Althouse: I wish President Biden would support investigating the security of the mechanisms of American elections instead of demonizing the millions of people who feel skeptical.

September 6, 2022

I wish President Biden would support investigating the security of the mechanisms of American elections instead of demonizing the millions of people who feel skeptical.

Why all the intensity against American citizens? It's not going to decrease skepticism. Quite the opposite! We're supposed to be so afraid of getting called "deniers" or being lumped in with the minuscule segment of Americans who breached the Capitol that we will never dream of asking what are you hiding? Why can't you check? Shouldn't you be checking all the time?

90 comments:

Mr Wibble said...: I think that there are three reasons why the intensity against anyone who questions elections:

1) There's cheating on both sides, and both sides cheat to protect candidates. Any serious investigation would expose it and call a lot of elections into question.
b) Local election boards are a great place for low-level supporters to get their beaks wet. An investigation would expose that kind of corruption.
iii) Orangemanbad. The fact that Trump is calling for it means that all good and right-thinking individuals must oppose it, no matter what "it" is.; 9/6/22, 7:25 AM
exhelodrvr1 said...: I think you know the answer...; 9/6/22, 7:25 AM
Temujin said...: Well, yes, of course. Except that no sane person would want Joe Biden and his minions doing the 'supporting' of an investigation. They cannot be trusted to be near anything like that. This guy cannot help himself. He and his team are deceivers, liars, corruptocrats. They live to manipulate the electorate. Investigate it? Heh.; 9/6/22, 7:26 AM
Enigma said...: "Democrats doth protest too much."

There's a thing called the guilty knowledge test. People's bodies respond differently if they know something to be true when presented with facts versus falsehoods. It's used for lie detector testing -= such as criminal cases and espionage.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11519651/

We need to give this to Biden and his handlers. They've been doubling down on obvious lies and half-truths for so long that they should be removed from office/power.

We are living in a period that is not unlike the bickering among the French aristocracy/oligarchs that led to the French Revolution of 1789.; 9/6/22, 7:30 AM
Owen said...: Ann: you’re asking the right questions. They are long overdue IMHO —the scales fell from my (fairly ingenuous) eyes some years ago— but better late than never. Unfortunately I think we won’t get good answers, or maybe any. The fix is in; and it is comprehensive.; 9/6/22, 7:32 AM
Bob Boyd said...: And OJ will never rest until he finds out who killed Nicole.; 9/6/22, 7:32 AM
Meade said...: Democrats call it “the big lie” which itself is the lie.
They had to corrupt democracy to save their phony “democracy.” The Big Truth is Democrats can’t handle real democracy. They need “insurance.”; 9/6/22, 7:35 AM
RideSpaceMountain said...: As they say at instapundit, 'feature, not bug'.; 9/6/22, 7:36 AM
Dave Begley said...: The only way the Dems stay in power is by cheating. There will never be an investigation.; 9/6/22, 7:36 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Whatever happened to "transparency"?

No, it's become: How dare you ask to look?!; 9/6/22, 7:40 AM
Lloyd W. Robertson said...: Yes, this is the kind of thing I would like Trump to say, instead of pretending someone is going to overturn the 2020 results. Too much discretion is given to state legislatures as to how a slate of electors is chosen. There should regulation of chain of custody of each ballot, ID, along with multiple days to vote and multiple locations.; 9/6/22, 7:40 AM
wendybar said...: Because it will be easier to round up all the Trump supporters if they call them enemies of the state. The DC gulag is going to be REALLY full soon.; 9/6/22, 7:42 AM
TrespassersW said...: Why can't you check? Shouldn't you be checking all the time?

To ask the question is to answer it.; 9/6/22, 7:43 AM
ElPresidenteCastro said...: If Democrats are tired of being accused of shady things perhaps they should stop with the shady things.

My favorite is that the absentee vote count was suspended in Fulton County (Atlanta) for "Burst pipe." Turns out there was an overflowing urinal. Note that the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported the first story but never seems to have followed up. You have to go to the Epoch Times for the rest of the story.

https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/fulton-election-results-delayed-after-pipe-bursts-in-room-with-ballots/4T3KPQV7PBEX3JVAIGJBNBSVJY/

https://www.theepochtimes.com/reported-burst-pipe-in-atlanta-ballot-counting-area-was-overflowing-urinal-investigator_3607741.html; 9/6/22, 7:43 AM
exhelodrvr1 said...: If the elections were "clean," doing a full audit/inspection, and putting in reasonable safeguards for future elections, would be a huge win for the Democrats. Which is why it's certain that they are cheating, at least enough to make a difference in close races.; 9/6/22, 7:51 AM
Gusty Winds said...: Althouse asked...Why all the intensity against American citizens? It's not going to decrease skepticism. Quite the opposite

The intensity against any American who questions the 2020 election is because...the 2020 election fraud to remove Trump was real.

