Double Edged Sword: Republicans sitting out future elections due to mistrust of the system

essentialsaltes · Oct 23, 2021

Former President Trump sent me a donation solicitation yesterday:

Friend,

If we don’t solve the Presidential Election Fraud of 2020 (which we have thoroughly and conclusively documented), Republicans will not be voting in 2022 or 2024.
It is the single most important thing for Republicans to do.

I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.

Please contribute at least $45 or more IMMEDIATELY to the Protect our Elections Fund.

Thank you,

Donald J. Trump
45th President of the United States
Paid for by Save America JFC, a joint fundraising committee on behalf of Save America and the Make America Great Again PAC.

[emphasis in red added]

Lin Wood has told people he's never voting again, and others are chiming in with the same message.

Now it's not entirely clear what it means to 'solve' the 2020 election. Maybe it will be the more restrictive voting laws being passed in states here and there. But the needle seems to have moved to 'investigations' in all 50 states, and obviously some people expect Trump's triumphant return to the White House when 'the fraud is found'. This just isn't going to happen. No widespread fraud happened, so it won't be found, and regardless, nothing can undo the fact that the Electoral College did its job and Trump lost and is not president. So assuming some of these people are sincere and will take action...

On the one hand, from my perspective this is a glorious self-own. If the losers want to take their ball and go home, then they are ensuring future losses. Even if only a small percentage of the GOP base feels this way, it will be enough to turn purple regions blue.

On the other hand, this is exactly the kind of erosion of faith in American institutions that people warned about when Trump ran roughshod over our political traditions from the very beginning. I very much fear that people who sincerely believe the ballot box is rigged will follow the model of Jan 6 or turn to 'second amendment remedies'. We've seen the anger directed at Republican election officials in Arizona and Georgia, states largely run by Republican lawmakers. It's hard to see how we can increase trust in elections if some of the GOP base won't trust their own team.

And of course, The Former Guy isn't helping one bit with his messaging.

Handmaid for Jesus · Oct 23, 2021

Republican voters may choose to not vote. However Republican candidates will still run.

bekkilyn · Oct 23, 2021

I have to say though that I'm amused that he asked for a minimum of 45 dollars.

(Though it looks like he's attempting something of a copycat of Bernie's $27.)

SkyWriting · Oct 23, 2021

essentialsaltes said:
Former President Trump sent me a donation solicitation yesterday:

Friend,

If we don’t solve the Presidential Election Fraud of 2020 (which we have thoroughly and conclusively documented), Republicans will not be voting in 2022 or 2024.
It is the single most important thing for Republicans to do.

I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.

Please contribute at least $45 or more IMMEDIATELY to the Protect our Elections Fund.

Thank you,

Donald J. Trump
45th President of the United States
Paid for by Save America JFC, a joint fundraising committee on behalf of Save America and the Make America Great Again PAC.

[emphasis in red added]

Lin Wood has told people he's never voting again, and others are chiming in with the same message.

Now it's not entirely clear what it means to 'solve' the 2020 election. Maybe it will be the more restrictive voting laws being passed in states here and there. But the needle seems to have moved to 'investigations' in all 50 states, and obviously some people expect Trump's triumphant return to the White House when 'the fraud is found'. This just isn't going to happen. No widespread fraud happened, so it won't be found, and regardless, nothing can undo the fact that the Electoral College did its job and Trump lost and is not president. So assuming some of these people are sincere and will take action...

On the one hand, from my perspective this is a glorious self-own. If the losers want to take their ball and go home, then they are ensuring future losses. Even if only a small percentage of the GOP base feels this way, it will be enough to turn purple regions blue.

On the other hand, this is exactly the kind of erosion of faith in American institutions that people warned about when Trump ran roughshod over our political traditions from the very beginning. I very much fear that people who sincerely believe the ballot box is rigged will follow the model of Jan 6 or turn to 'second amendment remedies'. We've seen the anger directed at Republican election officials in Arizona and Georgia, states largely run by Republican lawmakers. It's hard to see how we can increase trust in elections if some of the GOP base won't trust their own team.

And of course, The Former Guy isn't helping one bit with his messaging.

I don't encourage anyone to ever miss a chance to vote.
This is the dumbest movement which will remove the dumbest people
from the vote totals. It's now more important than ever to make
these people feel loved and supported. Be kind to them.

