How do we maintain our democracy when Repulbicans have given up on democracy and now want authoritarianism? (1 Viewer)

[coldseat]

It's hard to believe how far down the road we've gone towards authoritarianism. Republicans are not even trying to hide anymore. If they are able to recapture control of the House in 2022, I have serious concern about how much longer we'll be able to maintain our democracy. Just look at how far they're willing to go in the article below. How can we stop this speeding train towards authoritarianism and nationalism in the Republican party and get them to defend and support democracy once more?

Their polls found that after the election, a supermajority of Republicans backed Trump's efforts to overturn the results: 86% said his legal challenges were appropriate, 79% said they weren't confident in the national vote tally, and 68% said Trump really won. Another 54% said Trump should never concede, and a plurality said state legislatures should override the popular vote.
This set the stage for Trump, GOP lawmakers, and right-wing media outlets to continue pushing the lie that the election was "rigged," which Trump did yet again in a press release this week.


Additionally, only 34% of Trump voters said they would accept Biden as the legitimate president, according to the post-election polls. That pales in comparison to similar surveys conducted by Gallup after previous controversial elections -- 68% of Al Gore voters in 2000 accepted George W. Bush's legitimacy, and 76% of Hillary Clinton voters in 2016 accepted Trump's as president.
The organization was among the first to raise the alarm last summer about the potential for unprecedented political violence if the 2020 election was disputed -- warnings that became a reality with the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. They released the new polls as part of a series of reports about the manufactured "crisis of confidence" in US elections.

New polls show GOP willingness to subvert 2020 election

New polls released Thursday show just how far Republicans were willing to go to support then-President Donald Trump's unprecedented efforts to subvert the 2020 election.

www.cnn.com

An excellent podcast on how Hungary's democracy has fallen and the similarities between what Orban and his party have done and how Republicans are doing the same thing here in the US.

 

[wardorican]

Maybe this should be it's own thread, but speaking of forcing views... this feels like a secret police move..

New law will survey Florida students, professors on political views

Colleges could lose funding if survey of "ideas and perspectives" fails to satisfy state's GOP-run legislature

www.salon.com

 

[coldseat]

I think there's an extremely good chance that we see a stolen election next year with these anti-democratic laws that these Republican state legislatures are passing. Why isn't there more alarm over this?

The group and its research partners have tracked at least 216 bills in 41 states that would criminalize the actions of election officials, give legislators more power over the running of elections or otherwise interfere. In all, two dozen have become law so far, the organization found. More measures await action.

As federal voting legislation falters, state Republicans push to exert new powers over elections

www.cnn.com

 

[Optimus Prime]

I do wonder what's going to happen if

A. An election result is overturned because they didn't like the election result

B. if turnout is huge despite all the new laws and democrats win anyway

 

[Farb]

Never to early to start screaming about voter fraud/stolen elections when the polls are looking really really bad. Standard DNC playbook.
The DNC did the same thing in 2016. Screetched that the election was rigged and then the polls shifted and it was suddenly the cleanest election ever and it was Trump who would not accept the election. Funny how the wind shifts but you guys just eat it up.

 

[coldseat]

Never to early to start screaming about voter fraud/stolen elections when the polls are looking really really bad. Standard DNC playbook.
The DNC did the same thing in 2016. Screetched that the election was rigged and then the polls shifted and it was suddenly the cleanest election ever and it was Trump who would not accept the election. Funny how the wind shifts but you guys just eat it up.

This isn't about polls or voter fraud. It's about Republicans using new laws and subverting process that are meant to protect elections in order to overturn legitimate elections.

Like they're trying to do right now with the fraudit in Arizona. Everybody knows it will go nowhere this year, but it's a dress rehearsal for the next election to be able to intervene earlier and actually overturn the election. What's going on in Arizona should scare everybody and be condemned by all Republicans and ridiculed as fascist and anti-democratic.

I know your Republican glasses won't let you see it, but it's the road to authoritarianism and one party control. Why else do you think they're doing it?

 

[samiam5211]

Never to early to start screaming about voter fraud/stolen elections when the polls are looking really really bad. Standard DNC playbook.
The DNC did the same thing in 2016. Screetched that the election was rigged and then the polls shifted and it was suddenly the cleanest election ever and it was Trump who would not accept the election. Funny how the wind shifts but you guys just eat it up.

No one ever questioned the authenticity of the 2016 results.

No one said Russia tampered with voting machines.

Russia tampered with small minds. They changed the vote in people's heads, not in the voting machines.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Never to early to start screaming about voter fraud/stolen elections when the polls are looking really really bad. Standard DNC playbook.
The DNC did the same thing in 2016. Screetched that the election was rigged and then the polls shifted and it was suddenly the cleanest election ever and it was Trump who would not accept the election. Funny how the wind shifts but you guys just eat it up.

I seem to recall that it was Trump who spent both the 16 and 20 campaigns talking about a rigged election

 

[zztop]

Unless there is some kind of voting rights bill that passes, and somehow eliminates gerrymandering... well not too much will be done. You've already seen the lengths (R) will go to in regards to voter suppression etc

 

[Farb]

Can anyone provide proof, actual proof, not 'might be' or 'could be' but an actual law that has passed in Georgia or any other state that is actual voter suppression?

 

[coldseat]

Can anyone provide proof, actual proof, not 'might be' or 'could be' but an actual law that has passed in Georgia or any other state that is actual voter suppression?

This thread isn't about voter suppression. That's certainly one way Republicans are trying to achieve their goals, but that's not what this thread is about.

 

[brandon]

Can anyone provide proof, actual proof, not 'might be' or 'could be' but an actual law that has passed in Georgia or any other state that is actual voter suppression?

Don’t take the bait, guys. This is 100% one of those times where he asks you to find something, you do it, and he just ignores your post.

 

[DaveXA]

Don’t take the bait, guys. This is 100% one of those times where he asks you to find something, you do it, and he just ignores your post.

I suppose so, but I was curious to see how his question was answered.

 

[Sun Waves]

Don’t take the bait, guys. This is 100% one of those times where he asks you to find something, you do it, and he just ignores your post.

Do it for me then. Post proof.

 

[JRad]

I suppose so, but I was curious to see how his question was answered.

It’s hard to care when he posts seemingly one ridiculously alarmist thing a day without backing it.

 

[CoolBrees]

@Farb -

are you really asking to provide proof of voter suppression from laws that were passed like a week or a month ago? How about we have an actual election first.

But what you are suggesting is just weird. instead of forethought, we should just wait and see what happens? That worked out well for the Germans in the 30’s.

 

[Farb]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/poli...its-gop-enacted-voter-restrictions/ar-AALrC1I

Well, the administration is sueing Georgia, so I guess this will play out in court.

With all the rampant voter suppression moves by the GOP, I figured it would be easy to show a recent law that proved voter suppression. Most of the things removed by the new laws are the partisan policies (ballot harvesting, drop boxes, mail out ballots) that were put in place because of the pandemic (and to make sure Trump was beaten).

 

[JRad]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/poli...its-gop-enacted-voter-restrictions/ar-AALrC1I

Well, the administration is sueing Georgia, so I guess this will play out in court.

With all the rampant voter suppression moves by the GOP, I figured it would be easy to show a recent law that proved voter suppression. Most of the things removed by the new laws are the partisan policies (ballot harvesting, drop boxes, mail out ballots) that were put in place because of the pandemic (and to make sure Trump was beaten).

Can you provide proof, actual proof?
Also still waiting on proof, actual proof about self segregation.
Or proof, actual proof of THE LEFT disarming citizens for the authoritarian government to take control?
Or proof, actual proof of whatever your outrage of the day is?