The have to double down and triple dog dare you to question them. The 2020 fraud was the real coup, and they are behaving as such.; 9/6/22, 7:55 AM
tim maguire said...: I wish the media would put the good of the country ahead of the short-term interests of the Democratic Party. If they did, they would be calling for election reform and we might actually get it.

But that's not going to happen. Instead, the media protects the Democrats no matter what. There is no pressure for reform and so there will be no reform.; 9/6/22, 7:56 AM
Dave Begley said...: Top issues ranked in order of importance by DDB.

1. Election integrity.
2. Inflation. And that includes gas prices.
3. Illegal immigration.
4. Crime.
5. Stopping the Green New Deal.
6. Drugs.
7. Protecting children from sterilization and mutilation.
8. The whole China problem.; 9/6/22, 7:57 AM
Charlie said...: We need impartial umpires to call balls and strikes.....and that's supposed to be the press.

I think it's safe to say Edward R.Murrow is not walking through that door anytime soon.; 9/6/22, 7:58 AM
MadisonMan said...: It's not like Biden and the Democrats can run on Biden's record. Inflation? The Taliban back in power? Ukraine invaded? Who's gonna vote for that?; 9/6/22, 8:03 AM
Amadeus 48 said...: I am not a fan of the too-glib Kari Lake in AZ, but she did a righteous job of responding to a reporter who asked her why she persisted in questioning the AZ results in 2020. Worth a watch.; 9/6/22, 8:04 AM
BUMBLE BEE said...: Start with the census bureau; 9/6/22, 8:04 AM
Humperdink said...: Having been exposed to MSNBC this morning (I have since bathed in sanitizer), I watched Joe, Mika and assorted pundits use the word "lie" probably 50 times. All associated with DJT. Mostly about the election results of 2020. Only a brief mention of the special master news.

These people are incorrigible. They cannot see it, they will not see it and have no desire to see it. Maybe moderate Dems on the fence will see the light when Europe starts freezing this winter. One would have thought the blackouts in San Francisco this past weekend would have raised the caution flag a bit. Ah, no.; 9/6/22, 8:04 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake gave an awesome answer to this question last week, calmly and directly pushing back on the reporter. (I paraphrase) We still have a first amendment right to ask questions as Americans and there is nothing wrong with seeking transparency and answers. After 2016 you the media were asking a lot of questions about Russian interference and changed votes. And YOU should be asking the same kind of questions now not shaming people for having questions. You should be curious. Every election is questioned by someone but only 2020 is put off limits by the Media and democrats.; 9/6/22, 8:06 AM
Owen said...: “The good of the country” is a pale wishful abstraction. “The good of my career and my pocket book” is an urgent ever-present demand.

When the two contend, guess which one wins? But only every single time.; 9/6/22, 8:06 AM
Aggie said...: Yes; In a strong Republic, the elected winner would have an abiding concern that elections are being conducted transparently and fairly. The elected winner would be strong in his/her declaration that he/she governs all, not just those who cast their vote supportively. And he would be actively campaigning for re-election by trying to garner even more future votes, by the consent of the governed, by addressing the grievances of all parties, not just the special interests..

Didn't happen as the votes were being counted, didn't happen in the post-election, ain't happenin' now. Thank you for wondering why.; 9/6/22, 8:07 AM
Lawrence Person said...: "Why won't Al Capone just open his books to the government so that they can verify he's not involved in organized crime?"

To ask the question is to answer it: Joe Biden is President only because Democrats committed massive voting fraud in a small number of Democrat-controlled urban counties to elect him.; 9/6/22, 8:16 AM
Scott Patton said...: "Why all the intensity against American citizens?"...
"Why can't you check?"

