ARISTOTLE, BROTHERS GRIMM, MILK & COOKIES, ELECTION INTEGRITY

Well, here we are…some of us are sitting on the couch enjoying a glass of vino, or imbibing a cold one, as we breathe a sigh of relief, while others are cleaning the cobwebs from the corners of that neglected fallout shelter in the basement or in the backyard…or perhaps we are all doing just one of those acts in unison. What a trudge this election season has been! Or as George Will wrote in his Sunday commentary, “Of this mercifully truncated presidential campaign…no one wished it longer. Why prolong this incineration of the nation’s dignity?” Will characterizes Trump as “a volcano of stray thoughts and tantrums,” and Harris as one having a “versatility of conviction,” and as “a Play-Doh candidate foisted onto the electorate.” As for running mate Tim Walz, who is a self-described “knucklehead,” his flippant views made his GOP counterpart, JD Vance, resemble Aristotle in Will’s estimation. “Or perhaps one of the Brothers Grimm,” he comments, in referring to “Vance’s scary fairy tales” about Haitian kitten-cookers. Vance says his “stories” are intended to be “didactic,” and Will allows that this could be the case if he “candidly demarcated his fictions from reality,” labeling the VP candidate “a bristling porcupine of certitudes.” Will compares Harris’s selection of Walz as reckless as that of Trump’s selection of Vance, calling this year’s election choices the worst ever in our history. Regardless of the winner, “Both parties should be penitential about what they have put the country through. And both should begin planning 2028 nomination processes that will spare the nation a choice that will be greeted, as has this year’s, by grimaces from sea to shining sea,” he concludes.

On Jimmy Kimmel’s show last week he dispensed with his usual monologue of jokes to ask his viewers to share his message with Trump voters in their lives, admitting that the message might be lost on some, especially “If you’re one of those people who think Democrats are controlling the weather or Beyoncé eats baby skin…this is not for you.” He admitted, “I do a lot of mocking, and belittling, and it isn’t always productive…but I think I have good reasons for being biased against him…and you might agree with me even just a tiny bit.” Twenty minutes were then devoted to showing videos of the former president, in his own words, with excerpts his fans may have never seen, particularly if Fox News is their only source of ‘news.’ Kimmel asked, “Honestly, do you know anyone who speaks like that?” as he showed Trump’s increasingly incoherent rambling…except for “crazy people standing on the street corner yelling at cars…he’s completely preoccupied with nonsense,” pondering what his statements had to do with presidential leadership. He concluded this segment by telling Republicans they wouldn’t be alone if they voted against Trump, showing a wall of images of prominent GOPers who have come out against the MAGA standard bearer, including Mike Pence. “Who would’ve ever thunk it? It’s like if milk turned on cookies,” he declared.

In this post-election situation, we are in all likelihood still in the throes of the ‘red mirage,’ or hopefully, transitioning into the ‘blue shift,’ as vote tallies are being completed. It seems that Republicans appear to take an early lead in almost every presidential election, because red/Republican voting districts are smaller, with their votes being counted more quickly than larger city Democrat-voting districts, the occurrence being called the ‘red mirage,’ but as votes accumulate over the hours, days, weeks, or even months(!), that lead gets smaller, being called the ‘blue shift.’ Trump and his MAGAts had plans in place to jump on this phenomenon to call the race early…in his favor, and because the asleep-at-the-wheel media failed to publicize this happening, it will likely sow confusion among the electorate for some time. The wheels are coming off, and the courts should be preparing for a lengthy battle, as Trump plans to use his 2020 tactics to initiate The Big Lie #2. The term ‘election integrity’ has been bandied about for months, but election deniers have used it to prepare groundwork for challenging the 2024 election results, all based on Trump’s 2017 executive order establishing the ‘Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.’ “There is strong reason to suspect this Commission is not a legitimate attempt to study elections, but is rather a tool for justifying discredited claims of widespread voter fraud and promoting vote suppression legislation,” wrote The Brennan Center for Justice after it was signed.

