Mega-Thread: 2020 United States General Election

[Breccia]

Georgia is on the verge of finishing their hand recount.

Now, as I posted earlier from PolitiFact and I am just going to assume Giuliani mentioned between sweatstorms and attacking the press he personally called to be there, some conspiracy theorists will say "it's not a real recount because there is no signature match!"

Once ballots are taken from their envelopes, the signature match part is over, and the envelope is discarded. There is no hand-recount signature match.

So, expect people to make a big stink about this -- baselessly, of course. We all knew ahead of time the ballots would be removed from their envelopes, and we all knew the envelopes wouldn't be kept. If you don't like that, ask your state and local politicians to change it for the next election, until then, go ex post facto yourself.

[Benggaul]

That is the nightmare scenario - and I don't think we're out of the woods yet.

Meh, I'm pretty confident we are.

If the current GOP thought this through--and regardless of what we think of them plenty of them are bright enough, if evil--then they would realize that attempting to overturn the result of this election would mean they would literally be dragged from their homes by angry mobs. Not a doubt in my mind. Oh I'm sure a bare handful might think they have the stones to try it, but we've already been seeing for two weeks now members of the GOP quietly congratulating Biden and gently urging Trump to just rip the bandaid off. Those calls are intensifying as time goes on.

[PhaelixWW]

What they are doing is delaying the Certification Process for states that went for Biden through multiple legal challenges to various counties/states vote tallying. So far those efforts have been largely unsuccessful.

However, if they can do this successfully and force states to miss the December deadline, there [potentially] wouldn't be enough Electoral Votes for Biden to hit 270 and the win.

Except that Biden doesn't need 270 EVs to win, he just needs a majority of the votes present. If Trump can't swing any votes to his side, then Biden would only need 233 EVs to beat Trump's 232. That means that Trump would have to find a way to make at least 74 EV's worth of state electors to not show up in order to manufacture a "win" against Biden (or 75 without requiring the House to give him the Presidency on a tie).

That's an insurmountably tall order. The five flipped states of PA, GA, MI, WI, and AZ only amount to 73 EV's, so Trump would have to get all of them to stall through December 14th, as well as at least one other state.

[Breccia]

If the current GOP thought this through--and regardless of what we think of them plenty of them are bright enough, if evil--then they would realize that attempting to overturn the result of this election would mean they would literally be dragged from their homes by angry mobs.

I'm not disputing this. But it's also not necessary.

This country is founded on No Taxation Without Representation. People whose votes were stolen -- the majority -- should get organized and just stop paying state and federal income tax.

If their legal votes aren't counted, I think they have every right to do so.

[Belize]

What they are doing is delaying the Certification Process for states that went for Biden through multiple legal challenges to various counties/states vote tallying. So far those efforts have been largely unsuccessful.

However, if they can do this successfully and force states to miss the December deadline, there [potentially] wouldn't be enough Electoral Votes for Biden to hit 270 and the win. If that happens, the United States would be thrust into what legal expects delightfully call a Constitutional Crisis. Because if the Election isn't certified, it goes to the House of Representatives. And in that scenario, EACH STATE gets one vote, and the winner is the President. Currently the GOP holds more states than the Democrats (even though the Democrats hold the majority in the House).

That is the nightmare scenario - and I don't think we're out of the woods yet.

And it'd be an immediately obvious sham. Let me know how long the GOP's tenuous grasp on power lasts when Dem states simply refuse to pay federal taxes, and you have 80+ million people in the streets.

ICE couldn't keep a singular city under control, and boomers aren't going to confront any protests themselves.

The fear of the GOP seizing power is a non-issue. We know it, and more importantly, they know it. They're just pouting all the way out the door and slinging as much shit as they can on the way out of pettiness.

[Breccia]

That's an insurmountably tall order. The five flipped states of PA, GA, MI, WI, and AZ only amount to 73 EV's, so Trump would have to get all of them to stall through December 14th, as well as at least one other state.

That's all very refreshing, and should stop any reasonable person from trying.

And yet...

[Smitzelplix]

The only thing I can say about Dominion :

It's an awful name for a democratic tool.

So omnious, no wonder conspiracist have some "material".

Don't you see?! Elven supremacy is the only truth!

[arandomuser]

its crazy to think it isnt just diehard maga people who believe everything trump says but 74 million people...
maybe we should just split up, i read somewhere 70% of the gdp is in counties that voted for biden
so lets say all the blue countys go into the new dem country and red countys will be trumptopia

[passingthrew]

its crazy to think it isnt just diehard maga people who believe everything trump says but 74 million people...
maybe we should just split up, i read somewhere 70% of the gdp is in counties that voted for biden
so lets say all the blue countys go into the new dem country and red countys will be trumptopia

Trump supporters really do deserve Donald Thump as their president. You know he would never be caught dead with them in any other setting except a rally where they cheer him on from a distance. he would kill all of them for a buck.

[Breccia]

The group of medical school deans, researchers and prominent medical experts signed onto a letter addressed to General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Emily Murphy.

They ask Trump to get to the transition already, because Trump is costing American lives.

Don't you see?! Elven supremacy is the only truth!

You Thalmor motherfucker! FUS RO DAH!

[JohnBrown1917]

its crazy to think it isnt just diehard maga people who believe everything trump says but 74 million people...
maybe we should just split up, i read somewhere 70% of the gdp is in counties that voted for biden
so lets say all the blue countys go into the new dem country and red countys will be trumptopia

Yeah i'm sure those living in red counties who did not vote for Trump will be very happy with that.

