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December 30, 2021 11:22 AM UTC

Republican Election Challenges Likely to Continue in 2022

  • 36 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

[mantra-pullquote align=”right” textalign=”left” width=”50%”]“Never in the country’s modern history has a a major party sought to turn the administration of elections into an explicitly partisan act.”

— The Associated Press (12/30/21)[/mantra-pullquote]

As Nick Riccardi writes in a sobering story for The Associated Press, challenges to the 2020 election could be just a preview of a “slow-motion insurrection” coming in 2022:

In battleground states and beyond, Republicans are taking hold of the once-overlooked machinery of elections. While the effort is incomplete and uneven, outside experts on democracy and Democrats are sounding alarms, warning that the United States is witnessing a “slow-motion insurrection” with a better chance of success than Trump’s failed power grab last year.

They point to a mounting list of evidence: Several candidates who deny Trump’s loss are running for offices that could have a key role in the election of the next president in 2024. In Michigan, the Republican Party is restocking members of obscure local boards that could block approval of an election. In Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, the GOP-controlled legislatures are backing open-ended “reviews” of the 2020 election, modeled on a deeply flawed look-back in Arizona. The efforts are poised to fuel disinformation and anger about the 2020 results for years to come…

…The result, experts say, is that another baseless challenge to an election has become more likely, not less.

“It’s not clear that the Republican Party is willing to accept defeat anymore,” said Steven Levitsky, a Harvard political scientist and co-author of the book “How Democracies Die.” “The party itself has become an anti-democratic force.” [Pols emphasis]

Riccardi notes that Republicans are advancing state-level efforts, from Georgia to Pennsylvania to Michigan, to remake the process of running elections in 2022. The biggest problem, notes Riccardi, could be that Americans just aren’t willing to accept the lengths to which some Republicans have gone to disrupt our election system:

It’s difficult for voters to believe the system could be vulnerable, said Daniel Squadron of The States Project, a Democratic group that tries to win state legislatures.

“The most motivated voters in America today are those who think the 2020 election was stolen,” he said. “Acknowledging this is afoot requires such a leap from any core American value system that any of us have lived through.”

The first step in any problem-solving quest is acknowledging that a problem does indeed exist. As much as Democrats can hope, not every Republican effort to find nonexistent voter fraud will be led by blundering idiots such as Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters.

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36 thoughts on “Republican Election Challenges Likely to Continue in 2022”

  1. Voter nullification and voter access are the most important issues facing the nation.  Why haven't the Senate Dems passed the two voting rights bills that were passed by the House?  The GOP is passing legislation throughout the nation while the Dems fret about the filibuster.  Bennet and (even) Hickenlooper have stated their support to carve out the filibuster rules to pass voting rights legislation.  It's now up to Biden to exercise power and demonstrate competence to force passage in the Dem controlled US Senate.  Otherwise, you can kiss our democracy good-bye.

    1. “It’s now up to Biden to exercise power and demonstrate competence to force passage in the Dem controlled US Senate”

      Any specific suggestions on how to coerce Manchin and Sinema to vote to modify/abolish/carve out an exception to the filibuster rule?

      It is a serious question.

      PS I happen to agree with you on the importance of this issue. In fact, it should get priority over Build Back Better.

      1. I understand the problem.  The solution has to do with the "bully pulpit".  This issue is very clear cut, unlike legislation like BBB for which Manchin and Sinema may have legitimate concerns. 

        The voting rights legislation can/should be easily framed such that opponents like Machin and Sinema would be shamed for voting against (not to mention every GOP senator),  The specific state laws impeding legitimate voting, and the consequences of state legislatures nullifying results need to be made clear to the American public.  This framing just hasn't happened effectively yet.  Hold a prime time speech, for Pete's sake. A full court press on the issue starting next week can make a difference, IMHO.

        1. The bully pulpit?

          Are you suggesting that Biden go on a whistle stop tour of West Virginia inciting the locals to rise up against Joe Manchin?

          Do you mean that Biden should bully pulpit his way through that same West Virginia in which he received 29.69% of the popular vote to Trump’s 68.62%?

          “The voting rights legislation can/should be easily framed such that opponents like Machin and Sinema would be shamed for voting against (not to mention every GOP senator)”

          In a fair and just world, you’d be absolutely right. But the idea of people in Washington in this day and age being shamed for doing anything (voting against voting rights, voting for Brett Kavanaugh, grifting, grabbing women’s pussies) doesn’t get anyone anywhere.

          It is unfortunate but the rules are different now than they were 40 or 50 years ago.

