Per a related Washington Post article: What gets missed in this madness is that, despite Trump's insistence that mail-in ballots will favor Democrats, the actual evidence on the matter is...
Back in March, President Trump seemed to blurt out the real reason he opposes expanded voting by mail in the 2020 election. Referring to provisions in the Democrats’ coronavirus stimulus bill to vastly increase funding for voting by mail, he said on Fox News that the bill had “levels of voting that, if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
What gets missed in this madness is that, despite Trump's insistence that mail-in ballots will favor Democrats, the actual evidence on the matter is inconclusive [1]. So why does Trump continue to parrot this talking point?
I'd content that while Republicans might be just as likely to vote by mail as Democrats, Republicans are less affected by poll closures. Consider the Wisconsin primary. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin's largest city, a shortage of poll workers reduced the number of polling places from one hundred eighty to just five [2]. Large cities in Wisconsin were similarly (if less drastically) affected.
In fact, polling place shortages happened throughout the state, but the remaining polling places were consolidated in such a way as to disenfranchise city dwellers [3] and, in particular, black voters [4]. Outside of Milwaukee, the number of polling places dropped by a milder 11% [4] -- contrast that with Milwaukee, where the number dropped by over 97%.
Trump and his ilk aren't concerned with mail-in ballots favoring Democrats; they're concerned with Democrats voting at all, which is why they're trying to force city-dwelling Democrats to vote in-person, despite inevitable polling place shortages. As David Frum asserted,
If conservatives become convinced that they can not win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. The will reject democracy.
This. I would add "with Democratic votes coming later, if at all" as, after all this pushing to get his Base to vote in person, Trump will then be pushing hard to disenfranchise the mail-in votes...
Trump may also be aiming to declare a victory on Election Night. Republican votes are basically counted first with Democratic votes coming later.
This. I would add "with Democratic votes coming later, if at all" as, after all this pushing to get his Base to vote in person, Trump will then be pushing hard to disenfranchise the mail-in votes any way he can.
Well said. To add onto your comment, if anyone is interested in looking more into the larger issues here, I can recommend Carol Anderson's book One Person, No Vote. It's a comprehensive look at...
Well said.
To add onto your comment, if anyone is interested in looking more into the larger issues here, I can recommend Carol Anderson's book One Person, No Vote. It's a comprehensive look at voter suppression tactics that have been employed in the United States -- especially since 2013, after the Shelby decision went into effect.
It's hard to say what Trump wants. In Bolton's book, Bolton mentions that every policy position was crafted with Trump's reelection in mind. In fact, reelection seems to be Trump's sole interest....
It's hard to say what Trump wants. In Bolton's book, Bolton mentions that every policy position was crafted with Trump's reelection in mind. In fact, reelection seems to be Trump's sole interest. But if that's the case, why even bother running? What does Trump look forward to in a second term?
It looks like Lyndon B. Johnson was the most recent President to not run for a second term [1] (though he did hold office for 6 years). I suppose we could ask why anyone decides to run (or rerun)...
It looks like Lyndon B. Johnson was the most recent President to not run for a second term [1] (though he did hold office for 6 years). I suppose we could ask why anyone decides to run (or rerun) for President. I think narcissism must be part of the reason, but presumably people run for President because they're passionate about something.
Personally I'm hesitant to dismiss Trump's reelection campaign as exclusively a vanity project (even if that's how it feels); the explanation just feels a little too simplistic and a little too uncharitable. For what it's worth, Cohen thinks that Trump "will never leave office peacefully" because Trump "knows he will face prison time if he leaves" [2], which I consider equally uncharitable but at least not so reductionist. And of course Trump surrounds himself with sycophants, so perhaps they convinced him to run again. Trump might truly believe he's the best equipped person to lead the country.
Honestly we could speculate all day about why Trump wants to be reelected President, but if we were to ask him directly, I doubt he could give us a straight answer. Maybe it's some combination of all the above; maybe he doesn't know himself; maybe mere inertia propels his campaign forward, having never stopped to consider an alternative.
I think it's mainly that. And while the sycophants certainly don't help, it's mainly a product of narcissism. The actual rationale that he may use probably changes day to day depending on who he's...
Trump might truly believe he's the best equipped person to lead the country.
