I remember when some gbatempers acted as if Trump had all the rights of God on earth because he won the election in 2016. "Criminal behavior? Naaah...you're just jealous because you lost the election". Everyone on the political left of them (meaning: most of the rest of the planet) were just sore losers because they couldn't handle the election results.
And because I've long learned that people project their own shortcomings onto others, I knew well in advance that this predicted they couldn't handle election results when it DIDN'T favor them. And boy, could they not handle it. From shouting foul play to harassing vote counters to storming the capitol...only tattoo-ing "I'M A SORE LOSER" on their forehead could make their stance more clear.
But it came. It passed. The USA got a president again. And while Biden got busy tackling a global pandemic, the republican partylicked their wounds doubled down on conspiracy theories.
I'd say I hardly paid attention, but you gotta know how youtube algorhythms work: if you follow US politics for some years, it'll serve you those same clickbait channels. Except this time they aren't showing why the most powerful person on the planet has the temper of a toddler, but the Titanic-style sinking of a (to me) foreign political party. In other words: I occasinally took the bait, but most of the time I stopped caring about halfway through the articles. And why not? I can't point out Arizona on a US map (just I bet the far majority can't point out Belgium on a European one)...it's not so much about relevance as about a cartoony distraction.
And yeah...it's surreal. Apparently, after the safe and monitored voting process, there was a recount. Then another recount. And then an audit. Nothing indicated anything but the originally called outcome: Biden won Arizona. And being mature and sportsmanslike of profession, the republican officials looked at the result and agreed that it was time to call in the loss in favor of...
JUST KIDDING!!!! Bwhahaha...you didn't believe that, did you?
No, what they really did was hire a shady external firm called cyber ninjas (1), lead by a republican conspiracy thinker. The firm has no former election audit experience and is hardly open to what they're doing(2). They're also mocked because they so grossly underestimated the time it takes them to check the ballots, so they have to pause the work, stock away the ballots, so a graduation can take place in that arena.
...so with popcorn in hand, I sometimes glanced at comedians like Trevor Noah, Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert poking fun at this. But then, after watching a channel that delivered some actual ORIGINAL IDEA on this (this one, for those who care: ), something else dawned on me:
What if those republicans aren't playing to overturn the election?
For those who don't care about some leftist opinion youtuber, I'll explain. Arizona went to Biden with some 11'000 votes. But apparently, an independent audit revealed that about 75'000 Arizona ballots voted republican except for the part where they had to name the next president.
If you didn't know who Donald Trump was, I'd forgive you for thinking of fraud. Why would people vote republican but not for the president IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION? I won't lie: I'd think there'd be something wrong if it was the other way around as well. If we know the general public is favoring X, why don't they vote for their representative?
Again: this would be if you didn't know who Donald Trump was. I can fill entire threads on his bad character (and I'm sure I did it on occasions)...but the important thing here is that he is polarising. He didn't just "not reach out to democrats" by trying to be a president for all Americans instead of those who voted for him. Op top of his four year of dividing and conquering, he also split the party itself. Everyone who wasn't on his team was against him. McCain and Romney are prime examples, and the cherade around Liz Cheney proves it hasn't stopped after his presidency.
...but this isn't how the political game of "getting the most votes"(3) is played. If you're position A and someone else has position B, you might appear the winner if you ridicule everyone on B, but if that win means most have tuned out or gave up arguing, you've really LOST the popularity contest. In this case: Trump's rhetoric just cost him 75'000 votes in Arizona alone. Not "swing votes", "undecided voters" or whatever you want to call them. But republican voters. The actual base of the party.
Oh, I don't dispute that comedians and analysts are right that they're claiming that republicans are sinking well below any sorts of standards. But from their perspective...what real signs did they have? Any poll, even from a conservative source, was immediately labeled biassed or plain wrong when it didn't put Donald Trump ahead. The MAGA crowd isn't speaking for everyone, but just how many people ARE they representing by being loud (or by invading the capitol, for that matter)?
I think republicans really didn't know. I think they honestly thought they had the numbers. And they probably should. If Trump had acted mature. Heck...even if he only acted mature during the pandemic crisis, all his corrupt behavior of the previous three years probably would've been forgiven.
But truth is, 75'000 people with republican mindsets in Arizona decided they didn't want Trump to be their president.
And that is eating the republican party right now. I'm probably giving cyber ninjas far too much credit than they deserve (God Fucking damnit, with that name they probably WANT to be laughed at). But what if their intention isn't about uncovering a fantasy conspiracy theory but mapping the groups that might be open to voting republican somewhere in the future?
After all...the party's both rich and about grabbing and retaining power. They will do what it takes to find out what it is the voters signaling to them, and will act on it. Even if that means keeping Trump in his Florida resort and bringing in a serious candidate that supports the true ideas and ideals of the Grand Old Party.
GOT YOU AGAIN, DIDN'T I? BWAHAHA...if you think republicans are going to do anything but cling to Trump like flies around a fresh turd, you're horribly in denial.
(1): no, seriously...I've got that name from like four or five news outlets. That company is actually called that and under contract from the local government
(2): well...it's either that, or it's worse. Those same news outlets report that they're checking whether or not the ballot papers contain bamboo, which might mean they originate from China which might indicate fraud...somehow.
I...honestly think those guys are just throwing stuff on the wall to appear busy so they can milk more tax dollars from Arizonians. The alternative is that Arizona residents are paying because their leaders are hellbent to follow snake oil salesmen.