Because the point is the citizens aren't supposed to believe them. We're supposed to pretend to believe them. In that way, we demonstrate that we know our place. The job of the media is to constantly remind us to know our place.; 9/6/22, 8:16 AM
mikee said...: I'm gonna change my voter registration to Democratic Party and criticize voting problems just like I do now as a Rethuglican. But with less condem action, because I'll be in tbe correct Party. An idea so crazy, it just might work!; 9/6/22, 8:17 AM
Scott Patton said...: "Why all the intensity against American citizens?"...
"Why can't you check?"

Because the point is the citizens aren't supposed to believe them. We're supposed to pretend to believe them. In that way, we demonstrate that we know our place. The job of the media is to constantly remind us to know our place.; 9/6/22, 8:18 AM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: "I wish President Biden would support investigating the security of the mechanisms of American elections instead of demonizing the millions of people who feel skeptical."

Did you wish President Trump would support investigating Russian interference in American elections instead of demonizing the millions of people who felt skeptical?; 9/6/22, 8:22 AM
Birches said...: Mr. Wibble answered the question pretty well, but the truth is that the Democrats have an edge right now and are exploiting it. Remember the Time magazine article on how the secret cabal fortified the election? They're not giving up their power.; 9/6/22, 8:24 AM
Mike Sylwester said...: ElPresidenteCastro at 7:43 AM
My favorite is that the absentee vote count was suspended in Fulton County (Atlanta) for "Burst pipe."

I have written a series of blog articles about that situation.

How long did the imaginary burst waterpipe delay the ballot-counting?

The Scanners' Long, Covered Table

The Target Dot on the Scanners' Long, Covered Table

Will Brad Raffensperger ever explain the water incident?; 9/6/22, 8:24 AM
Mike Sylwester said...: Before the 2020 elections, people were permitted to express skepticism about the Dominion voting system, and many liberals did so.

The US Government ought to prove to the public that this system is reliable.; 9/6/22, 8:27 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Ah, found a direct quote with a link to Kari Lake's excellent response:

“Since when can we not ask questions about our elections?” Lake asked. “As a journalist for many years, I was a journalist after 2016 and I distinctly remember many people, just like you, asking a lot of questions about the 2016 election results, and nobody tried to shut you up."

More here in The Federalist.; 9/6/22, 8:27 AM
Howard said...: Just cause you give into crazy conspiracy theories doesn't mean that people shouldn't ridicule and ostricize cult members. Just because it's mass hysteria doesn't elevate the issue.; 9/6/22, 8:28 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Did you wish President Trump would support investigating Russian interference in American elections instead of demonizing the millions of people who felt skeptical?

LOL if this made sense it wouldn't be as hysterically funny. Hint: Trump did NOT demonize people who questioned "russian interference" and were skeptical of FBI "evidence."; 9/6/22, 8:34 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Left Bank, who won the 2000 election? Who won every recount in Florida? Let's start our agreeable future by you agreeing to accept that 22-year-old race. AlGore's Big Lie is so old it can legally buy booze. Are you an election denier or not?; 9/6/22, 8:36 AM
Buckwheathikes said...: Here's a question: Why did the FBI confiscate 1,600 newspaper clippings during their raid on Mar-A-Lago? On what planet is the possession of newspaper stories about Donald Trump a fucking crime? What judge in American jurisprudence would sanction such a blatantly illegal fishing expedition by our law enforcement authorities?

Here's a question: How is it that a United States President has the power to steal hundreds of billions of un-voted-on dollars? Who authorized that expenditure of that money? Nobody did. That's called: MISAPPROPRIATE OF FUNDS. That's theft. That's a fucking crime. Why is the FBI not investigating THAT crime? Since when do Democrats get to just fucking STEAL the money without even holding a fucking vote?

Once Republicans take power, they need to arrest this fucking guy for the crime of misappropriate of funds, a felony. Put him in the cells underneath the House of Representatives and then give him a fair trial. Arrest his co-conspirators, starting with his wife. Then start arresting all the people who received his stolen funds. Receiving stolen funds is a CRIME. Start enforcing our laws.

If we're going to be a nation of laws, and not men, this is the way.; 9/6/22, 8:40 AM
Buckwheathikes said...: Here's a question: Why did the FBI confiscate 1,600 newspaper clippings during their raid on Mar-A-Lago? On what planet is the possession of newspaper stories about Donald Trump a fucking crime? What judge in American jurisprudence would sanction such a blatantly illegal fishing expedition by our law enforcement authorities?

