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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Stolen Election Is Still A Wound That Will Not Heal.
The passage of time brings even more clarity that our election was so brazenly stolen. And such realization makes one even more angry because we cannot change what happened and we are now stuck with the worst administration in our history. The realization of the really impossible odds that ALL key states would flip by such small margins is just galling. Sure the election is over and we still remember how traumatic it really was.
There is absolutely nothing legitimate about this mafia gang now running the country. The GOP shows every they that they are no better than a Mexican cartel. No they are not assassinating opponents in the street, but their policies will end up killing Americans in other ways. ACA repeal and PP defunding will kill or maim thousands of Americans just the same.
How we remove this cancer in our midst is still not solved.
Vinca
(50,334 posts)Blues Heron
(5,954 posts)He would declare he would never take the seat that belongs to OBAMA's pick Merrick Garland. Alas Young Neil is not in possession of said integrity.
Chalco
(1,312 posts)Gorsuch could have saved the SCOTUS from partisanship and politicization in one simple move - stating that the open seat should go to Garland and that he would be honored to be considered for the next opening on the bench...a deal could have been made to allow that to happen.
LakeArenal
(28,889 posts)Appointed by Bush, who said he is a man of character.. Now is the time to come to the aid of his country
FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)tomp
(9,512 posts)he would never have accepted the nomination, which resulted from dereliction of constitutional duty by McConnell and the republican. anyone who would accept such a nomination isn't fit for the office, as they are endorsing unconstitutional actions by the senate. he should be impeached and removed asap.
PsychoBabble
(837 posts)Blues Heron
(5,954 posts)one by one declaring "I refuse to take this stolen seat" on down the line.
PsychoBabble
(837 posts)diva77
(7,684 posts)There ought to be an award given for "Biggest Hypocrite Who Gets Away With It." He would be in contention for sure.
SharonAnn
(13,782 posts)elleng
(131,415 posts)To forget that one is to ignore likelihood for all the others, here now and in the future.
diane in sf
(3,919 posts)SharonAnn
(13,782 posts)Raster
(20,998 posts)...this is where the political crime family a.k.a. "The GOP," tested the waters, so to speak, to see just how much election chicanery they could get away with. 2000 was tainted. 2004 was tainted. The GOP rethuglican crime family had to let 2008 stand, for fear of massive riots in the streets. They couldn't steal 2008, so they did the next best thing: they obstructed the hell out of President Obama and the Federal Government in hopes of rendering the Obama Presidency as impotent as possible. Again, they could not steal 2012, because no one would have bought the election results. And that brings us to 2016, which they had to bring in an outside contractor --Putin and Russia-- to get away with that one.
argyl
(3,064 posts)This Orange Puke makes Gee Dubya look like Abe Lincoln.
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)Injury to injury, much less insult.
Maraya1969
(22,516 posts)appointed by an illegitimate president
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)Hamlette
(15,412 posts)The GOP does many many things we would not even consider, but holding up a lifetime appointment to the SC? I'd lead that charge for RBG's seat. Hell, for any seat, truth be told.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)We must be ever vigilant. Complacency or an inability to see a larger picture gives an advantage to those who seek to divide and weaken or distract Democrats and the Democratic Party.
The FACT IS THIS: There is only ONE party that can stop the GOP. One! Just one, and that would be OUR party, the Democratic Party. No other party can do it. WE will be the one. It's my view that anyone who does anything to weaken or divide or distract the Democratic Party is helping to give the GOP an advantage. Unity is our strength.
LiberalLovinLug
(14,180 posts)Lets follow the Democratic leadership's lead and work with together with those that want to help and can strengthen the party, whether they are officially members or not. It will take a full tent.
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/329049-democrats-welcome-bernie-takeover
If you are concerned with labels, you might bristle at the notion of a registered Independent jockeying for control over the direction of the Democratic Party and there were certainly some in the party apparatus that expressed precisely this sentiment during the 2016 campaign cycle, said Lynda Tran, a Democratic strategist.
But if youre focused on policy ideas over party labels you might welcome the inclusion of his voice, and frankly other voices too, at a time when the Democratic Party is under intense attack and working on the path forward."
