The GOP has practiced a simple playbook for *years*: make up a bonkers story about massive fraud & announce an investigation. That generate breathless headlines & mistrust, & goes viral.
Later when story fizzles, that gets tiny shred of attention.
Brief thread for receipts.
In November 2018, days before Georgia's elections, Brian Kemp launched an 'investigation': nytimes.com/2018/11/04/us/…
After the election, an investigation found there was no foundation: federalnewsnetwork.com/government-new…
During 2017 #ALSen special, the Secretary of State threatened, wildly, to seek up to 10 years in prison against hundreds of Alabamans who supposedly had 'crossover voted'. Again, sea of headlines.
List was wrong, situation was blown-up. But damage done.
In 2017, there were incorrect reports a noncitizen mass shooting suspect had voted in past elections. Again, fed fears about fraud.
It was false: Person was a citizen.
Still, *even after debunking,* GOP SoS invoked story as a reason to change state law!
In 2019, Texas officials triggered alarmed headlines that 95,000 noncitizens may have voted in the Texas elections. And talked up felony prosecutions.
Upon scrutiny, claims collapsed.
But the fear, & intimidating threat of criminalization, was planted. texastribune.org/2019/02/01/tex…
I cld go on, but the big picture here is: THIS WILL LIKELY HAPPEN AGAIN!
At that point it's up to the media to inject skepticism from getgo, at least until clear evidence—skepticism not out of thin air, but out of PATTERN OF RECENT YEARS.
So save & use this thread as receipts!
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