Here's a question: How is it that a United States President has the power to steal hundreds of billions of un-voted-on dollars? Who authorized that expenditure of that money? Nobody did. That's called: MISAPPROPRIATE OF FUNDS. That's theft. That's a fucking crime. Why is the FBI not investigating THAT crime? Since when do Democrats get to just fucking STEAL the money without even holding a fucking vote?

Once Republicans take power, they need to arrest this fucking guy for the crime of misappropriate of funds, a felony. Put him in the cells underneath the House of Representatives and then give him a fair trial. Arrest his co-conspirators, starting with his wife. Then start arresting all the people who received his stolen funds. Receiving stolen funds is a CRIME. Start enforcing our laws.

If we're going to be a nation of laws, and not men, this is the way.; 9/6/22, 8:40 AM
Lilly, a dog said...: States used the pandemic to legalize massive ballot harvesting, to swing the election in Biden's favor. Time Magazine bragged about this "Shadow Campaign" in February 2021: "Their work touched every aspect of the election. They got states to change voting systems and laws and helped secure hundreds of millions in public and private funding. They fended off voter-suppression lawsuits, recruited armies of poll workers and got millions of people to vote by mail for the first time. They successfully pressured social media companies to take a harder line against disinformation and used data-driven strategies to fight viral smears. They executed national public-awareness campaigns that helped Americans understand how the vote count would unfold over days or weeks, preventing Trump’s conspiracy theories and false claims of victory from getting more traction."; 9/6/22, 8:45 AM
Static Ping said...: Your inquiry is valid.

The problem is you are dealing with Joe Biden here. Biden is a terrible person: incompetent, mean, corrupt, perverted, dishonest. Somehow he is really good at politics or at least really good at getting himself elected, but without any actual leadership skills or anything else to recommend him. He is now senile, so he has lost all his filters. He's always been like this, but he, or at least his handlers, could hide it sufficiently not to ruin him. Now he is no longer capable. You get the full incompetent jerk all the time, at least not when he is confused and not sure where he is.

As for Washington in general, they are facing an existential threat that their deep state could be unraveled. When you understand that the members of the deep state consider their own well being to be more important than anything else, including the well being of the country, it all makes sense.; 9/6/22, 8:46 AM
RoseAnne said...: In 2016 the election was called stolen and illegitimate because Hillary lost and Trump won. People still speak of it as a "fact" - including the current president of the United States. If you ask "how", "Russian interference" is the response. But you never hear is what specifically the Russians did and how it impacted on the election. The most I have ever heard is "internet ads" - hardly decisive.

4 years later, we hear the 2020 election is the cleanest and most transparent of any election. What changed in 4 years? What was done differently in 2020 to prompt the same people who claimed 2016 was stolen to now say 2020 was darn near perfect?

There is the article in Time magazine which details a number of actions that were taken that targeted specific cities in different states but very few people seem to know the article even exists let alone what was said in it. (If I were Time, I would be concerned about how little attention the article got. It should have dominated the news for weeks.)

The simplest answer is that if your party won, you're happy. If it didn't, you're not.

The questions asked in this initial post need to be asked and answered honestly IF the soul of the country is really your concern. If you can't support that, stop vilifying those of us who are interested. You are turning off more voters to your party than convincing them.; 9/6/22, 8:50 AM
Wa St Blogger said...: I've said it many times. IF the election were completely above-board, the Dems would set out to allow every investigation to run its course. There are really two choices. Allow half the country to think the election was tainted or show that it was not. It hurts the Dems to have this doubt festering, so you have to ask yourself, why would they allow themselves to be harmed like this? It's because the truth would be worse.; 9/6/22, 8:53 AM
Kevin said...: How can Joe look into elections when the first thing he finds is Hunter’s laptop?; 9/6/22, 8:56 AM
lane ranger said...: Left Bank of the Charles said:

Did you wish President Trump would support investigating Russian interference in American elections instead of demonizing the millions of people who felt skeptical?

It's probably a fool's errand to respond to trolls, but here goes. The question of whether Trump colluded with Russia has been investigated by Muller and his crew, and no collusion was found. Instead, it has become clear that the Russian collusion accusation was a scam and a hoax, perpetrated by the Clinton campaign and a willing FBI. It's also now clear with hindsight that Trump was far harder on Putin than either Obama or Biden. If anyone is still skeptical about these facts, it is because they are willfully blinded by Trump derangement syndrome.; 9/6/22, 8:57 AM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: These are all great questions.