At the end of the day, Bernie Sanders may be a registered Independent, but he has always caucused with Democrats and there is no question he continues to enjoy strong support among many members of the Democratic Party, Tran added.
The DNC has sought to harness energy from Sanders and unite the party after last years divisions."
I think that's what you mean right?
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Nice try though.
Response to LiberalLovinLug (Reply #60)
Post removed
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)The leadership now. I wasn't even ever a Bernicrat.
Let's just be real, or we are nothing.
JustAnotherGen
(32,046 posts)This was about Bush V Gore.
Let that sink in - then double down on your assertion/points.
Bluepinky
(2,279 posts)That decision gave us citizens united and, ultimately, Trump. The Bush v Gore decision was the worst in Supreme Court History
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)Will also include Dred Scott, probably#1. Bush v Gore had no precedent. Since it was a one off, the Supreme Court said this will not be considered precedent, another one off.
I lost total respect for the Sup Crt then.
Amimnoch
(4,558 posts)Twice now.
Amaryllis
(9,527 posts)Javaman
(62,540 posts)democratisphere
(17,235 posts)mythology
(9,527 posts)There is no constitutional provision for a new election.
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)Sculpin Beauregard
(1,046 posts)"But the constitution!!" as if laws and amendments are handed down from the gods, and not made by people.
This is far more insidious than just a rogue president. Parts of the entire government are infected and there are more turncoats being unearthed every day.
This isn't just about the election, it's about the fact that democracy has been undermined in an unprecedented and unforeseen way. It is literally an emergency.
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)kcr
(15,329 posts)Whether it's by force or end of term. I was an adult when the George W fiasco happened and that was bad enough. I know that time has a way of softening the edges around memories, but I think there was more of an acceptance about it after it the dust had settled. Yes, it was shitty, but there was nothing you could do about it. This time it's much different.
They_Live
(3,249 posts)but all of his appointments. Including Gorsuch. And funding restored to all of his cuts and shut downs.
SharonAnn
(13,782 posts)LakeArenal
(28,889 posts)Botany
(70,657 posts)After 2012 the GOP did a study that to ever win a national election again they had
to better with women, Latinos, and African Americans but they still put up Trump
who is hostile to all three of those groups and somehow he still won?
nikibatts
(2,198 posts)And then we put the "black, non-citizen, Muslim" in office to show us what we COULD or SHOULD or MIGHT be and that drove us over the edge.
Everything that drives the current President is all about undoing or outdoing his predecessor. That is what he lives for and he doesn't care how many people might have to die for it.
Botany
(70,657 posts)..... voting for President? That election was so damn dirty.
Rick Snyder.
In the words of my man Stan, "'nuff said."
colsohlibgal
(5,275 posts)Few democrats will shine light on this rampant period of election theft, at least on our MSM. Greg Palast has been all over his but from the BBC because not even MSNBC will hire him here.
Democrats keep getting shafted but very, very few of them will broach the topic because they think it will stifle turnout. It is maddening that they are so passive about sand getting kicked in their face.
Botany
(70,657 posts)Scott Walker and Brownback winning their elections does not pass my smell test.
DFW
(54,506 posts)If he had a media persona like Rachel Maddow or Lawrence O'Donnell, I think he would gain a much greater audience. But in person and/or close up, he comes across as very abrasive and full of himself. I have no idea whether or not this is some role he is playing or whether it's the real man (I didn't get to talk with him for long), but a lot of the great work he is doing is tainted by the way he comes off in person.
Amaryllis
(9,527 posts)and seems to have no clue that his own presentation and demeanor damage his credibility and consequently taint his info. And he paints himself as a victim because he can't get people to take him seriously. I sometimes wonder if he does more harm than good because of this.
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)Amaryllis
(9,527 posts)beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)because they rather see real evil in the whitehouse than compromise with supporting the lesser of 2 evils. F*ck russia, f*ck media...f*ck Comey....the real blame can be found within our own ranks
we can do it
(12,222 posts)JTFrog
(14,274 posts)There I fixed it for you.
