Trump Is Going to Cheat

[babylonsister]

Trump Is Going to Cheat
How should Democrats fight against a president who has no moral or legal compass?
6:00 AM ET
Sarada Peri
Former senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama

snip//

Factually, Trump’s position is rather weak. A stronger candidate would be flying higher, given the economic recovery that began (and yielded greater success) under President Barack Obama’s watch. While Trump remains an untouchable, vengeful god within the Republican Party and is competitive in crucial battleground states, he is relentlessly divisive. He must win back the suburban voters who handed the House of Representatives to Democrats in 2018—an especially difficult task now that he’s released an Achilles’ heel of a budget that would cut Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, and a host of other popular programs.

But—and this must be said out loud—the facts may not matter.

If past is prologue, Trump will say absolutely anything necessary to attract and maintain support, including patent untruths. His pathological lying has been well documented and yet never ceases to stun. By one count, he has told more than 15,000 lies since taking office. A small sampling: After falsely declaring that Hurricane Dorian was headed toward Alabama, he displayed a doctored map to cover his tracks, and his chief of staff made the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration release a statement defending his lie. Trump also recently claimed that he rescued health coverage for people with preexisting conditions—even though he has gutted the Affordable Care Act and is suing to overturn it. One day after tweeting, “We will not be touching your Social Security or Medicare in Fiscal 2021 Budget,” his budget revealed cuts to both.

How can Democrats run against a candidate who will simply deny his unpopular positions and make up nonexistent accomplishments? No amount of fact-checking can counter his constant stream of mendacity, which has become white noise in our political culture.

Lying, of course, is only one challenge. The Democratic nominee will also have to contend with cheating. After the 2016 election, the journalist Katy Tur offered an applicable analogy. She said that what made covering Trump as a reporter and running against him as a candidate so difficult was the way that scandals stuck—or didn’t stick—to him. Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state was like a stain on her shirt that people couldn’t get past, because it was the only mark on an otherwise clean shirt. But Trump had so many stains that “you couldn’t tell if it was a stained shirt or if it was just supposed to be that way.”

more...

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/hes-going-cheat/606643/

[Skittles]

1. that's all Trump has EVER done to "win"

he is a cheater in every fucking way possible

[2naSalit]

4. I'd like to know

how he's cheating death at this point. His lack of healthy life practices should have done him in long ago.

[Xipe Totec]

25. He died a year ago. We've been dealing with his stunt double. nt

Just in case it wasn't clear....

[2naSalit]

30. I wouldn't be surprised.

[BKDem]

24. Playing fair doesn't occur to him.

On some deep, unacknowledged level, he knows he’s a stone cold loser. He knows can’t win without cheating.

[Skittles]

26. he CAN'T play fair

because he knows he would LOSE

he doesn't have what it takes to really WIN

[BKDem]

28. Because HE'S ALWAYS GUILTY.

[Wounded Bear]

2. Water is wet, rocks are hard, the sky is up...nt

[0rganism]

3. our GE candidate better be ready to fact check real-time and willing to call out lies as such

no more presumptions of good faith or whatever. when the liar lies, call him the fuck out and be prepared to refute. no compromises.

[2naSalit]

5. +

[wnylib]

32. No, I don't think fact-checking is the

way to go. Why bother when he will tell 10 more lies while you are disputing the first one?

Fact checking and disputing give him and his lies the legitimacy of being taken seriously.

Treat him with eye-rolling refusal to engage in that game. Take a page from Reagan's technique of putting down an opponent with, "There you go again." Diss him openly, on the debate stage, with a low key delivery of "Whatever."

Ask him, "Are you sure of that, Donny?" "Got a source for that claim, Donny boy?"

Throw his own tactics back at him. When he says something that is obviously untrue or dubious, don't waste time looking up fscts to dispute with him. He won't acknowledge facts or truth. Just cast doubt on everything he says, without calling him a liar in so many words, by saying, "Some people say that your facts are not reliable. I don't know. Just something people say."

Don't play a straight game with a crooked player. Laugh at him openly and freely, in public. Remember how he was thrown a bit at the UN when delegates openly laughed at his ridiculous claims? We need more of this public refusal to take him seriously. "Oh, Donny, you're such a card."

