If this ends w/ a GOP-held Senate, R gains in the House, a 6-3 majority on SCOTUS, expanded R control of state chambers, and an election by a razor-thin margin of the most moderate D candidate of the bunch for POTUS - despite what polls were saying - it’s a huge conservative win.
This is before you even consider the map for the senate in 2022 and 2024, the potential 2022 midyear election in the House, conservatives making inroads with minority voters, the makeup of the rest of the federal bench, flipped frontline districts, the age of Dem leadership...
I’m sure someone at The Bulw*rk is furiously explaining why Trump losing is akshually a conservative victory, too, but color me skeptical that the most popular member of the GOP losing the presidential election is a conservative “win”
Enough of you didn’t like this where I feel compelled to write this all up.
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Lots of people - left and right - seem to have concluded the election is over and that just seems like preposterous wishcasting to me.
There are obvious, well-documented, irregularities in key states. There are hundreds of thousands or ballots to count. There is already one recall and plenty of lawsuits to settle.
and like has no one paid attention to 2020 so far?
Very excited to hear from every corner of the conservative movement about how, if Trump does in fact lose, it confirms their priors about what the future of the GOP should be.
“Trump’s defeat makes it clear: Republicans must be the party of dignity, low taxes, and country clubs undivided by politics” @BulwarkOnline
“Trump was held back by the deep state and softie cucks like Drew Holden. Prepare for war!!!” @ half of my mentions
I think that the way Trump is talking about the election is bad. I think he should absolutely fight irregularities - and call attention to them - but should be fighting in court with confidence that the system will, eventually, work. He isn’t doing that.
BUT...
The pearl clutching about it is insufferable from the same crowd who continues to give voice to Hillary Clinton as she peddles the conspiracy theory that the election was “stolen” from her.
Both of these undermine our institutions & public confidence around the election. But it seems *enormously* clear to me that Trump is at least doing it w/ a lot more evidence of irregularity that could’ve cost him the election and is doing it before votes have been certified.
As someone who was very vocally Never Trump in 2016 I would rather die in a fire than throw in with these people.
Also, for anyone who hasn’t unfollowed me yet, I’m not some former never trumper turned died in the blood believer. I’ll find the thread I did a while back. It’s just that my thoughts on the never trump crowd have nosedived more than my thoughts on Trump.
Okay, all my thoughts as of 8 PM on Thursday on the election. Stay with me before you get mad.
1. I think they’ll call Pennsylvania & Georgia for Biden, either tonight or tomorrow AM.
2. I think they call Arizona for Trump. If they do, people at AP and Fox should be fired.
3. I think they eventually call Nevada for Trump, too.
4. I think the margins are super narrow in PA and GA. I think there will be recounts. I think the way those turn out - especially in PA - is anyone’s guess.
5. I don’t think there’s a widespread, concerted effort by Democrats to steal the election through nefarious means.
6. I DO think that there may very well be election irregularities that we need to get to the bottom of and the courts will need to decide on.
I apologize to my followers. I know this is a serious time. But I simply cannot muster maturity any longer.
“Hi guys! Sorry to be a pain, but could we ask you to hit ‘submit’ on those vote counts you said you would send the other day? A few folks in America are curious, but let me know if you need more time!!”