Anarchistbear said:

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golden sloth said:

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Anarchistbear said:

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Trump has a major potential hurdle- he won't be running against a patsy like Clinton. That means states like Pa, Wisconsin and Michigan which have been reliably blue since the 90's can be easily turned. The midterms validates this. You don't even need Republicans. You just need the Obama/Trump voter, young people and minorities to turn out and their way. If however somebody like Biden or a faux corporate liberal is nominated I suspect we will see a stronger third party than Jill Stein- somebody with Sanders chops.That will be progress.

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I would be surprised to see a third party risk having a second term of Trump. I know that hasn't stopped third parties in the past, but I think Trump is so toxic to the left wing that they would rather rally behind a centrist than make a protest vote.

It would also make sense for the third party to focus on house races and grow from there. They are the easiest to turn, which means they could actually vote on legislation for a change rather than cry from the loser seats.

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Who rallied behind Clinton?

You vote for someone or not. You try and seize power and upend the system or not. You'd have to be totally oblivious or crazed to not see that the country has been in steep decline for decades. Why would you vote for someone complicit in this because they aren't Trump?

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Clinton got more votes for President than anybody ever in this country not named Obama

Anarchistbear said:

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It's no secret that the Democrats made advances in white affluent suburbs. The party is now a shaky alliance between the professional affluent coastals and poor minorities. But the politics of this isn't very progressive other than not being Trump. The affluent are a fickle, provincial and self-serving group, not interested in the radical changes needed to rectify decades of inequality. The result will be the same glorification of do nothing Obama world.

Sanders- not even a Democrat- was able to tap into and inspire a different electorate and coalition of the young, and working class people, both white and not. This constituency is not interested in a return to the status quo or the mythical center. It will- better sooner than later- break off from the moribund corpse that is the Democratic Party and give a new constituency a different and more radical choice. After brutal primaries, lesser evil" nonsense will not prevail. It will be time for the country to have another choice than the most enthusiastic and second most enthusiastic supporters of capitalism in the world.

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Sanders got less votes than Hillary

Specious. When the size of the voting public increases there tends to be more votes cast for candidates. Clinton won 20 states. She received a majority of the vote in 13 out of 50 states. She lost states that were part of the "blue wall." All against a game show host. This is as pathetic a performance as could be imagined- especially since they were salivating over the opponent. Instead she is President of New York and California.

As far as Sanders goes, why wouldn't she get more votes? She was the anointed candidate with the establishment and money behind her. Against a cranky old guy from Vermont with no money or organization who wasn't even a Democrat! The fact that he made a serious challenge was miraculous. It's also notable that the party has moved left on policies primarily due to Sanders. This is the group that will now have both the organization and will for 2020.

Looks like they finally found some voter fraud in North Carolina . . . helping the Republican.

golden sloth said:

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Sometimes I wonder if all the nasty stuff Republicans accuse the Democrats of doing, is stuff they are already doing and they assume is standard operating procedure for both sides. For example, media bias, voter fraud, voter intimidation.

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There is no question about that.

Anarchistbear said:

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Specious. When the size of the voting public increases there tends to be more votes cast for candidates. Clinton won 20 states. She received a majority of the vote in 13 out of 50 states. She lost states that were part of the "blue wall." All against a game show host. This is as pathetic a performance as could be imagined- especially since they were salivating over the opponent. Instead she is President of New York and California.

As far as Sanders goes, why wouldn't she get more votes? She was the anointed candidate with the establishment and money behind her. Against a cranky old guy from Vermont with no money or organization who wasn't even a Democrat! The fact that he made a serious challenge was miraculous. It's also notable that the party has moved left on policies primarily due to Sanders. This is the group that will now have both the organization and will for 2020.

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On to the excuse making for why Sanders couldn't get more votes than Hillary.

Whoa...found this at SFGate. Really good info on new law that allows people not related to you to pick up ballots at your home and drop them off at the registrar of voters. This law was passed two years ago, but the GOP didn't take it seriously...but the Dems did. This is how the Dems created a blue wave, flipped OC.

California's late votes broke big for Democrats. Here's why GOP was surprised

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Few people noticed when Gov. Jerry Brown signed the changes in AB1921 into law two years ago. In the past, California allowed only relatives or people living in the same household to drop off mail ballots for another voter. The new law allowed anyone, even a paid political campaign worker, to collect and return ballots "harvesting" them, in political slang.