I think it's mainly that. And while the sycophants certainly don't help, it's mainly a product of narcissism. The actual rationale that he may use probably changes day to day depending on who he's talked to the most recently, and what Fox News is screaming about today, but in the end the universe revolves around him and so why shouldn't he be in charge?
To add onto this, the last president who didn't run for re-election was Lyndon Johnson in 1968 because his health was declining. Before that you have to go back to the 19th century.
To add onto this, the last president who didn't run for re-election was Lyndon Johnson in 1968 because his health was declining. Before that you have to go back to the 19th century.
The cynical view is that Trump can look forward to continued executive privilege or other forms of legal immunity to stave off legal repercussions for his crimes before and during his first term....
What does Trump look forward to in a second term?
The cynical view is that Trump can look forward to continued executive privilege or other forms of legal immunity to stave off legal repercussions for his crimes before and during his first term. And, if you had to compare the cynical view to other perspectives on Trump, I think the cynics gets pretty good mileage.
Whether he knows it or not, Trump is driving towards a self-fulfilling prophesy. If he'd never complained about mail-in voting, it might have seen only a minor 'blue shift' if any. But now, by...
Whether he knows it or not, Trump is driving towards a self-fulfilling prophesy. If he'd never complained about mail-in voting, it might have seen only a minor 'blue shift' if any.
But now, by harping on it, he's ensured that his Base will vote in person ('cuz f*** that Covid s***), while many Democrats will still vote by mail, giving Trump a big boost on Election Night ... and what comes after that will be chaotic.
Well, maybe, but I think concern about the post office means there is going to be a lot of early voting. I'm wondering how soon states start counting mail-in ballots that have already arrived?
Well, maybe, but I think concern about the post office means there is going to be a lot of early voting. I'm wondering how soon states start counting mail-in ballots that have already arrived?
So what can you do? Do not wait until the last minute to get your ballot in! Quoting from a related article: In various other discussions and internet forums, I have seen people asking how they...
So what can you do? Do not wait until the last minute to get your ballot in! Quoting from a related article:
Some letter carriers and distribution facility employees told Motherboard election mail is often sorted by hand to ensure it gets handled promptly and properly, but this seems to vary by location.
That being said, this would only be a problem for voters who waited until the last minute to send back their ballots. If mail-in ballots are sent and returned over a period of weeks instead of days, it is unlikely, the postal workers said, to stress the machines even if some are taken away.
In various other discussions and internet forums, I have seen people asking how they can resist this thinly veiled sabotage of mail-in voting. Buy stamps to give the post office more money? Call your reps in Congress? One of the easiest ways is to make it easier on USPS by sending in your ballot as early as you can.
I came here for the answer to this question. First thing I'm going to do is request my mail-in ballot right now that it's been updated for the recent state supreme court ruling. Looks like I'll be...
I came here for the answer to this question. First thing I'm going to do is request my mail-in ballot right now that it's been updated for the recent state supreme court ruling. Looks like I'll be attending some online events for the Church of Universal Suffrage.
This was top of yahoo news for me for a second... Trump says he is holding up coronavirus aid to block Postal Service funds for voting by mail Now this is USPS Warns At Least 2 States That Mail-In...
Per a related Washington Post article:
What gets missed in this madness is that, despite Trump's insistence that mail-in ballots will favor Democrats, the actual evidence on the matter is inconclusive [1]. So why does Trump continue to parrot this talking point?
I'd content that while Republicans might be just as likely to vote by mail as Democrats, Republicans are less affected by poll closures. Consider the Wisconsin primary. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin's largest city, a shortage of poll workers reduced the number of polling places from one hundred eighty to just five [2]. Large cities in Wisconsin were similarly (if less drastically) affected.
In fact, polling place shortages happened throughout the state, but the remaining polling places were consolidated in such a way as to disenfranchise city dwellers [3] and, in particular, black voters [4]. Outside of Milwaukee, the number of polling places dropped by a milder 11% [4] -- contrast that with Milwaukee, where the number dropped by over 97%.