(3): yeah, I know it's more complicated than that. I just can't summarize the real situation into a catchphrase any better
And because I've long learned that people project their own shortcomings onto others, I knew well in advance that this predicted they couldn't handle election results when it DIDN'T favor them. And boy, could they not handle it. From shouting foul play to harassing vote counters to storming the capitol...only tattoo-ing "I'M A SORE LOSER" on their forehead could make their stance more clear.
But it came. It passed. The USA got a president again. And while Biden got busy tackling a global pandemic, the republican party
I'd say I hardly paid attention, but you gotta know how youtube algorhythms work: if you follow US politics for some years, it'll serve you those same clickbait channels. Except this time they aren't showing why the most powerful person on the planet has the temper of a toddler, but the Titanic-style sinking of a (to me) foreign political party. In other words: I occasinally took the bait, but most of the time I stopped caring about halfway through the articles. And why not? I can't point out Arizona on a US map (just I bet the far majority can't point out Belgium on a European one)...it's not so much about relevance as about a cartoony distraction.
And yeah...it's surreal. Apparently, after the safe and monitored voting process, there was a recount. Then another recount. And then an audit. Nothing indicated anything but the originally called outcome: Biden won Arizona. And being mature and sportsmanslike of profession, the republican officials looked at the result and agreed that it was time to call in the loss in favor of...
JUST KIDDING!!!! Bwhahaha...you didn't believe that, did you?
No, what they really did was hire a shady external firm called cyber ninjas (1), lead by a republican conspiracy thinker. The firm has no former election audit experience and is hardly open to what they're doing(2). They're also mocked because they so grossly underestimated the time it takes them to check the ballots, so they have to pause the work, stock away the ballots, so a graduation can take place in that arena.
...so with popcorn in hand, I sometimes glanced at comedians like Trevor Noah, Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert poking fun at this. But then, after watching a channel that delivered some actual ORIGINAL IDEA on this (this one, for those who care: ), something else dawned on me:
What if those republicans aren't playing to overturn the election?
For those who don't care about some leftist opinion youtuber, I'll explain. Arizona went to Biden with some 11'000 votes. But apparently, an independent audit revealed that about 75'000 Arizona ballots voted republican except for the part where they had to name the next president.
If you didn't know who Donald Trump was, I'd forgive you for thinking of fraud. Why would people vote republican but not for the president IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION? I won't lie: I'd think there'd be something wrong if it was the other way around as well. If we know the general public is favoring X, why don't they vote for their representative?
Again: this would be if you didn't know who Donald Trump was. I can fill entire threads on his bad character (and I'm sure I did it on occasions)...but the important thing here is that he is polarising. He didn't just "not reach out to democrats" by trying to be a president for all Americans instead of those who voted for him. Op top of his four year of dividing and conquering, he also split the party itself. Everyone who wasn't on his team was against him. McCain and Romney are prime examples, and the cherade around Liz Cheney proves it hasn't stopped after his presidency.
...but this isn't how the political game of "getting the most votes"(3) is played. If you're position A and someone else has position B, you might appear the winner if you ridicule everyone on B, but if that win means most have tuned out or gave up arguing, you've really LOST the popularity contest. In this case: Trump's rhetoric just cost him 75'000 votes in Arizona alone. Not "swing votes", "undecided voters" or whatever you want to call them. But republican voters. The actual base of the party.
Oh, I don't dispute that comedians and analysts are right that they're claiming that republicans are sinking well below any sorts of standards. But from their perspective...what real signs did they have? Any poll, even from a conservative source, was immediately labeled biassed or plain wrong when it didn't put Donald Trump ahead. The MAGA crowd isn't speaking for everyone, but just how many people ARE they representing by being loud (or by invading the capitol, for that matter)?
I think republicans really didn't know. I think they honestly thought they had the numbers. And they probably should. If Trump had acted mature. Heck...even if he only acted mature during the pandemic crisis, all his corrupt behavior of the previous three years probably would've been forgiven.
But truth is, 75'000 people with republican mindsets in Arizona decided they didn't want Trump to be their president.
And that is eating the republican party right now. I'm probably giving cyber ninjas far too much credit than they deserve (God Fucking damnit, with that name they probably WANT to be laughed at). But what if their intention isn't about uncovering a fantasy conspiracy theory but mapping the groups that might be open to voting republican somewhere in the future?
After all...the party's both rich and about grabbing and retaining power. They will do what it takes to find out what it is the voters signaling to them, and will act on it. Even if that means keeping Trump in his Florida resort and bringing in a serious candidate that supports the true ideas and ideals of the Grand Old Party.
GOT YOU AGAIN, DIDN'T I? BWAHAHA...if you think republicans are going to do anything but cling to Trump like flies around a fresh turd, you're horribly in denial.(1): no, seriously...I've got that name from like four or five news outlets. That company is actually called that and under contract from the local government
(2): well...it's either that, or it's worse. Those same news outlets report that they're checking whether or not the ballot papers contain bamboo, which might mean they originate from China which might indicate fraud...somehow.
I...honestly think those guys are just throwing stuff on the wall to appear busy so they can milk more tax dollars from Arizonians. The alternative is that Arizona residents are paying because their leaders are hellbent to follow snake oil salesmen.(3): yeah, I know it's more complicated than that. I just can't summarize the real situation into a catchphrase any better