The change was strictly a public service, said Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, author of the bill. The old rules, she said, "simply provide yet another obstacle for individuals attempting to vote."
Republicans didn't agree, and the measure passed the Legislature on a largely party-line vote.

They felt the hit on Nov. 6 and in the days after, as late-arriving Democratic votes were tabulated and one Republican candidate after another saw leads shrink and then evaporate. This week, a seventh GOP-held congressional seat flipped to the Democrats, leaving Republicans controlling a mere six of California's 53 House districts.

In Orange County alone, where every House seat went Democratic, "the number of Election Day vote-by-mail dropoffs was unprecedented over 250,000," Fred Whitaker, chairman of the county Republican Party, said in a note to supporters. "This is a direct result of ballot harvesting allowed under California law for the first time. That directly caused the switch from being ahead on election night to losing two weeks later."

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Fascinating research and article. Focusing on "fragile masculinity", linking internet search for stuff like "erectile dysfunction", "hair loss", "how to get girls", "***** enlargement" to states/location of Trump voters. It's similar to research that looks at internet search in locations/state for stuff like porn search. Seems like the small hands, mushroom nubbin might have some staying power.

How Donald Trump appeals to men secretly insecure about their manhood

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From boasting about the size of his ***** on national television to releasing records of his high testosterone levels, President Trump's rhetoric and behavior exude machismo. His behavior also seems to have struck a chord with some male voters. See, for example, the "Donald Trump: Finally Someone With Balls" T-shirts common at Trump rallies.

But our research suggests that Trump is not necessarily attracting male supporters who are as confidently masculine as the president presents himself to be. Instead, Trump appears to appeal more to men who are secretly insecure about their manhood. We call this the "fragile masculinity hypothesis." Here is some of our evidence.

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Another Bear said:

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Fascinating research and article. Focusing on "fragile masculinity", linking internet search for stuff like "erectile dysfunction", "hair loss", "how to get girls", "***** enlargement" to states/location of Trump voters. It's similar to research that looks at internet search in locations/state for stuff like porn search. Seems like the small hands, mushroom nubbin might have some staying power.

How Donald Trump appeals to men secretly insecure about their manhood

Quote:

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From boasting about the size of his ***** on national television to releasing records of his high testosterone levels, President Trump's rhetoric and behavior exude machismo. His behavior also seems to have struck a chord with some male voters. See, for example, the "Donald Trump: Finally Someone With Balls" T-shirts common at Trump rallies.

But our research suggests that Trump is not necessarily attracting male supporters who are as confidently masculine as the president presents himself to be. Instead, Trump appears to appeal more to men who are secretly insecure about their manhood. We call this the "fragile masculinity hypothesis." Here is some of our evidence.

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Does this surprise anyone? Trump's base is filled with anxiety among America's uneducated poor white people. This is both racial anxiety about being overwhelmed and marginalized by the 'other' and economic anxiety about being irrelevant. America's ideal of the 'Man' is to be the provider and self-sufficient, when they don't have jobs and rely on government handouts they don't feel adequate as a man, and thus have fragile masculinity. Their egos don't let them accept they are irrelevant and that they need to adapt or change, so when Trump told them their lot in life was other people's fault instead of their own, it gave their ego a reason instead of themselves for failing to live up to the American ideal of a 'Man'. Hence they dove headfirst in, and this is also why they can't and won't turn away from Trump. Acknowledging Trump was a fraud forces them to confront the fact they are responsible for their life and not other people, hence they are the reasons for their failures.

golden sloth said:

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Another Bear said:

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Fascinating research and article. Focusing on "fragile masculinity", linking internet search for stuff like "erectile dysfunction", "hair loss", "how to get girls", "***** enlargement" to states/location of Trump voters. It's similar to research that looks at internet search in locations/state for stuff like porn search. Seems like the small hands, mushroom nubbin might have some staying power.

How Donald Trump appeals to men secretly insecure about their manhood

Quote:

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From boasting about the size of his ***** on national television to releasing records of his high testosterone levels, President Trump's rhetoric and behavior exude machismo. His behavior also seems to have struck a chord with some male voters. See, for example, the "Donald Trump: Finally Someone With Balls" T-shirts common at Trump rallies.