The rest of your post made no sense. Now go spread your lesser of two evils bullshit elsewhere.
LakeArenal
(28,889 posts)Enough people voted. So if Clinton won the popular vote. Obviously the election was stolen...
Martin Eden
(12,887 posts)Setting aside the possibility of actual ballot tampering ...
Voter suppression -- including ID laws, purging from voter rolls, insufficient polling places causing long travel and/or long lines -- are thievery.
Using the taxpayer funded power of Congress to conduct endless witch hunts (Benghazi, private email server) for the purpose of smearing the likely candidate of the opposition party is thievery.
The FBI director making unprecedented commentary about a concluded investigation (email) then withholding news of the Trump/Russia investigation while coming out with a late October Surprise (Weiner emails) is thievery.
Actual collusion with a foreign adversary to tip the election is thievery.
All these factors impacted the election, and in combination very likely changed the outcome.
llmart
(15,569 posts)You or anyone else can never convince me it wasn't stolen.
DownriverDem
(6,237 posts)I hope that left leaners have learned that if we stick together and vote as one, we will be able to rid our country of these dangerous folks. These are very serious times. If we don't join together in the fight for our country, it's all over.
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)When it comes to elections, we are dim. We are much better than they are at governing. However, their focus is on winning, by cheat or whatever it takes, and therefore they are better at winning.
Obama practically carried by himself, but most are not great campaigners and they hire staff with outlier ideas, like it was a popularity contest.
I'm despondent with what I see, as I wonder wheter we will ever learn. The good nees is that The grassroots is rising up and taking charge, in spite of a vacuum at the top.
hurple
(1,307 posts)Give it time. This will happen before this admin loses power.
shenmue
(38,506 posts)LakeArenal
(28,889 posts)Crash2Parties
(6,017 posts)All the mechanisms / lack of safeguards are still in place to do it again in 2018 & 2020.
Eyeball_Kid
(7,440 posts)Starting with McConnell and Ryan. The hierarchy all knew of Russia's collusion with Trumpy, and went along for the ride. They are all complicit. In a SLIGHTLY better world, they'd all be prosecuted.
KPN
(15,679 posts)They no longer hold or follow a moral compass. I frankly have little hope that we as a nation will recover and heal from all of this in my lifetime. They are not done, they are not satisfied, and it seems they will not rest until they have eliminated the problem as they see it. I'm just not sure there is a solution -- at least not a peaceful one. God help us -- if there is a God.
Sculpin Beauregard
(1,046 posts)Warpy
(111,467 posts)that was so desperate to grab and hold political power that it invited help from a hostile foreign government.
And what do we get on DU? Post after post attacking other Democrats.
Clearly something untoward is going on here, too, probably spilling over from Farcebook, that giant gaping portal for fake news.
I just cleaned out my ignore list a week ago. Now it's growing again, posters who should know better engaging in trollish behavior to divide Democrats.
I'm not going to get over this theft, either. No one should and this time, people need to go to prison instead of being allowed to infect subsequent governments. I'm assigning blame where it belongs: a corrupt broadcast media, a barrage of false scandals manufactured and pushed by a hostile foreign government, a campaign organization full of agents for that government, and a patsy of an FBI director who fell for the whole thing and torpedoed our candidate days before the election.
And no, I will not get over it. I will also not tolerate people who blame other Democrats for this.
ananda
(28,914 posts).. along with Ohio 2004.
See a pattern here?
And don't even get me started on individual states.
Mr. Ected
(9,675 posts)And it's doubtful that we will ever see any meaningful measures passed in that regard.
Without express penalties, this may not be the last time that the Fascist Party elects a treasonous treacherous felon.
malaise
(269,328 posts)Rec
lark
(23,199 posts)FBI, Justice Dept. no one gives a shit, everyone is totally willing to lie and look the other way and not hold these traitors feet to the fire. They all need to be impeached and jailed. Why is it every single time there's a voting machine malfunction, it always means R's win? How can that be coincidence and why is nothing ever done? if it favored Dems, you know something would be changed, massive investigations, results overthrown, etc. When R's have cheated and stolen all 3 arms of government, what can we do? FBI & Justice have the evidence of treachery, but won't bring it out in public, because there's at least a cadre of FBI wants Don the Con in charge and Justice is totally compromised with the Russia colluding vindictive hate filled elf in charge. Yeah, I know he's "recused" himself, but this is a Drumpf acolyte, so you know he's active behind the scenes.