Trump and his ilk aren't concerned with mail-in ballots favoring Democrats; they're concerned with Democrats voting at all, which is why they're trying to force city-dwelling Democrats to vote in-person, despite inevitable polling place shortages. As David Frum asserted,
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/25/us/vote-by-mail-coronavirus.html
[2] https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2020/04/06/wisconsins-closed-polls/
[3] https://www.wisconsinwatch.org/2020/06/study-poll-closings-covid-19-fears-kept-many-milwaukee-voters-away/
[4] https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/did-consolidating-polling-places-milwaukee-depress-turnout
This. I would add "with Democratic votes coming later, if at all" as, after all this pushing to get his Base to vote in person, Trump will then be pushing hard to disenfranchise the mail-in votes any way he can.
Well said.
To add onto your comment, if anyone is interested in looking more into the larger issues here, I can recommend Carol Anderson's book One Person, No Vote. It's a comprehensive look at voter suppression tactics that have been employed in the United States -- especially since 2013, after the Shelby decision went into effect.
It's hard to say what Trump wants. In Bolton's book, Bolton mentions that every policy position was crafted with Trump's reelection in mind. In fact, reelection seems to be Trump's sole interest. But if that's the case, why even bother running? What does Trump look forward to in a second term?
It looks like Lyndon B. Johnson was the most recent President to not run for a second term [1] (though he did hold office for 6 years). I suppose we could ask why anyone decides to run (or rerun) for President. I think narcissism must be part of the reason, but presumably people run for President because they're passionate about something.
Personally I'm hesitant to dismiss Trump's reelection campaign as exclusively a vanity project (even if that's how it feels); the explanation just feels a little too simplistic and a little too uncharitable. For what it's worth, Cohen thinks that Trump "will never leave office peacefully" because Trump "knows he will face prison time if he leaves" [2], which I consider equally uncharitable but at least not so reductionist. And of course Trump surrounds himself with sycophants, so perhaps they convinced him to run again. Trump might truly believe he's the best equipped person to lead the country.
Honestly we could speculate all day about why Trump wants to be reelected President, but if we were to ask him directly, I doubt he could give us a straight answer. Maybe it's some combination of all the above; maybe he doesn't know himself; maybe mere inertia propels his campaign forward, having never stopped to consider an alternative.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_United_States_presidential_election
[2] https://disloyalthebook.com/download-the-disloyal-foreword-written-by-michael-cohen/
I think it's mainly that. And while the sycophants certainly don't help, it's mainly a product of narcissism. The actual rationale that he may use probably changes day to day depending on who he's talked to the most recently, and what Fox News is screaming about today, but in the end the universe revolves around him and so why shouldn't he be in charge?
To add onto this, the last president who didn't run for re-election was Lyndon Johnson in 1968 because his health was declining. Before that you have to go back to the 19th century.
The cynical view is that Trump can look forward to continued executive privilege or other forms of legal immunity to stave off legal repercussions for his crimes before and during his first term. And, if you had to compare the cynical view to other perspectives on Trump, I think the cynics gets pretty good mileage.
Whether he knows it or not, Trump is driving towards a self-fulfilling prophesy. If he'd never complained about mail-in voting, it might have seen only a minor 'blue shift' if any.
But now, by harping on it, he's ensured that his Base will vote in person ('cuz f*** that Covid s***), while many Democrats will still vote by mail, giving Trump a big boost on Election Night ... and what comes after that will be chaotic.
Well, maybe, but I think concern about the post office means there is going to be a lot of early voting. I'm wondering how soon states start counting mail-in ballots that have already arrived?
As with all things voting, it's different for each state. I believe several explicitly prevent early counting (before Election Day) of early votes.
So what can you do? Do not wait until the last minute to get your ballot in! Quoting from a related article:
In various other discussions and internet forums, I have seen people asking how they can resist this thinly veiled sabotage of mail-in voting. Buy stamps to give the post office more money? Call your reps in Congress? One of the easiest ways is to make it easier on USPS by sending in your ballot as early as you can.
I came here for the answer to this question. First thing I'm going to do is request my mail-in ballot right now that it's been updated for the recent state supreme court ruling. Looks like I'll be attending some online events for the Church of Universal Suffrage.
This was top of yahoo news for me for a second... Trump says he is holding up coronavirus aid to block Postal Service funds for voting by mail
Now this is USPS Warns At Least 2 States That Mail-In Ballots May Not Be Delivered On Time
Ayyyyyyy