Thank you.; 9/6/22, 8:58 AM
TJ said...: You expect Democrats to be interested in accurately counting votes? Have you not paid attention to the last two Democrat presidential primaries?; 9/6/22, 9:01 AM
wendybar said...: Because old Joe KNOWS the election was stolen. He knows he never got 81 million votes. Everybody with a brain knows that he never got that many votes.; 9/6/22, 9:05 AM
Drago said...: Howard is going to be extra busy today with his projection and amateur gaslighting "work" given everything that is happening.

Did you know Howard was bopping about yesterday claiming Biden was being super duper tough on Putin?

It was hilarious!

Putin's biggest "problem" with Team Dem in charge? Counting his extra money and figuring out where to go next with all the opportunities now open to him.; 9/6/22, 9:06 AM
MayBee said...: Ann Althouse said...
Whatever happened to "transparency"?

No, it's become: How dare you ask to look?!

Exactly! And the crazy thing is....are we supposed to look at our current politics (POTUS saying if you are pro-life, you are anti-democracy) and think that people who believe the other party is an existential threat to this country simply would not cheat in an election?
In what other area of life where people are so passionate do we just assume people won't cheat?; 9/6/22, 9:07 AM
Drago said...: lane ranger: "If anyone is still skeptical about these facts, it is because they are willfully blinded by Trump derangement syndrome."

Never discount the simple joy felt by the New Soviet Democraticals in knowing they are lying and knowing you know they are lying, while they continue to lie.

See: Howard

I do think Left Bank, like an Inga or a gadfly, fall into that class of lefties that truly are too stupid to know better.; 9/6/22, 9:08 AM
Rusty said...: Meade said...
"Democrats call it “the big lie” which itself is the lie.
They had to corrupt democracy to save their phony “democracy.” The Big Truth is Democrats can’t handle real democracy. They need “insurance.”
It's because you can't be trusted to vote the "right way".

Howard said...
'Just cause you give into crazy conspiracy theories doesn't mean that people shouldn't ridicule and ostricize cult members. Just because it's mass hysteria doesn't elevate the issue.'
You voted for Biden so you deserve all the ridicule that can be foisted on you. Sucker.; 9/6/22, 9:08 AM
Breezy said...: First it was no voter fraud, then no widespread voter fraud then not enough voter fraud to change the outcome of the election. However, now we know FB and Twitter downgraded and shutdown any news of Hunters laptop prior to the election after communications with the FBI. A large % of people would not have voted for Biden if that info was out in the open. So, it turns out there was enough voter fraud and election interference to change the outcome of the election.

We seriously need an election system that can be fully audited within 6 weeks of the event. People hiding their misdeeds on this front for 1.5 years is no way to adhere to the premise of our republic, where We get to decide, each with our one vote, and not others, who think they should get a multiplier on their one vote via fraud and interference.; 9/6/22, 9:14 AM
Drago said...: We should give Howard a little extra "room" today for grieving as another of his antifa "Howard's Heroes" was "lost" during a street "gun battle" last night in Portland.

You see, Howard's Heroes (I'm assuming Howard is not pretending antifa doesn't exist today as Howard goes back and forth on antifa-existing/antifa-not-existing quite a bit) were executing another of their brave and courageous "street takeovers" in Portland, again, in a "mostly peaceful" way by firing about 18 shots at an elderly gentleman who was simply trying to drive home.

Well, if you are thinking that Howard's Heroes are just going to let some old guy drive unmolested on "Their Streets", you've got another thing coming! These Normandy-like Heroes (Howard's term) opened fire on the old guy but in so doing, whacked one of their own!

Darn you Trump!!!

As with the killing of Iranian General Soleimani by Trump, this death is going to be difficult for Howard to internalize. Lets all wish Howard allah-speed (in recognition of the New Soviet Democraticals strong alliance with the islamic supremacists) and allow Howard time to gather himself.

Perhaps a plush squeeze toy or "adult legos" or an unnecessary mutilation of a gender confused adolescent could be provided to help Howard feel better?; 9/6/22, 9:21 AM
Gusty Winds said...: Althouse said… I wish President Biden would support investigating the security of the mechanisms of American elections.

This reminds me of a Craig Ferguson joke. What’s the difference between an Alcoholic and a Junkie?

An alcoholic will steal the money from your purse, get drunk, and come back remorseful and confess.