Narcissists can't stand not being taken seriously. Keep him so off guard that he can't think up the next excuse or lie fast enough."

[qwlauren35]

43. Yes, this is the key.

I would love to see an ad campaign of his worst lies.

During the debates, he has to be mocked and pushed past the breaking point so that he does something tremendously stupid.

[wnylib]

45. I don't know. He has already done

tremendously stupid things with impunity.

My ideas is just to disctedit him at every turn. Make him a laughing stock so no one takes him seriously enough to vote for him.

Don't argue with him or dispute what he says. Just make him look like a fool at every turn. Knock him off guard so he has no comebacks and looks silly trying to find one.

[CrispyQ]

52. This.

Embarrass and humiliate him. Make him look stupid. It shouldn't be hard, we just have to get over this "when they go low we go high" bullshit. I think that's the appeal of Bloomberg. He's taken off the gloves and landed some punches.

The dems have been too nice for far too long.

[wnylib]

53. Yes, it is the appeal of Bloomberg.

But he is not the only one who can do this. I have misgivings about Bloomberg. I would like to see other candidates act the same way. Not necessary to take out millions of $ worth of ads. Just tweet, and often, in the eay I described. Slip the innuendoes into speeches at rallies, and into debates like tonight.

But they have got to understand the technique to use it well and effectively. They have got to avoid earnest responses to Trump about facts, which only bog them down and switch to using snark with bim. Be factual with each other, but snarky with Trump.

[Kid Berwyn]

6. When does he stop?

All he does is cheat.

[0rganism]

8. maybe when it stops working for him?

so far, it's been working, and he's doing it
OTOH, it's entirely possible that he doesn't know any other way to operate, in which case he will simply continue lying and cheating all the way down the drain

[Kid Berwyn]

14. Thing is all he touches turns to caca.

The GOP complicity in Drumpf’s corruption makes clear they also are traitors.

[0rganism]

15. well, at least the caca is real

it's like the one thing we can rely on anymore
"oh, Trump got to it? completely broken, needs to be rebuilt ground-up."
that much is consistent.

[Kid Berwyn]

18. He pardoned his way into history.

Putin wins. It is not insane. It’s planned.

[0rganism]

21. aka "how to destroy a republic in 10 ez steps"

flawless fecality
achievement unlocked

[Kaiserguy]

27. I would say he stops on the day he dies

however if there is a hereafter then he will keep on cheating forever.

[Grasswire2]

7. which is why it is a mistake to think the election (as it stands, flawed), will save us.

It won't, without major changes in election security. States are still buying hackable systems.

Mitch refuses to bring those critical measures to a vote.

Maybe a couple of billionaires would like to put some $$ toward that cause, instead of vanity projects.

The necessary elements of a free and fair election:

1. Hand Marked Paper Ballots, Voter Verifiable.

2. Strong Audit Trail.

3. Strong Ballot Security

NO APPS! NO WIFI CONNECTION!! NO OPTICAL SCANNING!!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

10. just to back you up ...

With paper ballots (physical tokens):

* Paper ballots allow the voter to verify that the ballot represents the voter's vote.

* The general public can verify that the voter cast a ballot, without having to know the vote.

* The general public can verify that the paper ballots are not tampered with while waiting to be counted.

* The general public can observe and verify the count of the ballots.

In electronic voting (abstractions, not physical tokens):

- The voter cannot verify that the internal state of the device represents the voter's vote. (This is true no matter how many pre-election or post-election tests are performed on the device).

- The general public cannot observe or verify that the voter cast a ballot. (The electorate has a critical, prime responsibility to observe and verify this).

- The general public cannot observe or verify the (abstract, invisible, electronic) ballots are true to the forms (state) they were in when cast.

- The general public cannot observe or verify the (invisible, electronic) count of the (abstract, invisible, electronic) ballots.


Elections are not video games or Amazon's check-out. Nobody bets trillions of dollars and hundreds of millions of lives on a video game.

[DENVERPOPS]

31. and this.......

Does anyone truly think that if Trump loses, that he and the Republicans will allow it to stand?? Not even allow it to stand overnight on the 3rd..........

