going to be the foremost exciting day in U.S. Election History, even more so than 2016. Tremendous excitement… https://t.co/0R1hWGVSXZ
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 1602514072000
Having torpedoed the second Presidential debate by rejecting the virtual format caused by the Covid-19 infection that he now claims he has been “cured” of, Trump also laid the bottom for bailing out of the third and final one, questioning the bonafide of the moderator Kristen Welker, saying she had “mysteriously deleted her entire twitter account” and suggesting she was trying to cover something. The Republican President appears to possess settled on a technique of calling in or appearing on channels and formats that are pliable and don’t question him critically. One such format is in-person rallies — frowned on by many pandemic experts — where his adoring base laps up whatever he serves up.
Amid the political skirmish on the electoral front, Republican and Democratic Senators also clashed during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Monday over the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative judge who Trump has nominated to the Supreme Court.
Several lawmakers who appeared face to face to question Barrett wore masks (and did she herself) et al. appeared from remote locations. Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who is that the junior-most member of the panel but whose expected grilling of the nominee is predicted to be the headliner, had not yet made an appearance at the time of writing.
Several lawmakers who appeared face to face to question Barrett wore masks (and did she herself) et al. appeared from remote locations. Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who is that the junior-most member of the panel but whose expected grilling of the nominee is predicted to be the headliner, had not yet made an appearance at the time of writing.