But our research suggests that Trump is not necessarily attracting male supporters who are as confidently masculine as the president presents himself to be. Instead, Trump appears to appeal more to men who are secretly insecure about their manhood. We call this the "fragile masculinity hypothesis." Here is some of our evidence.

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Does this surprise anyone? Trump's base is filled with anxiety among America's uneducated poor white people. This is both racial anxiety about being overwhelmed and marginalized by the 'other' and economic anxiety about being irrelevant. America's ideal of the 'Man' is to be the provider and self-sufficient, when they don't have jobs and rely on government handouts they don't feel adequate as a man, and thus have fragile masculinity. Their egos don't let them accept they are irrelevant and that they need to adapt or change, so when Trump told them their lot in life was other people's fault instead of their own, it gave their ego a reason instead of themselves for failing to live up to the American ideal of a 'Man'. Hence they dove headfirst in, and this is also why they can't and won't turn away from Trump. Acknowledging Trump was a fraud forces them to confront the fact they are responsible for their life and not other people, hence they are the reasons for their failures.

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But I thought they railed against the Nanny State, took personal responsibility, and were not like the weak Liberal deviants.

golden sloth said:

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Another Bear said:

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Fascinating research and article. Focusing on "fragile masculinity", linking internet search for stuff like "erectile dysfunction", "hair loss", "how to get girls", "***** enlargement" to states/location of Trump voters. It's similar to research that looks at internet search in locations/state for stuff like porn search. Seems like the small hands, mushroom nubbin might have some staying power.

How Donald Trump appeals to men secretly insecure about their manhood

Quote:

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From boasting about the size of his ***** on national television to releasing records of his high testosterone levels, President Trump's rhetoric and behavior exude machismo. His behavior also seems to have struck a chord with some male voters. See, for example, the "Donald Trump: Finally Someone With Balls" T-shirts common at Trump rallies.

But our research suggests that Trump is not necessarily attracting male supporters who are as confidently masculine as the president presents himself to be. Instead, Trump appears to appeal more to men who are secretly insecure about their manhood. We call this the "fragile masculinity hypothesis." Here is some of our evidence.

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Does this surprise anyone? Trump's base is filled with anxiety among America's uneducated poor white people. This is both racial anxiety about being overwhelmed and marginalized by the 'other' and economic anxiety about being irrelevant. America's ideal of the 'Man' is to be the provider and self-sufficient, when they don't have jobs and rely on government handouts they don't feel adequate as a man, and thus have fragile masculinity. Their egos don't let them accept they are irrelevant and that they need to adapt or change, so when Trump told them their lot in life was other people's fault instead of their own, it gave their ego a reason instead of themselves for failing to live up to the American ideal of a 'Man'. Hence they dove headfirst in, and this is also why they can't and won't turn away from Trump. Acknowledging Trump was a fraud forces them to confront the fact they are responsible for their life and not other people, hence they are the reasons for their failures.

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No one is surprised, this has been tracked since Trump won. The methodology however is interesting. Trumpkins like everyone else needs jobs, a livelihood and wants to be empowered. The thing is, these guys aren't going to get it from Trump and he's opened the gates of hate, based on entitlement and racial identity. Frankly it's a divide and conquer situation based on class. The vast majority of people benefiting from Trump are the 1%'ers. Trump is basically using those people. In fact he's made unveiled comments of hate towards them.

Two more data points in a long-standing trend showing Republicans will subvert democracy to advance their own agenda.

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The Republican-dominated Wisconsin legislature scheduled an unusual lame-duck session on Monday to consider a raft of bills that would undercut the power of Governor-elect Tony Evers and Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul, Democrats whose victories broke six years of total Republican control of the state's executive and legislative branches.

Michigan Republicans have also introduced legislation to strip some powers from the offices of the state attorney general and secretary of state, which were both captured by Democrats, along with the governorship in the Nov. 6 elections.

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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-states/republican-state-lawmakers-scramble-to-curb-incoming-democrats-power-idUSKBN1O22GS

golden sloth said:

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Two more data points in a long-standing trend showing Republicans will subvert democracy to advance their own agenda.