A prescient opinion, as Trump and his allies have incited a narrative that fraud is widespread, though no evidence of interference/rigging has been found in either the 2016 or 2020 elections…or any recent elections! The strategy by right-wing activists and lawyers throughout the campaign has been to organize initiatives under the guise of ‘election integrity,’ warping the meaning of the term to sow distrust. Right-wing activist, Cleta Mitchell, has been recruiting individuals through her Election Integrity Network…to include election deniers…who continued to promote disinformation and conspiracy theories, who then became poll workers and monitors, all coordinated with the RNC. So now, we have scores of election deniers in our polling places to find fraud…or…? Elon Musk has set up ‘Election Integrity Community’ on X for users to report ‘suspicious activity’ which will undoubtedly result in a flood of misinformation to add to the confusion that his favorite former president so desires. And then, there is Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s ‘Election Integrity Unit’ which will continue its investigations of fraud…within the Latino community no less.

RNC co-chair, Lara Trump, jumped on the ‘election integrity’ bandwagon as a priority, announcing over the summer, “We are pulling out all the stops, and we are so laser-focused on election integrity.” Her team showed its dedication by hiring Christina Bobb as its lead election-integrity lawyer, who was later indicted for her efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Arizona. The New Yorker had earlier reported that the RNC had plans to staff a ‘war room’ with attorneys operating an ‘election-integrity hotline’ on Election Day…further injecting doubt into what has always been a legitimate process. Lack of evidence suggesting fraud still had 60% of Americans saying they were concerned according to a NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, with 88% of Trumpers and 30% of Harris supporters being concerned. Senior counsel Alice Clapman of the Brennan Center’s Voting Rights Program says the “consistent, disciplined, repetitive use” of the term ‘election integrity’ was “designed to confuse the public,” with the sad irony being that those who use this framing have done so to push for restrictions that actually suppress voting, to include strict voter-ID laws and limitations on early balloting, or to threaten the existence of initiatives that ensure a fair vote. Clapman says ‘election integrity’ has been used in previous elections, but has exploded over the past four years, to the point that it has become a loaded or “partisan term,” with groups unaffiliated with right-wingers using more neutral terms such as ‘voter protection, and voter security’ to define their efforts to ensure free elections.

The Atlantic Daily’s Lora Kelley writes that “election deniers are chipping away at Americans’ shared understanding of reality,” quoting Ali Breland who wrote, “Violent rhetoric and even political violence in connection with the election” goes on, with one voter punching a poll worker who asked him to remove his MAGA hat in the polling place, and with several ballot drop boxes set ablaze in Washington and Oregon resulting in destruction of several hundred completed ballots. Election officials and poll workers, despite threats, were (and are) braced for targeted attacks by the rose-tinted glasses of Trump MAGAts as they continue their disruption of American democracy under the guise of ‘election integrity.’ A ‘red mirage’ indeed!

It is widely known that the government is ramping up security measures for the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2025 when lawmakers will certify the electoral votes of the presidential election to avoid a rerun of the 2021 attack on the Capitol. For the first time the session is designated a “National Special Security Event” which earns it the same level of security as presidential inaugurations…and the Super Bowl! Do we get to see a flyover of the Blue Angels? Or is it the Red Angels this year? At a Pennsylvania rally on Sunday, Trump again went off script, telling supporters that he “shouldn’t have left” the White House at the end of his term, as he escalated his unproven claims of voter fraud, using the last days of campaigning to remind voters of his term’s violent end…even as he hinted he just might never leave the Oval Office if he wins again. He punctuated his love of violence by joking about reporters being shot, calling for assassins to target members of the news media. Following on his heels was conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones encouraging his social media followers to “fight harder” and be ready for “civil war conditions” and claiming that Trump had gone “through all the evidence of election fraud” during his Sunday speech. “And now Trump sounds just like me,” Jones claimed.

Freelance photographer and videographer, P6 or penguinsix on YouTube, of Washington, DC, has posted extensive videos of security measures that were being installed due to tensions prior to the election…and the days following. His narrated tour of the environs around the White House show businesses being boarded up with plywood sheeting, and spiky anti-scale riot fencing going up at the White House, the VP’s residence and the Treasury building. The riot fencing (still festooned with Harris/Walz signage) was last used at the recent Kamala Harris rally on the Ellipse where she outdrew the numbers in attendance at Donald Trump’s infamous J6 speech leading up to the insurrection and invasion of the Capitol building. P6’s, or Andrew Leyden’s, site is worth a visit for some in-depth and scholarly information on our nation’s seat of government.