Trump, the Republican owned Senate, the BARR-Trump owned DOJ, the Republican owned supreme court will all figure out a way, post haste) to overturn the results and appoint Trump president. They are probably already meeting so they know what they are going to do, on a minute's notice, to reverse the vote. With the way the Repubs are all acting and carrying on, I suspect they are confident by way of their election corruption techniques to have the election in the bag regardless of votes.

Who was it back in History who said: You don't need to win over the voters, only the ones that COUNT the VOTES.......

And my biggest question, the one that has bothered me since 2008: With all that was proven about the corruption in the 2000 and 2004 election, why didn't Obama do one single thing during his 8 years in office to try and correct an obviously flawed and totally corrupted voting system here in the U.S. ????????????????????

Despite him being a professor of constitutional law and noted authority on the Constitution why did Obama not say a single thing about the US Supreme Court usurping the power not given to them, and appointing of W to the presidency.
They did not have one thing legally to serve as the basis for this, not one thing. And yet they corruptly and illegally declared them selves in power and made the disastrous decision.......

[Grasswire2]

33. good points all.

And the legislation to safeguard our elections is DOA on Mitch's desk.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

9. the greedy, cowardly Senate GOPers gave him a green light ...

Trumputin has been given permission by the Republicans in the Senate to use OUR resources in the Republican war against democracy, against our nation.

This is a war between oligarchy and democracy. We must win this one at home to combat it globally.

[rufus dog]

11. My guess something is in the works for communities with high African American populations

He tips off everything he is going to do. Thus the State of the Union was the tell. Focused on blacks. He is going to continue to complain that blacks should love him. Then miraculously pull 25 percent of the black vote.

With out a doubt they have something in place. Likely Russian hackers.

[rzemanfl]

12. Also bribery, which apparently has already started. n/t

[uponit7771]

35. +1, ... and use give us money as the reason why we voted for his racist ass that high. They're going

... to cheat.

[OliverQ]

13. Why is why relying on an election to save this country

from the GOP Crime syndicate is not a good idea.

[Under The Radar]

16. Paper ballots

[They_Live]

17. Remember, "the election is rigged...

...unless I win!" -tRump

[warmfeet]

19. Yes, he will cheat, steal and do anything, and everything under the sun, and clouds, and rain and

snow.

Every Democrat must be vigilant. We can defeat him, but we must stand united in our efforts.

[William769]

20. Is going to?

He already is!

[thenelm1]

46. Going to cheat?

Good lord man, he's already tried to cheat. That was the whole point of the Ukraine caper, right? That's the one that we know of currently where he got caught red-handed trying to game the system!! He may not be smart enough to be more clever, but you know damned well that some of his closest supporters are. One has to wonder how many other schemes might be happening in his name behind the scenes that no one has even discovered yet. Certainly they didn't put all their eggs in one basket and, so far, targeted Biden only. My guess would be that they have similar krapola for anyone else who might emerge as the Dem frontrunner, Bernie included.

We now know some of his allies are trying to bribe voters into voting for him. What other corrupt plans are in play with this SOB and his deluded fools that no one has even found yet???? This ass is as corrupt as the day is long, as are most of his higher echelon supporters. You know damned well there are more underhanded schemes in play. That's the way he, and they, roll. These asses will do anything to maintain or keep their power.

[DENVERPOPS]

49. Key phrase: Will do anything

Right on!!!!!!!!!!

Russian interference in 2016 confirmed by multiple intelligence agencies both here and in other allied countries. Russian interference continuing, confirmed by multiple intelligence agencies both here and in other allied countries.

Mitch obliterated anyone in our Gov't trying to protect us......He castrated the Federal Election Commission from launching any and all investigations of Russian's interfering.......There were three active investigations of Russian interference by different U.S. Gov't agencies, and Mitch defunded them all, making them dead in the water.......

The impeachment trial was misconstrued by them to say in effect, any Foreign government is more than welcome to aid any candidate in American elections.............

A great title for a book would be: "While American's Were Sleeping"..........Of course I fully expect all copies of the book would be burnt by the current administration before it was released.......