A junkie will steal the money from your purse, get high, and then help you look for the stolen money.; 9/6/22, 9:28 AM
Amadeus 48 said...: "Why did the FBI confiscate 1,600 newspaper clippings during their raid on Mar-A-Lago?"

Isn't the answer that they took everything?

Why would ANYone think it was a fishing expedition? (sarc.)

The whole seizure of government records fuss is just another diversion from what was obviously happening. They were looking for J6 evidence. I bet they thought it was in the safe.; 9/6/22, 9:33 AM
Sebastian said...: "Why all the intensity against American citizens? . . . Why can't you check? Shouldn't you be checking all the time?"

This is all very nice and reasonable, but also beside the point.

"Why are progs doing what they think they need to do to devastate their opponents? Why are they using obvious lies in the process? Why do they give priority to power over integrity?"

They're progs. They're fighting. They are ruthless and rational. BAMN is their motto. They laugh at nice and reasonable questions.

Althouse thinks that's not nice. She has joined the #Resistance but doesn't want to face the fact yet. Time to choose sides.; 9/6/22, 9:35 AM
RNB said...: "'Shut up,' they explained."; 9/6/22, 9:44 AM
ElPresidenteCastro said...: Left Bank of the Charles said...

Did you wish President Trump would support investigating Russian interference in American elections instead of demonizing the millions of people who felt skeptical?

Absolutely. I'll sketch it out for you.

-Clinton paid a law firm.
-The law firm paid a British spy.
-A British spy paid for Russian information.
-The Russians aren't stupid and loaded it with info they thought would damage Americas confidence in their elections.
-The Clintons sold that to the FBI
-The FBI sold it to the press

Biden got elected and blammo, Russian disinformation is well on its way to wrecking America. Well done Clintons. I think all of us would like to know more details about Russian interference in US elections.; 9/6/22, 10:17 AM
LilyBart said...: You're in a totalitarian country when the govt doesn't allow you to question them or their 'truth'.; 9/6/22, 10:39 AM
hombre said...: Really? Can we actually pretend that Democrats have not opposed politically and in court EVERY effort to make our elections secure and fair?

It's what they are all about!; 9/6/22, 10:51 AM
Big Mike said...: Why all the intensity against American citizens? It's not going to decrease skepticism.

Consider the possibility that they are just that stupid. In 2002 Ruy Teixeira and John Judis published The Emerging Democratic Majority, which argued that the Democrats were demographically destined to be the dominant political party of the 21st century. The Democrats responded by running working class Americans out of their party, apparently never imagining that the GOP could field a candidate that could attract those voters. Yes, they still have the union bosses, the SEIU, and the teachers, but if you want to get an earful just ask a member of the UMW rank and file what he thinks about the Democrats. Or a trucker. Or anyone else who works with his hands.

Lately they’ve driven off at least half of the Hispanic voters. And some recent articles in Bari Weiss’s “Commonsense” substack detail the rise of left-wing antisemitism.

And don’t forget that in Loudoun County, Virginia, the Democrats waged war on suburban mothers. So Republicans now hold the governorship and just about everything else. (The State Senate was not on the ballot last year, but will be in 2023. No one right now expects the Democrats to hold their one vote advantage.)

Democrats may be educated and credentialed, but until they leave their bubble you can assume they aren’t all that bright.; 9/6/22, 10:53 AM
Ceciliahere said...: The Mafia is more honorable than the Democratic Party.; 9/6/22, 10:56 AM
jcr said...: If Joe had a clear conscience w/r/t the 2020 election, he would have been the loudest voice in the country demanding a full investigation to clear his name. Suppressing dissent, trying to silence all doubt is not the response of an innocent man.

-jcr; 9/6/22, 10:56 AM
Ceciliahere said...: The Mafia is more honorable than the Democratic Party.; 9/6/22, 10:57 AM
Ceciliahere said...: Twenty four agencies have debunked this! According to Brandon.; 9/6/22, 10:58 AM
Original Mike said...: "I wish President Biden would support investigating the security of the mechanisms of American elections instead of demonizing the millions of people who feel skeptical."

I was struck by the fact that two days after the election the MSM was already calling the election taint-free.

Now how could they know that at that early date? They couldn't. Nor could they know the opposite. They never looked and they don't intend to.; 9/6/22, 11:03 AM
Ed said...: They don't want to check, because they know they cheated. They know Biden lost, and that they committed treason, and will be executed when it's proven. That's a powerful incentive not to look, and to prevent others from looking.; 9/6/22, 11:16 AM
Michael K said...: Blogger Lilly, a dog said...