[PhaelixWW]

That's all very refreshing, and should stop any reasonable person from trying.

And yet...

Yes, yes.

For any fans of The Practice out there, this is an entirely farcical "Plan B" attempt made on a national international stage.

Who would have thought that the only thing more ridiculous than Trump winning the Presidency would be Trump losing the Presidency. SMDH.

[Benggaul]

You Thalmor motherfucker! FUS RO DAH!

*blinks*
*sighs*
*loads up some mods and starts another playthrough*

[Smitzelplix]

You Thalmor motherfucker! FUS RO DAH!

The Thalmor are the real deep state and they're playing both sides just like they did during the Skyrim Civil War.

[cubby]

Also since the dems control the house they can simply refuse to fund anything and also refuse to seat any GOP rep. The govt could basically be ground to a total halt until/unless the vote of the populace is honored.

But we don't want to walk down that road. If the [unlikely] nightmare scenario happens (which means Trump steals a second term), and the Dems do what you suggest above, Trump can declare martial law, etc.

And then we are truly fucked.

- - - Updated - - -

Except that Biden doesn't need 270 EVs to win, he just needs a majority of the votes present. If Trump can't swing any votes to his side, then Biden would only need 233 EVs to beat Trump's 232. That means that Trump would have to find a way to make at least 74 EV's worth of state electors to not show up in order to manufacture a "win" against Biden (or 75 without requiring the House to give him the Presidency on a tie).

That's an insurmountably tall order. The five flipped states of PA, GA, MI, WI, and AZ only amount to 73 EV's, so Trump would have to get all of them to stall through December 14th, as well as at least one other state.

That's not set in any law or case law. So if this happens, it goes to Trump's 6-3 SCOTUS.

- - - Updated - - -

Georgia is on the verge of finishing their hand recount.

Now, as I posted earlier from PolitiFact and I am just going to assume Giuliani mentioned between sweatstorms and attacking the press he personally called to be there, some conspiracy theorists will say "it's not a real recount because there is no signature match!"

Once ballots are taken from their envelopes, the signature match part is over, and the envelope is discarded. There is no hand-recount signature match.

So, expect people to make a big stink about this -- baselessly, of course. We all knew ahead of time the ballots would be removed from their envelopes, and we all knew the envelopes wouldn't be kept. If you don't like that, ask your state and local politicians to change it for the next election, until then, go ex post facto yourself.

I think with Georgia and Michigan set to certify, it carries Biden to 270+. That Georgia GOP SecState is a god damn patriot hero.

[Breccia]

The Practice

Man, the first four seasons of that show were three good seasons.

For those of you unfamiliar, the "Plan B" was about making up crazy shit about a mysterious dude who could have done it, while misleading the jury on the "reasonable" in "reasonable doubt".

The Practice actually did one thing really well, by the way, Early on, they got away with a lot of bullshit asking the opposition experts "can you say with 100% certainity..." when, of course, 99.99% isn't 100%. Around season 2 or 3 they stopped, probably because they were told that doesn't actually work. In one episode, the medical examiner says "It's possible, she was killed by death rays from Mars, but that's not what I think happened here!" just to drive that point home.

Biden is standing next to a dead body with a gunshot wound saying "someone shot and killed that guy". Giuliani is claiming Mars Attacks.

[Belize]

But we don't want to walk down that road. If the [unlikely] nightmare scenario happens (which means Trump steals a second term), and the Dems do what you suggest above, Trump can declare martial law, etc.

And then we are truly fucked.

With what army? The one that sent the very clear message that they're not beholden to a single entity during a press interview that was very directly talking to Trump?

Are we going to get a couple dozen ICE vans trying to hold down multiple states?

[cubby]

And it'd be an immediately obvious sham. Let me know how long the GOP's tenuous grasp on power lasts when Dem states simply refuse to pay federal taxes, and you have 80+ million people in the streets.

ICE couldn't keep a singular city under control, and boomers aren't going to confront any protests themselves.

The fear of the GOP seizing power is a non-issue. We know it, and more importantly, they know it. They're just pouting all the way out the door and slinging as much shit as they can on the way out of pettiness.

Sure, but it would be a legal sham, supported by SCOTUS. That's the issue.

I get what everyone is saying if this comes about (which is highly unlikely, but still technically possible). Rise up and revolt and don't pay taxes and don't seat GOP House members and all that will get ugly, fast. And that road to perdition is terrifying.

[Edge-]

With what army? The one that sent the very clear message that they're not beholden to a single entity during a press interview that was very directly talking to Trump?

If Trump can get Republican legislatures to send their own electors and "steal" the election, "legally", then he gets his second term and can federalize and send out the National Guard to crush protests. Because he'll "legally" be president and will have the authority of the office.

It's extremely unlikely that this crackpot plan goes anywhere.

[cubby]

With what army? The one that sent the very clear message that they're not beholden to a single entity during a press interview that was very directly talking to Trump?

Are we going to get a couple dozen ICE vans trying to hold down multiple states?

You're walking down a completely unpredictable road. Neither of us would have virtually any clue how that scenario plays out - except it's guaranteed to be littered with bodies.

- - - Updated - - -

If Trump can get Republican legislatures to send their own electors and "steal" the election, "legally", then he gets his second term and can federalize and send out the National Guard to crush protests. Because he'll "legally" be president and will have the authority of the office.

It's extremely unlikely that this crackpot plan goes anywhere.

Right - exactly. Very unlikely, again since most state legislatures have already rejected this notion when it was floated to them. AND because MI and GA are going to certify their counts on time.