Republicans Are Already Claiming the Virginia Election Has Been Rigged

[Jilly_in_VA]

This is how it’s going to be forever: Republicans and conservatives will claim that any election they lose is fraudulent. Donald Trump established this as the playbook for his party-cum-cult. And the full embrace of this authoritarian and dangerous tactic has been evident in the much-watched and tight-as-a-tick governor’s race in Virginia between Republican Glenn Youngkin and Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

Days before the final balloting on November 2, right-wingers and Republicans began hurling the accusation: The Democrats are stealing this election. They had no evidence. They were just beating this tribal drum. But the aim was to create an echo chamber for the delegitimization of the election should McAuliffe, the former governor, prevail.

The strategy is simple: repeat the phony charge over and over to block full public acceptance of an unfavorable result. And this attack has come from multiple directions. Steve Bannon, the once-indicted-and-Trump-pardoned strategist has inserted himself into the race, and appearing on a Virginia-based talk show on October 29 to discuss the election, warned, “They’re Democrats. They’re going to try to steal it. They can’t win elections they don’t steal, right? They understand this. This is what they did in ’20. It’s time now to start calling them out.”

At a Youngkin rally on October 27, country singer John Rich, who was campaigning for the Republican, suggested to the crowd that a Democratic conspiracy involving Stacey Abrams was afoot: “Why the hell is Stacey Abrams in Virginia right now? What is that? What is she doing up here? We know what she’s doing up here. She’s working on it… Do you really think California voted for Gavin Newsom again? I don’t think so. Stacey Abrams was probably out there, too.” Abrams had been campaigning in Virginia for McAuliffe, much as Rich was doing for Youngkin. (Newsom survived the recall election with 61.9 percent of the vote.)

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/11/republicans-are-already-claiming-the-virginia-election-has-been-rigged/
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Because of course they are......

[Best_man23]

1. Cue up the violins

[DBoon]

2. that must mean they know we are winning

[Wounded Bear]

22. GMTA...my first thought also...

[kimbutgar]

3. Larry Elder was saying the same about the recall that it was rigged against him

These repukes just don’t want to believe voters are just not into them and their bs.

[Mr.Bill]

19. The only surprising thing about the Newsom recall

is that when Newsom won, the rupublicans pretty much shut up and walked away.

[obamanut2012]

4. I hope that means their internals are tanking

[lagomorph777]

10. It definitely means that.

[Irish_Dem]

5. If they cannot win honestly, they are going to have to cheat.

They know that.

[JustAnotherGen]

6. The Press Needs to Stop Covering it

Let OOAN(?) Fox, Breitfart - all of those assholes run with it.


Just stop giving the big lie air.

[lagomorph777]

7. That means we've won!

[NCjack]

17. YES, we did. Repukes are crying in denial.

[LexVegas]

8. ...

[Claustrum]

9. They are going with every election is rigged even if they won.

It energizes their side so they will repeat it until their side doesn't believe a word of it.

[lagomorph777]

12. I hope they do keep going with it.

It totally depresses their side, based on the results we see so far.

[Claustrum]

14. They are definitely going with it or else why in the world would they do a recount in FL.....

As far as it depresses their side, I don't see an effect in either direction tbh. They say to pollsters that they are "worried" about rigged elections but those people are still eager to go out and vote. They just think there is something fishy whenever they lose.

[MFM008]

11. Why

They said the same thing about California now they're saying it about Virginia both pretty blue States although California's record of being a blue State as much longer they just need something to talk about to add 2 the fantasy that if they don't win an election there must be a problem.

[malaise]

13. So they are losing - good n/t

[Scrivener7]

21. That was my immediate take on it.

[Torchlight]

15. If they want to depress their own turnout, more power to them!

But honestly, I think all it's for is to allow their simple minds an excuse to fumble, fail and fall with some semblance of imagined dignity. Putting lipstick on the cadaver of a dead pig.

[Bayard]

16. One trick ponies

I would say horse's asses, but I respect horses too much.

[FSogol]

18. Haw-haw, losers. They sued to throw out early ballots, but the court shot them down too. n/t

[doc03]

20. That's a good sign, they must think they

will lose.

[peggysue2]

23. This is the new normal

Howl election rigging right from the start.

It works either way elections turn out. When Republicans lose they can tell their electorate: We told you so. When Republicans win they can tell their electorate: Through the robust efforts of our members, we defeated the Dems' diabolical attempts to rig the election.

Victims or heroes.

Yada, yada, yada.

Or as Steve Bannon said: Hose the field with shit.

[FakeNoose]

24. I guess that means they KNOW they LOST!