Tom 1 · Oct 23, 2021

SkyWriting said:
I don't encourage anyone to ever miss a chance to vote.
This is the dumbest movement which will remove the dumbest people
from the vote totals. It's now more important than ever to make
these people feel loved and supported. Be kind to them.

Kindness involves identifying them as ‘the dumbest’?

SkyWriting · Oct 23, 2021

Tom 1 said:
Kindness involves identifying them as ‘the dumbest’?

Sure. The dumbest people need a lot of love.
Like beggars on the street need tons of love.
Like Democrats and Republicans need lots of love.

Tom 1 · Oct 23, 2021

essentialsaltes said:
Former President Trump sent me a donation solicitation yesterday:

Friend,

If we don’t solve the Presidential Election Fraud of 2020 (which we have thoroughly and conclusively documented), Republicans will not be voting in 2022 or 2024.
It is the single most important thing for Republicans to do.

I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.

Please contribute at least $45 or more IMMEDIATELY to the Protect our Elections Fund.

Thank you,

Donald J. Trump
45th President of the United States
Paid for by Save America JFC, a joint fundraising committee on behalf of Save America and the Make America Great Again PAC.

[emphasis in red added]

Lin Wood has told people he's never voting again, and others are chiming in with the same message.

Now it's not entirely clear what it means to 'solve' the 2020 election. Maybe it will be the more restrictive voting laws being passed in states here and there. But the needle seems to have moved to 'investigations' in all 50 states, and obviously some people expect Trump's triumphant return to the White House when 'the fraud is found'. This just isn't going to happen. No widespread fraud happened, so it won't be found, and regardless, nothing can undo the fact that the Electoral College did its job and Trump lost and is not president. So assuming some of these people are sincere and will take action...

On the one hand, from my perspective this is a glorious self-own. If the losers want to take their ball and go home, then they are ensuring future losses. Even if only a small percentage of the GOP base feels this way, it will be enough to turn purple regions blue.

On the other hand, this is exactly the kind of erosion of faith in American institutions that people warned about when Trump ran roughshod over our political traditions from the very beginning. I very much fear that people who sincerely believe the ballot box is rigged will follow the model of Jan 6 or turn to 'second amendment remedies'. We've seen the anger directed at Republican election officials in Arizona and Georgia, states largely run by Republican lawmakers. It's hard to see how we can increase trust in elections if some of the GOP base won't trust their own team.

And of course, The Former Guy isn't helping one bit with his messaging.

(mild expletive) what a shameless grifter.

essentialsaltes · Oct 23, 2021

Speaking of people who are not helping...

Michael Flynn Warns of ‘Problems’ if Arizona Attorney General Does Not Indict and Arrest Election Officials

Former national security adviser and “stop the steal” activist Michael Flynn appeared on “constitutional sheriff” Richard Mack’s BrighteonTV show last week, where he claimed that Maricopa County, Arizona Board of Election Supervisors were guilty of “criminal behavior” and had committed “a million felonies” related to the 2020 election and subsequent “audit” ordered by state Senate Republicans. Maricopa County officials and others have refuted the “irresponsible and dangerous” claims made by Cyber Ninjas, the firm hired to carry out the so-called audit.

Flynn noted that Arizona’s attorney general is looking into claims by Cyber Ninjas, and he warned that if the attorney general did not bring indictments and make arrests, “We’re gonna have problems not just in Arizona but across this country.”

Flynn, who urged former President Donald Trump to declare martial law and have the military oversee a new election rather than leave office after his defeat, insisted that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen.”

During the interview, Flynn praised “The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates,” a book by anti-abortion extremist Matthew Trewhella that argues that the primary duty of “lesser magistrates”—or lower-level public officials—is “to oppose and resist any laws or edicts form the higher authority that contravene the law or Word of God.”

rturner76 · Oct 23, 2021

What I don't like it he seems to be getting his people revved up for some kind of Coup. What's the alternative to not voting? Storm your state capital? Is Donald Trump trying to incite a civil war?

Sketcher · Oct 23, 2021

If someone wanted to destroy the Republican Party, this is exactly how they'd do it.

Out of curiosity, I wonder how legit this is.

Desk trauma · Oct 23, 2021

Sketcher said:
If someone wanted to destroy the Republican Party, this is exactly how they'd do it.

Out of curiosity, I wonder how legit this is.