Seems like our only hope is with the courts. Maybe NY can get him on racketeering charges for colluding with Russian mafia and doing money laundering for them until sanctions stopped that trail of gold. Still, would SCOTUS uphold conviction? You know Drumpf put Gorsuch on the court to protect his behind. Will other R's on court stand up for country or 1%er, that's the major question of our time.
karynnj
(59,511 posts)It is far more obvious that 2000 was stolen than 2016. Within a year, the country rallied around Bush and his ratings were near 905 - ironically just as the FLorida newspapers had completed a detailed count that showed had all of Florida been recounted, Gore would have won. This in spite of:
1) a poorly designed ballot in Democratic stronghold Palm Beach, where Lieberman (believe it or not) was a superstar!
2) The felons list that FL had a Texas company, allied with Bush create, that included many African Americans with no criminal record.
3) Suppression of the Haitian American vote
There is no doubt that Florida was stolen that year - and with it the Presidency.
Where there was wide spread knowledge that 2000 was stolen, you could argue that the Republicans stole Ohio in 2004. Here, the Republican Secretary of State allocated fewer voting machines to major Democratic majority cities for the general election than they had for primaries. This led to lines in the cities that were 4 to even 10 hours long! How many city residents with family or job constraints came out to vote but could not stay - in the rain - to get to the front to vote? Not to mention, Cleveland - like Palm Beach - had a strange ballot problem that likely cost votes. In all likelihood, had every vote been counted as INTENDED and all people who actually came to the polls been able to vote within the reasonable amount of time that most of us encountered, Kerry would have won. (Yes, I know he would have lost the popular vote - but if the popular vote were what won the elections, he would have spent far less time in swing states and had major rallies in places like NYC, DC, Boston etc. )
Yet within two weeks or so, when the Bill Clinton library opened, Clinton praised Bush for the campaign he ran and spoke of how he liked both Bush and Kerry. The NYT and WP could not have praised the Inaugural address more - even though Bush spoke of "spreading democracy" as the goal in Iraq - even though he had denied as lies that this neocon reason was why he attacked Iraq. The country not just moved on -- very few ever registered that anything odd had happened.
One argument you make that it is unlikely that all the key states moved in the same direction by about the same amount is not a strong argument. Look back to the 2006 midterms - as the election approached, more and more states moved from a Republican being favored, to a tight race, and on election day - EVERY Senate seat possible, other than the one Corker won over Harold Ford in TN were won by the Democrats.
Note that the reason that Nate Silver was out of line with everyone else giving Trump a higher chance was he spoke of the fact that the moves would likely be mathematically correlated -- ie all would move in the same way. So far, we have shown that RUSSIA hacked the Democrats and helped the Republicans use anything that could be used against Clinton. We know that Comey's announcements hurt Clinton and - no matter what he wanted to do on Russia - THOSE announcements are what seemed to have shifted the numbers. (Here, it could also be that the high number of undecided were really Republicans repulsed by Trump who in the last few weeks opted to "hold their noses" and vote for Trump because of the Supreme Court. It was observed that in Wisconsin, while Clinton had polled ahead - she never polled above 50%.
No one will know whether the extra stress of dealing with the Russian provided Wikileaks noise was a decisive factor. However, was it worse than the lies of the birthers or the swiftboat liars? Was it worse than the Citizens United allowed massive amount of negative ads in Wisconsin that buried not just Clinton, but Feingold, who had very few of the negatives people attribute to Clinton. All of these - as dishonest and bad for our democracy as they are - were legal.