States used the pandemic to legalize massive ballot harvesting, to swing the election in Biden's favor. Time Magazine bragged about this "Shadow Campaign" in February 2021:

We've all read that article and have to agree that it was well done. If there is anything Democrats are good at, it is vote fraud. I grew up in Chicago. Governing ? Not so much. Pelosi's first bill after Biden was installed was HR 1, which would establish federal election laws, drafted by Democrats, to over ride state election laws. It may have been unconstitutional but I was astonished that it was not passed and signed.; 9/6/22, 11:17 AM
DanTheMan said...: >>"Why can't you check?"

Because "checking" is a racist tool to disenfranchise minorities!

That's why we don't check photo ID's.
That's why we don't check to see if a voter has died.
That's why we don't check to see if a voter has moved.
That's why we don't check mail-in ballot signatures.
That's why we don't check mail-in ballot postmarks.
That's why we don't check to see if an absentee voter has actually requested an absentee ballot.
That's why we don't check voter's addresses to see if they are real places, or used 100 times.

It's the corollary of the "guilty man" concept... Better that we accept 10,000 fake votes than deny one real one.; 9/6/22, 11:21 AM
Original Mike said...: Althouse said…"Why all the intensity against American citizens?" "Why can't you check?"

Blogger Scott Patton responded…"Because the point is the citizens aren't supposed to believe them. We're supposed to pretend to believe them. In that way, we demonstrate that we know our place. The job of the media is to constantly remind us to know our place."

I think this is right, and it's particularly heinous. In totalitarian states, everyone knows the government is lying and the government knows they know. That is the point, to remind the people of their place.; 9/6/22, 11:29 AM
Earnest Prole said...: In 2018 *two thirds* of Democrats believed “Russia tampered with vote tallies in order to get Donald Trump elected” — exactly the same as the percentage of Republicans who believe the 2020 election was stolen. Somehow only the latter belief is an existential threat to democracy.; 9/6/22, 11:34 AM
Original Mike said...: Blogger RoseAnne said..."In 2016 the election was called stolen and illegitimate because Hillary lost and Trump won. People still speak of it as a "fact" - including the current president of the United States. If you ask "how", "Russian interference" is the response. But you never hear is what specifically the Russians did and how it impacted on the election. The most I have ever heard is "internet ads" - hardly decisive."

As an example, Left Bank loves his "Russian Interference in 2016" charge; mentions it at every opportunity. He has yet, to my knowledge, explained what "interference" he believes occurred.; 9/6/22, 11:38 AM
Inga said...: Questioning things by the left done by the right has been deemed evil since the days of questioning the validity of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. I also recall the left being demonized by the right and called unpatriotic when not accepting the Invasion of Iraq. So much outrage over Biden criticizing MAGA and Trumpism, while forgetting what it was like during the Bush years. Every single day we hear how evil the left is by the majority right wing commenters here. I’ve never heard any outrage or pushback.

The outrage by the right over Biden’s comments, sound like Civility Bullshit on steroids.; 9/6/22, 11:48 AM
boatbuilder said...: Thank you for this post.

Simple, common sense. I have been raising this with every Dem who brings it up (they always bring it up, not me).

Why not fix the problems? It generally ends the conversation.; 9/6/22, 12:11 PM
Joe Smith said...: And I wish I was 6'4" and had a huge cock.

Unfortunately, I'm only 5'11" : ); 9/6/22, 12:11 PM
Mainstream Democrat said...: Oh please. The 2020 outcome was checked and double checked and in some cases triple checked as Trump challenged the results in six key states. He lost every single challenge. Worse, he never presented or found ANY evidence of fraud or anything else that would have changed the outcome in any of those states. That's a fact. Trump's ridiculous lies about "fraud" continue to cause deep, serious divisions among our people, divisions pregnant with violence. Which does make him a threat to our Constititional Republic.; 9/6/22, 12:24 PM
Original Mike said...: " So much outrage over Biden criticizing MAGA and Trumpism, while forgetting what it was like during the Bush years."

Yes, I remember well Bush's Reichstag speech in front of Independence Hall, where he called the other party a "Clear and Present Danger" to democracy …; 9/6/22, 12:34 PM
Unknown said...: As long as McConnell is there to provide cover for the leftist , nothing will happen.; 9/6/22, 12:46 PM
Stephen said...: I don't get the basis for your skepticism, Professor Althouse.