Quote:

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The Republican-dominated Wisconsin legislature scheduled an unusual lame-duck session on Monday to consider a raft of bills that would undercut the power of Governor-elect Tony Evers and Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul, Democrats whose victories broke six years of total Republican control of the state's executive and legislative branches.

Michigan Republicans have also introduced legislation to strip some powers from the offices of the state attorney general and secretary of state, which were both captured by Democrats, along with the governorship in the Nov. 6 elections.

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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-states/republican-state-lawmakers-scramble-to-curb-incoming-democrats-power-idUSKBN1O22GS

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This is the same crap they tried to pull in North Carolina after a Democrat won the governorship in 2016 (a good amount got thrown out by the courts).

There's really no question about it. The Republicans care about maintaining power and little else.

sycasey said:

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There's really no question about it. The Republicans care about maintaining power and little else.

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That's not entirely fair. They also care about pissing off liberals.

Unit2Sucks said:

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sycasey said:

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There's really no question about it. The Republicans care about maintaining power and little else.

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That's not entirely fair. They also care about pissing off liberals.

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Also true.

Ultimately the GOP have turned into nihilists. The whole "no government is good government" Reagan crap that let to the libertarian canard that we don't need government or regulations is the core of that and the Trump Nazis (Bannon and Miller) is the natural extension. The GOP have actively been trying to kill off government and by extension democracy, for quite a while now. We can only be thankful they're idiots, incompetent and imbeciles. Nazis ran a super high leverage, high-risk assualt and of course Hitler ended it all in the bunker, like a coward. We can only hope for the same with Trump.

Unit2Sucks said:

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sycasey said:

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There's really no question about it. The Republicans care about maintaining power and little else.

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That's not entirely fair. They also care about pissing off liberals.

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Republican definition of a liberal: Anyone critical of the Mad King.

bearister said:

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Unit2Sucks said:

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sycasey said:

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There's really no question about it. The Republicans care about maintaining power and little else.

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That's not entirely fair. They also care about pissing off liberals.

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Republican definition of a liberal: Anyone critical of the Mad King.

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When I talk to my Conservative friends about politics they spend 95% of the time telling me what Liberals think (essentially preaching to me about what I think rather than listening to me TELL them what I actually do in fact believe) and about 5% of the time speaking in the broadest generalities about what they believe.

Their description of me and other Liberals has little to no resemblance to what "we" actually think, and it's largely incredible dated like they are arguing against some crazy combination of Soviet Communism and Roman Bacchanalia.

They see centrist as radical left.

They talk at me and are not looking for a dialogue--just to vent and rail against the straw men they make up.They sound so scared and fearful of their fictional boogeymen even as they bluster like bullies. And these are nice people who are friends.

Two different brains. Two different realities. But one of the two is generally more empathetic and trying to be inclusive and understanding of difference and compromise. The other tries to get everything they want no matter what and sees compromise as weakness. Generally speaking.

And yes I am aware of the irony that 95% of what I posted was saying who Conservatives are.

golden sloth said:

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sycasey said:

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golden sloth said:

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Two more data points in a long-standing trend showing Republicans will subvert democracy to advance their own agenda.

Quote:

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The Republican-dominated Wisconsin legislature scheduled an unusual lame-duck session on Monday to consider a raft of bills that would undercut the power of Governor-elect Tony Evers and Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul, Democrats whose victories broke six years of total Republican control of the state's executive and legislative branches.

Michigan Republicans have also introduced legislation to strip some powers from the offices of the state attorney general and secretary of state, which were both captured by Democrats, along with the governorship in the Nov. 6 elections.

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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-states/republican-state-lawmakers-scramble-to-curb-incoming-democrats-power-idUSKBN1O22GS

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This is the same crap they tried to pull in North Carolina after a Democrat won the governorship in 2016 (a good amount got thrown out by the courts).

There's really no question about it. The Republicans care about maintaining power and little else.

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You know, I don't want to generalize the Republican party and cast everyone in the party as being detrimental to country, but the Republicans make it hard to view them in a positive light. I want to believe in the good in everyone and that the well-being of the country is greater populace is at heart in our public officials, but when they don't respect the voters' will and don't respect democratic institutions and procedures it makes it really really hard to have a positive view of them. This also is not an isolated incident, this actions to subvert the will of the people have happened in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and DC, that is a hell of a lot of places. I considered myself a left-leaning independent 3 years ago, now I'm a solid liberal.