Another factor was the two Comey announcements, which brought up negatives issues of Clinton. Comey was wrong to make those two announcements, but this went back to a Clinton misstep. In March 2015, we knew that email could be a negative and no one thinks that her campaign handled the issue well. In addition, she created this problem when she thought she was better off not leaving the work email, already requested by Congress while she was Secretary of State, with the State Department.
Another problem was that Clinton was very unlucky in getting pneumonia when she did. I suspect the campaign radically cut her schedule in the last two months - because any sign of illnesses or even fatigue - would have been a killer after she fainted. If she would have had a few more rallies in Democratic strongholds in those three states, it could have made a difference.
One silver lining is that because Russia could have had an impact, 2016 will be more controversial than 2004 and even 2000. There will be a real investigation and the issue of a foreign country interfering in our election. This is something that did not happen after 2000 or 2004.
klook
(12,174 posts)In 2016 we also had the ill-considered and over-confident pursuit of Utah and Georgia while the Midwest drifted into the Trump camp.
jeanmarc
(1,685 posts)But since I'm an atheist, I hope he rots somewhere soon.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,075 posts)When it is proven that the election was stolen, the rightful President is the Majority winner Hillary Clinton.
If tRump resigns before the case is proven, Pence takes over, but his ticket and the Republican Electoral College win would by rights be erased and Hillary Clinton inaugurated when the case is proven.
frankieallen
(583 posts)OliverQ
(3,363 posts)So it can't be brought to court. Trump and Repubs got away with murder, and aside from possible impeachment, there will be no remedy for Democrats.
Nitram
(22,971 posts)It Trump gets away with this...
Guilded Lilly
(5,591 posts)And maybe that is good to stay focused on resisting but it is hell on my heart.
deaniac21
(6,747 posts)mnmoderatedem
(3,739 posts)which stolen election?
Raster
(20,998 posts)FailureToCommunicate
(14,034 posts)kimbutgar
(21,285 posts)It's as if the rethugs perfected stolen elections in 2000, 2004, 2012 and 2014. We lost our democracy in 2000.
What we all hoped would lead to scientific, technogical achievements , humanitarian and a greater advancement turned into a cesspool of shit. I wanted in 2000 Star Trek type advancements instead we got a duck dynasty country and an idiot scrotus.
PoliticalPie
(37 posts)including the lie that Russia caused it. More than 20 million voters were removed from registration lists in every Republican Governor state and in any county in any state that had Republicans in charge of the election.
Blame Hillary, Blame Bernie, Blame the Russians. It was the Koch Network in particular that Cross Check list, new Voter ID laws and new laws that make it much harder to register The Rebublican Congress did their part also helped by the MSM who granted credibility to their Benghazi and email witch hunts.
https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/08/22/20079/america-scrubs-millions-voter-rolls-it-fair
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/the-gops-stealth-war-against-voters-w435890
Amaryllis
(9,527 posts)theft on Russia and STILL turn a blind eye to all the R dirty tricks which have been going on for years and which it is exceedingly difficult to get Dems to pay attention to. Crosscheck is huge, but they have been purging voter rolls for years. Jeb Bush did a lot of that in 2000.
and now we have the gutting of the Voting Rights Act as well; a product of the Bush SCOTUS.
joet67
(624 posts)a few of our own, simply due to their districts and constituencies. If we could solve that conundrum it would be a miracle. Conservatism has wrecked our country.
peacebuzzard
(5,184 posts)By the crotchety 1% club. It was a long shot that paid off. The horrors belong to the lowly lesser classes. Your analogy of a takeover by the military of Mexico or any other S.A. Country is true, it happens in 3rd world everyday. It's a festering seeping wound so infected it stinks with slimy yellow pus.
RealityChik
(382 posts)News of the DOJ 90-page report on Swing State Machine Malfunctions literally made my heartache surge all over again. Every time I think I'm ready to move on, news like this is but another sucker punch to my gut.
Link to tweet
And if that were not bad enough, someone finally compiled EVERY SINGLE bit of data on the heartbreak of Election 2017, from the primary problems to the latest findings. One caveat: Guaranteed to make you cry all over again. Visit at your own risk.
http://2016usaelection.simplesite.com/432953377