Every lawsuit brought to set aside the results of the 2020 election in swing states failed. More than sixty. Not all based on standing: dozens of them on the merits. In many of those cases, allegations of fraud were not made, or were withdrawn, because the lawyers involved believed that they had no ethical basis to make them--that is, they were frivolous. Trump's lead lawyer has been suspended from the practice of law for making hundreds of knowingly false statements about fraud in representing his client that he was unable to defend in the disciplinary proceedings. Others have been sanctioned for filing and prosecuting false or frivolous claims.

Every recount in a swing state, and every remotely neutral audit, has confirmed the results.

Every responsible election official in swing states--Governors and Secretaries of State--including many Trump supporters, concluded after investigation that the election was lawful.

Trump's own Justice and Homeland Security Departments confirmed the result. No fraud. Strong security.

In libel suits pending regarding the false allegations of voting machine tampering, Trump's lawyers have defended by arguing that no one could reasonably have believed those allegations.

This against the background that researchers believer that successful voter fraud is rare and almost never outcome determinative. Trump's own commission on the topic failed because there turned out to be nothing to study. Responsible moderate judges like Posner, a Reagan appointee, have suggested that a lot of anti fraud measures taken in recent years are not justified by any actual risk of fraud and are pretextual--intended to make it harder for legitimate poor and minority voters to exercise their rights.

So where is this skepticism coming from? I mean, free speech is critical, but unsupported and cynical BS, though it may be protected, is still BS at the end of the day, and can be profoundly destructive. Do you have any reason to believe that the concerns Trump and his supporters are expressing has any substantive basis? How about a short para explaining what you think that basis is?; 9/6/22, 1:12 PM
CWJ said...: "Did you wish President Trump would support investigating Russian interference in American elections instead of demonizing the millions of people who felt skeptical?"

Sheesh. What a lame attempt at whataboutism.; 9/6/22, 1:36 PM
Howard said...: Joe: it might sound like fun, but when everyone looks up to you for leadership, it's like having two full time jobs. You have to delegate to short guys, like you, in a way that doesn't bruise delicate egos while limiting to relatively simple tasks that can be successfully accomplish.

Then there's this problem you've never had:

Too Beaucoup; 9/6/22, 1:40 PM
CWJ said...: Left Bank, refer to Stephen @ 1:12. He does it much better.; 9/6/22, 1:42 PM
effinayright said...: The notion that no one, no entity, has legal "standing" to take to court Biden's very-likely-unconstitutional order to "forgive" a half-trillion dollars in federal debt is ..... bonkers:

IOW, the actions taken are beyond a POTUS;s power, but no one can get a court to look at it to rule on that fundamental legal controversy.
The Framers certainly did not intend for such a contradiction to stymie our politics.

DITTO with the claim that American citizens cannot exercise their First Amendment rights to speak and to petition against grievances, in this case claims that its national election was rigged.

"Shut UP!!, they explain.; 9/6/22, 2:20 PM
Narayanan said...: Ann Althouse said...
Whatever happened to "transparency"?

No, it's become: How dare you ask to look?!
==========
asking to look >>> pointing out opacity of X; 9/6/22, 2:27 PM
Tomcc said...: “If all the votes are added up in PA, Trump is going to lose,” Shapiro wrote on Twitter. “That’s why he’s working overtime to subtract as many votes as possible from this process.”
"Shapiro" is Josh Shapiro, the AG for PA, the day before the 2020 election. Not evidence of fraud, but one gets the sense of "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?".; 9/6/22, 2:32 PM
Jim at said...: Trump's ridiculous lies about "fraud" continue to cause deep, serious divisions among our people, divisions pregnant with violence. Which does make him a threat to our Constititional Republic.

So what are you going to do about it? Come on. DO something about Trump and his evil supporters if we're such a threat to your precious republic.

Make your best move.; 9/6/22, 3:51 PM
The Godfather said...: I blame Trump. Elections have been manulipted for ages, and it was obvious that the special departures from normal procedures supposedly due to Covid would be particularly dramatic in 2020. But Trump wasn;t ready for it, was he?; 9/6/22, 9:58 PM
Rusty said...: Stephen.
Then why are you acting like you stole it?; 9/6/22, 9:59 PM