Thread by @LauraLThornton

This "both sidesism" described here by McClintock is designed to erode trust, confuse, and create permission structures. This is the big threat to democracy today, not what the writer describes. Long thread -->

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1746277440530374871

Let's first put aside that concerns about democracy are not only about the "January 6 riot," but about the multitude of attempts to create separate slates of electors, pressure election, state officials, vice president, and threaten election workers to overthrow the results.

Let alone plans to, according to GOP frontrunner Trump: 1. be dictator "for a day;" 2. carry out retribution, including desired assassination of Sec Def Milley; 3. replace bureaucrats with political loyalists; 4. implement the "insurrection act," (see project 2025 for more.)

(Never mind anti-democratic acts that have already taken place, like the Ohio legislature ignoring the ruling of its own supreme court and holding elections with an unconstitutional map.) Let's put aside all the other threats to democracy.

Let's look at the examples provided here about Democrats: 1. How are the election laws "rigged?" Some of the examples provided are provisions passed, in accordance with the law, to expand voting access (mail in voting, early voting). Maybe you disagree, but they are not "rigged."

Where is the so-called "obstructed view" for observers? Zero examples. As someone who has observed elections over 20 years in 24 countries, the U.S. has high degree of transparency and checks in place. Trump's own administration declared the elections the "cleanest" in history.

2. "bureaucrats colluded to influence elections by intimidating political opponents" word salad. Hard to address, because there is no elaboration or example. 3. On social media, he describes a course-correction by the courts, but again no example though.

4. Did he not read the objectives of the so-called "disinformation czar," the "disinformation governance board," the aim of which was to protect freedom of speech, build resilience to false information, and raise awareness about foreign information operations. Undemocratic?

5. On court-packing, the words "the left" is doing a lot of work. Neither Biden nor Democratic leadership have made this an agenda item. Biden has stated he is against. 6. Why is denying representation to 700,000 Americans undemocratic? NOT doing so is, however.

7. Threatening, doxing, swatting our judges, election workers, and representatives is atrocious. Kidnapping plans for governors is too. Is he suggesting that the Democrats are carrying out all these acts? Not sure the tally comes out on his side here...

8. Local municipalities in some places have allowed green card holders to vote. Similar to some other democracies. What Biden has to do with that is unclear.

9. I would like to remind the Congressman that REPUBLICANS are the ones attempting to remove Trump from the REPUBLICAN primary ballot. Please point to a single statement from the Biden administration taking a side on this.

This makes me sad. This is why my 17 year old son is so confused, hates politics, distrusts government, because, as he has said, "they are all the same" and "I don't know what to think." That's the goal -- if EVERYONE is bad and lies, then anything goes.

When in reality it is actually that while no one is perfect, they are NOT the same. We CAN decipher who is worse on the anti-democracy scale. One candidate is being charged with 90 counts in 4 states. The others are not.

Every presidential candidate who has lost an election has said so. One has not. As in Charlottesville, we cannot "both sides" our way out of the reality and facts before us.