It’s cool, I’m sure the police will be there to stop any Trump thugs who… um, the cops will protect the, er… hmm. Yeah, this is bad.
4 Likes
If any planet ever needed a galactic intervention, it’s this one.
11 Likes
Yeah but what a first impression.
Aliens: “Hey we heard around the neighborhood that you guys were getting a Space Force so we thought we’d just pop over to finally introduce oursel—JESUS SPACE-CHRIST sorry to interrupt we’ll just be going then.” [spaceship equivalent of screeching tires]
18 Likes
After confiscating all our explosives and pointy objects, and setting guards around the Earth to make sure we don’t end up getting out.
5 Likes
So he’s telling his supporters to loiter with firearms around polling stations intimidating voters.
How is this not gestapo shit? This IS complete gestapo shit just so we’re clear!
9 Likes
I think Trump would count that as high praise.
2 Likes
In as much as it’s more SA shit. But that’s really it.
(Gestapo shit being if he also brought in feds to intimidate voters. Which wouldn’t surprise me)
5 Likes
I hear we’re on the short list to be demolished to build an interstellar superhighway.
Grab your towel and hold on tight!
9 Likes
6 Likes
Trump adherents in Trump Facemasks (probably made in China) at a Trump Rally. They certainly are an inconsistent bunch.
Well, I had been monitoring elections as international observer for more then a decade and I don’t think that there is anything wrong in a call to people to watch elections. It has to be regulated, those who want to monitor have to pass training and they must be registered with the entity that organize election.
US is experiencing elections with ruined standards of democracy, so measures as having observers at voting places are very useful in eventual dispute in the aftermath. This is a blow to the ego of those who can’t accept that “american democracy” is substandard to democratic norms of the modern world. But this is reality, and sooner progressive people in the US realize that, sooner you’ll be able to fix it. I hope so.
And this has nothing to do with the orange liar, or Russia - I remember Reagan, and thinking at the time “they can’t pick worse then this”. Of course W came along and now he seems as polite, honest and intelligent person if you compare him to this piece of work. This trend shows that current situation is a consequence, not the cause.
So the reaction to this should be “You want pool watchers? Great, here are the rules!” - if you are concerned that this or any other proposal of implementing standard international tools of securing fair conditions of electon process is just a cover up for creating disorder and chaos then you should focus on that disorder and chaos.
6 Likes
You don’t need to trick him, Cuba wouldn’t want him. They would keep him in prison then hand him over to Biden in exchange for an end to sanctions.
North Korea or Russia might take him though.
8 Likes
I think you’ve missed something in your analysis.
Impartial observers to an election are, in general, a good thing. If these were to be truly impartial watchers, possibly foreign nationals who have no stake in the outcome, I’d welcome it.
But Trump inciting his supporters to act as observers is anything but impartial. They have a definite bias. And I’ve heard no suggestions of training, qualification or certification for these so-called “observers.” So this is not a good thing.
This is yet another attempt at voter surpression and interference in what is supposed to be a fair and unbiased election process… but is now looking like anything but “fair and unbiased.”
13 Likes
No. Local observers are in most cases activists of one of the sides in elections. They must not agitate or promote their candidate/party and in most countries they are not allowed to interact with voters in any way.
Bias is anticipated and quite easily detected if someone files such objection. Election monitoring is very well established and common process.
3 Likes
Would you consider people wearing MAGA hats and cheering at a Trump rally to be unbiased? Those were the people he was urging to go and be poll watchers.
4 Likes
Party list representatives are an expected thing and they are officially indicated by the parties to check that the counting agent aren’t doing strange things, of course they can’t do any propaganda near the polling station
I don’t think anyone is claiming it is hopeless, but instead I read @Brainspore’s comment as a warning to brace ourselves. As you state later, to expect the worst, even as we hope for the best.
We can win, we will win, and a huge majority of Trump’s supporters are themselves cowards (and deathly afraid of being seen as cowards, ironically). But in a land the size of the USA, we have to be prepared for the nut jobs who will not secure their firearms properly, or will kill out of fear, or even out of long carried resentment.
1 Like
As I said, no. They will be biased, but most local observers in the world are. Unbiased is not required for observers, as long as each side can have its own observers andveach is allowed to make objection.
The point is that if you have your observer at voting place and he didn’t place objection then it is validating that place as correct. On the other hand, where is an objection that objection is examined, and if it is unspecific or not related to the voting process (as biased ones mostly are) then it is reufuted. In case that is a valid objection, then bias of the observer is irrelevant.
That’s why education and registration of observers is crucial. But as long as observer follows the rules, his or her preference should not be an obstacle. And they actually help to reduce tensions after the elections.
1 Like
We should all be ready to document any self appointed poll watchers. It needs to be made clear that you owe them nothing more than a middle finger if questioned.
And you believe that the cheering MAGA hats will be trained, and follow the rules? Who do you imagine they will complain to, about the things they see? Do you think they will follow a set protocol for their complaints, or do you think it will be similar to the supporters that Trump sends to the protests?
How do you feel about the assault rifles they’ll bring?
5 Likes
