Trump and the GOP resort to desperate tactics to try to rig the 2020 election
The Republican controlled Senate has blocked legislation proposed by the Democrats to protect our elections. Why are Republicans fearful about protecting voting integrity? Republicans can’t win in a country that leans moderate to left without cheating. Just as some members of the population are afraid of the far left, likening them to “socialism,” they are also against the far right, who enact laws to benefit rich people. The difference between these two groups is obvious. The left crafts beneficial policies and hits the campaign trail; the right finds new and inventive ways to cheat, like Brian Kemp overseeing his own election in Georgia.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is the top Democrat on the Rules Committee, tried in vain to call the Election Security Act to the floor, according to the Hill. This Act would require backup paper ballots, as well as grants to states to help ensure the security of elections. Before she could even finish, the Act was blocked by James Lankford (R-OK). Ironically, Lankford and Klobuchar have worked on election protections together. So why would Lankford block this?
These two people have been working together, but suddenly, according to Lankford, Klobuchar has made their work “partisan.” Why? Because Klobuchar added an amendment that would require “President” Trump to come up with a strategy to protect U.S. institutions from cyber attacks. Someone please explain why protecting our institutions is partisan. Perhaps it’s Trump’s complete inability to say something intelligent while keeping his mouth clear of stupidity.
Yes, Democrats are concerned about Trump’s confession during his ABC News interview with George Stephanopoulos that he would “look at” information from foreign governments and that he would not call the FBI. Most Americans are concerned about those statements. His statements were wrong and they were treasonous. Any true patriot would see it this way, but not Republicans. They are like lemmings, following Trump off a steep cliff. In a way, that’s a good thing. So many now see through the Republicans, and won’t fall for their foolishness again. Knowing this — and surely they do — what else can the Republicans do but cheat?
As his final push against an act that he helped to co-write, Lankford claims that it is far too late to even attempt to make these changes prior to the 2020 election. Excuse me, but isn’t the election more than a year away? This is not rocket science, folks, and states should be able to implement these changes rather quickly or at least in sufficient time for the 2020 vote. Any excuse will do for a Republican who stands to lose if elections are ensured to be fair. This is merely part and parcel of the Republican Senate’s goal of blocking election and ethics reform in an effort to keep Trump and themselves in office. Klobuchar said it best: “If a few counties in one swing state … get hacked into with no backup paper ballots and we can’t figure out what happened, the entire election will be called into question.” That is exactly what the Republicans want.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years