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The fact that it's the same tactics in all of these states also tells you that this is not something arising organically from the party bases. They're following a playbook, most likely one written by moneyed interests and those who work for them (Koch Brothers, etc.). It's not democracy at all; it's powerful people trying to subvert the will of the majority.

Another Bear said:

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Ultimately the GOP have turned into nihilists. The whole "no government is good government" Reagan crap that let to the libertarian canard that we don't need government or regulations is the core of that and the Trump Nazis (Bannon and Miller) is the natural extension. The GOP have actively been trying to kill off government and by extension democracy, for quite a while now. We can only be thankful they're idiots, incompetent and imbeciles. Nazis ran a super high leverage, high-risk assualt and of course Hitler ended it all in the bunker, like a coward. We can only hope for the same with Trump.

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Catering to wealthy special interests.
An extension of business interests.

Campaign finance laws, dark money, citizens united....
Politicians are bought. Weak politicians who serve those interests.

golden sloth said:

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sycasey said:

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golden sloth said:

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Two more data points in a long-standing trend showing Republicans will subvert democracy to advance their own agenda.

Quote:

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The Republican-dominated Wisconsin legislature scheduled an unusual lame-duck session on Monday to consider a raft of bills that would undercut the power of Governor-elect Tony Evers and Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul, Democrats whose victories broke six years of total Republican control of the state's executive and legislative branches.

Michigan Republicans have also introduced legislation to strip some powers from the offices of the state attorney general and secretary of state, which were both captured by Democrats, along with the governorship in the Nov. 6 elections.

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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-states/republican-state-lawmakers-scramble-to-curb-incoming-democrats-power-idUSKBN1O22GS

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This is the same crap they tried to pull in North Carolina after a Democrat won the governorship in 2016 (a good amount got thrown out by the courts).

There's really no question about it. The Republicans care about maintaining power and little else.

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You know, I don't want to generalize the Republican party and cast everyone in the party as being detrimental to country, but the Republicans make it hard to view them in a positive light. I want to believe in the good in everyone and that the well-being of the country is greater populace is at heart in our public officials, but when they don't respect the voters' will and don't respect democratic institutions and procedures it makes it really really hard to have a positive view of them. This also is not an isolated incident, this actions to subvert the will of the people have happened in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and DC, that is a hell of a lot of places. I considered myself a left-leaning independent 3 years ago, now I'm a solid liberal.

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Ditto, and it's not the same Republican Party.
I am disgusted that so many of them rolled over to Trump.
The party needs to implode and reinvent itself.
I don't see how that happens in a way that wins me back. Special leadership and new messaging needed, and all Trump supporters need to be identified, rebuked, rejected, culled.

concordtom said:

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....and all Trump supporters need to be identified, rebuked, rejected, culled.

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When the Mad King ultimately falls from grace his supporters will disavow him 3 times before the rooster crows.

This is America. I hope the Republicans on here are enraged about this (despite the election fraud being in their favor):

I think there's almost no way they can avoid holding a new election in NC-9 now. The evidence of systematic fraud is too strong.

The Election Fraud Is Coming From Inside the GOP

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Undermining voters from Wisconsin to North Carolina.

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Getting warmer...

It's official, Valadao concedes. Dems take 40 seats, might get 41 in NC-9.

Another Bear said:

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It's official, Valadao concedes. Dems take 40 seats, might get 41 in NC-9.

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If they are forced to re-run the NC election I'd like the Dems' chances at 41, especially if it's still Harris on the ballot.

sycasey said:

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Another Bear said:

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It's official, Valadao concedes. Dems take 40 seats, might get 41 in NC-9.

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If they are forced to re-run the NC election I'd like the Dems' chances at 41, especially if it's still Harris on the ballot.

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If it's not Harris on the ballot, doesn't that bode poorly for the anti-election fraud GOP?

Unit2Sucks said:

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sycasey said:

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Another Bear said:

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It's official, Valadao concedes. Dems take 40 seats, might get 41 in NC-9.

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If they are forced to re-run the NC election I'd like the Dems' chances at 41, especially if it's still Harris on the ballot.

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If it's not Harris on the ballot, doesn't that bode poorly for the anti-election fraud GOP?

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I mean, it's probably bad for them either way, with the local GOP tainted with scandal.