So, whatchagonnadonow, bunky? Now that the textapocalypse is over, exposing doomsday scenarios, false claims and desperate pleas to invest $20, $10, or even $5 in the next generation of leaders! Deadline tonight! (Question posed by Paul Mitchell of Political Data Inc.) Paul says political campaigns are increasingly turning to text messaging for communication, surpassing the more traditional yard signs, phone calls, or flyers…texts are cheap, costing just pennies per message…attention grabbers! They can be personalized, tailored to a voter’s interests. Republicans and Democrats are equal offenders, both parties seeing their effectiveness by increasing voter turnout, volunteerism and fundraising. Unfortunately, there is little federal oversight or scrutiny of political texts…and it’s tough to detect a scam. Scott Wallsten, president of the Technology Policy Institute in DC, which studies innovation and regulation, says, “Texts are the most intimate platform there is. We want to hear from family and friends, not politicians’ thoughts about how America is ‘on the precipice.’ Laws or regulations governing political speech move into tricky territory. It’s important that candidates have ways to reach citizens to explain positions and encourage them to vote.” Responses to texts on social media are indicative of the frustrations felt by recipients: A texter wrote, “There isn’t much time left. This may be my last text to you.” which drew the response, “OMG – is the candidate trapped in quicksand? Is his plane going down?” Another text read, “Our hearts sank…we prayed we were wrong, Patriot. But if you don’t already know, here’s what happened,” drawing a response of, “To learn more – who died? Why am I a Patriot, just click on this link.” Another text is described as pathetic: “Look, these texts are really expensive to send. Can you please just read what I wrote?” Obviously in need of donations!

Paul Mitchell says that with the old style of campaigning being abandoned, texting is good for turnout and a definite positive for fundraising. People have stopped reading emails with the rise of texting…it’s cheaper. A text can be sent to every voter in your district three times before an election, spending less money than on half a mailer. Lawn signs never turn anybody out…TV commercials are good for persuasion. According to Scott Walsten, we open 98% of our texts…an irresistible target for a candidate. And how did they get your cell number? From voter registration data…even if you update your registration with a land line number there is still an open field in the record that might contain your cell number. Lloyd Cotler of Banter Messaging, a company that actually creates text campaigns, says they buy and sell data from other political campaigns, or a PAC, or an agency that sells consumer data. They may buy your email address, then spend money on a ‘data append,’ using a data broker to fill in the missing data points…for instance the phone number that’s on your supermarket rewards card. The messaging companies are testing messages to see which ones work and which kinds of voters respond, such as ‘Donate early,’ or ‘We have a matching donation,’ or ‘Just got horrible news…send money.’ Each message is sent through a platform, where messages are loaded, and pressing one button sends it to everybody…cheap compared to phone calls or direct mail. Scams pretending to be a candidate or a campaign are in the hunt for cash, also, so Cotler says look to see if they identify themselves, and be wary of promises of an ‘800% match’ or a ‘12,000 times match,’ and if they should imply that a celebrity is matching your gift, that’s a big red flag, because the celebrity would quickly run up against campaign contribution limits…they can’t match everybody’s gift! Walsten says texts are considered to be illegal spam if sent by a commercial entity using an autodialer, without your consent. Political texts are different, being governed by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which does not require consumers to ‘opt in,’ if sent manually. However, having a human hand press ‘send’ as a trigger to release thousands of texts into the ether obviously violates the spirit of the TCPA.

If you prefer not to receive campaign texts, reply with ‘STOP’ and if they persist forward the texts to 7726 (or ‘SPAM’) and if they continue to persist, or you believe federal rules are being violated, an informal complaint can be sent to the Federal Communications Commission, at fcc.gov/complaints. That’s an easy way to persuade them to stop because TCPA fines are really expensive, and the more complaints, the more campaigns will reexamine whether texting is a viable channel. Of course, by 2026, and certainly by 2028, AI is going to be a viable channel, so we’ll need more software to keep a ‘dancing’ former president off our desktop or the kitchen table, playing away with his concertina.