I keep looking back to the 2016 debates when Hillary was laughed at by all for saying: "There is a huge right wing conspiracy"

WASF

[thenelm1]

54. Oh, Hilary knew and said the same

way back before 2016. She said the same thing, in effect, back somewhere in the 1990s during "investigations" into the Clintons - I don't remember her exact words from back then however.

[malaise]

22. AGAIN

that is all

[Girard442]

23. All Democrats must grasp at a gut level how incredibly hard it will be to win.

It can't be business as usual. This is our Battle of Britain, our Apollo 13. Failure is not an option.

[DENVERPOPS]

50. Totally agree Girard

And The Dems are running around, with no candidate yet, and all the current candidates are busy doing Trump/Putin's work of going full out destroying the other candidates with endless (and mindless) rhetoric.......

If I was religious I would say: God help us.............

WASF

[certainot]

29. absurd and tragic to hear continued analysis of this as if 1500 coordinated radio stations didn't

matter - like studying fish without water

of course facts don't matter - we let 1500 unchallenged radio stations lie all day to 50 mil a week with no challenge or correction because the left /dems believe the rw talking pts that the talk radio monopoly is an expression of 'market demand' for asshole racist liars and it's 'free speech' to ignore whatever hurts our ears.........

[DENVERPOPS]

37. To say nothing

of Fox News watching........

The farm belt can't watch FN during the days out working, but they can listen to radio. Then when they come home, they turn on FOX as their sole news source........

We have all said, "it's like Trump's voters are brain washed"...........I think it was Newsweek that wrote an article that Right Wing Radio and Fox News watching could have the same effect......If that is all you watch and listen to, it could definitely have the same effect on those listening as brain washing. The NorComs (North Korea) Brainwashed our sane soldiers who were POW's in the Korean War in just 30 days.......Republicans and Trump Voters have been watching Fox News and listening to RW radio, and nothing else, for well over a decade.......

The Republican party has allowed and has supported a "Re-education Camp" of sorts right here in the U.S.

[certainot]

48. imo fox is a distraction from rw radio. the cartoon cliff notes. it cannot do the repetition or

the extremism and fox is way overrated as propaganda - it piggybacks talk radio and as something that's part of the free speech spectrum it acts as a foil for a very vulnerable target for activism

fox gets watched by its victims so it's part of the free speech spectrum, they have to pretend to be 'balanced', but it cannot be locally coordinated, they have to be much more 'subtle', and millions of cars busses and trucks can't put it on all day as background

theyve been listening to talk radio for 30 fucking years and until the other americans pull their earbuds out of their asses and fix the problem- for forget democracy

[tclambert]

34. Whichever Democrat takes the Oath of Office in 2021 should come to the inauguration with handcuffs

ready to slap on those tiny Trump wrists.

[uponit7771]

36. ✨✨✨✨✨✨CONVINCE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE NOT TO CERTIFY TRUMPS ELECTION ✨✨✨✨✨✨

[DENVERPOPS]

38. It should be painfully obvious

that Trump and the Republican Party doesn't give a rat's ass what the House does.......The Republican Senate will suddenly vote that it only requires one chamber of congress to declare a winner........And the Republican Supreme Court will back it up............

[uponit7771]

39. The constitution says congress meaning both houses, they can try but that would take a change in

... the constitution and its plainly read.

The USSC can try but then they'd be in on a coupe bigger than 2000

[DENVERPOPS]

40. UOI

They passed the corruption in the 2000 election on Trump's first day in office.

This IS a COUP.........and the Repubs are a millimeter away from completing it............

[DENVERPOPS]

42. OK UOI

Okay, Okay, Okay The Republican Senate will suddenly vote that the constitution doesn't matter, and then vote that it only requires one chamber of congress to declare a winner........And the Republican Supreme Court will back it up............

This isn't by far the first time they have changed or ignored the Rule of Law, and or ignored the U.S. constitution......now is it........

[Joinfortmill]

41. It would help

if the media reported without the spin in their efforts to chase ratings.

[GoCubsGo]

44. He's already cheating.

It's going to get far, far worse.

[TheBlackAdder]

47. Do bears shit in the woods? 🐻💩🌲🌲🌲

[MissMillie]

51. Well, of course

And the GOP-lead Senate is already helping him by stalling the election security bills.