The fundraising letter is in line with comments the former president has made via his pseudo-tweet press releases recently.

Sketcher · Oct 23, 2021

Desk trauma said:
The fundraising letter is in line with comments the former president has made via his pseudo-tweet press releases recently.

And that's how scammers hook you. Not hard for foreign hackers to take what Trump has put out as a hook, set up a site or e-mail server, and repeat a bit of that, then escalate the message. Q is probably one of those.

Of course, making it this easy for them is on Trump.

Desk trauma · Oct 23, 2021

Sketcher said:
And that's how scammers hook you. Not hard for foreign hackers to take what Trump has put out as a hook, set up a site or e-mail server, and repeat a bit of that, then escalate the message. Q is probably one of those.

Of course, making it this easy for them is on Trump.

I misunderstood, I thought the question of legitimacy was about the contents of the remark not the mailer being from the campaign. On that point, it's a scam either way.

Albion · Oct 23, 2021

Well, the nature of campaign contributions solicitations is that they make everything seem immanent and desperate. That doesn't mean anything other than that they want the recipient to be moved to take action, fast, and generously.

But as to the idea of Republicans sitting out the 2022 or 2024 elections, that's not at all likely.

The thinking at present, on the part of influential Democrats as well as Republicans, and on the part of the media, is that 2022 will be a banner year for Republicans.

The number of Republicans who are at present so dissatisfied or frustrated that they'll choose not to vote is very small.

essentialsaltes · Oct 23, 2021

Albion said:
The number of Republicans who are at present so dissatisfied or frustrated that they'll choose not to vote is very small.

Agreed, but it will be interesting to see if 'very small' is 0.04%, 0.4%, or 4%. Or if it's even more concentrated in the states like AZ and GA where Republicans seem to be angriest about things. A 0.4% swing in those states might keep them blue. A 4% swing nationwide would make NC and FL turn blue if the results were similar to 2020.

HIM · Oct 23, 2021

SkyWriting said:
I don't encourage anyone to ever miss a chance to vote.
This is the dumbest movement which will remove the dumbest people
from the vote totals. It's now more important than ever to make
these people feel loved and supported. Be kind to them.

Dumb people?
What is dumb is that anyone would vote for any of the candidates pushed to the forefront. If anything the last two elections should of shown America was, who they want pushed through is who will be pushed through.

Albion · Oct 23, 2021

rturner76 said:
What I don't like it he seems to be getting his people revved up for some kind of Coup. What's the alternative to not voting? Storm your state capital? Is Donald Trump trying to incite a civil war?

Psst. The alternative is to sit out the election without voting!

That's all.

But don't spread this around. There are a lot of people who thrill to conspiracy theories, and they'll be disappointed to learn that Trump voters not voting would mean nothing more than that they think their votes wouldn't count.

rturner76 · Oct 23, 2021

Albion said:
Psst. The alternative is to sit out the election without voting!

That's all.

But don't spread this around. There are a lot of people who thrill to conspiracy theories, and they'll be disappointed to learn that Trump voters not voting would mean nothing more than that they think their votes wouldn't count.

If that's all, how will it help aside from Democrats winning everywhere? Do you think he wants that or chaos?

Albion · Oct 24, 2021

rturner76 said:
If that's all, how will it help aside from Democrats winning everywhere?

That is a message soliciting contributions from people who are on some sort of list of possible financial contributors. It's not sent to all Republican voters.

To the people who get the letter, it's saying that money is needed right away in order to fight Trump's fight for election reform or whatever, OR ELSE there will be enough Republicans who will simply give up and not vote in 2022, which will in turn let the Democrats win.

This is a very routine kind of fundraising technique.

rturner76 · Oct 24, 2021

Albion said:
That is a message soliciting contributions from people who are on some sort of list of possible financial contributors. It's not sent to all Republican voters.

To the people who get the letter, it's saying that money is needed right away in order to fight Trump's fight for election reform or whatever, OR ELSE there will be enough Republicans who will simply give up and not vote in 2022, which will in turn let the Democrats win.

This is a very routine kind of fundraising technique.

So play on people's anxiety and insecurity the have a call to ation. "The world is about to end, send us at least $45 and we can save it from ruin."

Something like that?

Double Edged Sword: Republicans sitting out future elections due to mistrust of the system

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Front row at the dumpster fire of the republic

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