          1. “In a fair and just world, you’d be absolutely right.  But,” There is no but.  It’s called the nuclear option, so go effin’ nuclear on their asses.

            Let’s be clear: All we are asking for is a fair and level playing field.  God knows the Dems are piss poor at parlaying the majority of American’s support for nearly all of their issues into electoral success.  A level playing field may not be enough for Dems to prevail.  (“Doesn’t anyone here know how to play this game?”)   Dems in GA were able to convince their voters to stand for hours in line to vote for Warnock and Ossoff, not to mention other parts of the country.  That won’t happen again if voting rights legislation doesn’t pass.  This is the last chance for democracy.  It is that serious.  So, stop playing the Lindsay Graham fainting routine.

  2. The challenges may be baseless, but itl is right. We can't wish this issue away with appeals to facts and reason. We have to hardball it right out of the park. Democracy requires sacrifices and in this case, it is the filibuster that must die.

  3. “the filibuster must die…..”

    Right, and if the Republicans take over both House and Senate in next year’s mid-terms, they can pass whatever they want, in way of national voter suppression, by simple majority vote. It will be up to the president, as the final barrier, to stop them.

    2. The Republicans will eventually abolish the filibuster … but not until it suits their needs.

      If, as expected, they take the House and Senate next year, there will be no need to abolish the filibuster. Anything that passes the House can die in the Senate for lack of 60 votes (if they keep the filibuster), or pass the House and Senate but die on a presidential veto (if they abolish the filibuster). 

      Mitch McConnell is many things but an idealist who naively wants to hold symbolic votes on legislation only to have the bills end up dead with a veto stamp is not one of those things. He is pragmatic and a dead bill is a dead bill regardless of how it got there.

      So, my guess is that the filibuster stays until there is a Republican president, a Republican House, and a Republican Senate consisting of more than 50 but less than 60 Republican Senators. Then he'll yank it.

    3. We all know now that Republicans will break their word if it suits them.  There is no normal now CHB.  Case in point is the Supreme Court nominations.  Things only get sticky without a filibuster when all the legislative and executive branches are controlled by one party.  Who's to say that Repubs won't end the filibuster when it is convenient for them to do so?  Right now the filibuster tilts the scales towards the rural Republican states and they have decided that working with Democrats is treason so where do you go with that kind of a mindset?

  4. R&R is dead on.  The right wing usually wants to stop stuff.  You do that in committee or on the floor.   It’s only people trying to pass stuff that worry about the filibuster.   Wait till you have a Republican President, House and between 50 and 59 Republican senators.  Then they drop the filibuster.  So they can re-instate the death penalty for having an abortion or not reading the Old Testament two hours a day,

    1. “death penalty for having an abortion….”

      Not far off. Recently read that Poland, supposedly an advanced and civilized 1st World country, is setting up a registry for all doctors to report pregnancies and miscarriages. Last year, Poland’s legislature passed a law that banned almost all abortions.

      Is anyone here naive enough to think that this isn’t a way to track women who end pregnancies at home or outside of the country? If Roe & Casey are overturned or “de-fanged,” perhaps similar registries coming soon to certain red states near us?

      If the fight over abortion devolves back to the states, those who take rights to contraception for granted may be in for a big surprise, courtesy of the far right wing, hard core, religionists.

      1. The "far right wing, hard core, religionists" as you call them, stand on a foundation provided by "conservatives" and the Republican party. You try to blame it all on a "faction" in your party.

        It is the Republican party that brought on this treason and anarchy. EVERY Republican is implicated as you try to compartmentalize responsibility for the treason perpetrated by the GOP.

        The GOP is toxic.

          1. If all I have is ranting, all you have is denial. 

            You NEVER address the point. What are YOU doing to stop the destruction of our democracy? Hide your head in the sand and send money to people like Coram or Sias? 

            Get it through your thick skull…( nah ..nevermind..the truth is a concept that continues to elude you.)

            The GOP is the tool of fascists who want to subvert our democracy. and your solution is to send money to candidates that don’t have a snowballs’ chance in hell of stopping them.

            It is easy to just dismiss my point, as you usually do with your smug, Mr. Know-it-all condescension. But the truth you can’t escape is…the Republican party ( not some insignificant minority of YOUR party) is attempting to overthrow the government of the United States. As long as you pretend otherwise, you are complicit.

            As long as the Republican party continues to be a viable political entity, our democracy is at risk…and EVERY registered Republican is an accomplice.

            BTW….Your sock puppet clarified nothing. If this is not the place to call out your bullshit, where is it?

            1. I do what I can, Duke, but feel free to keep pointing fingers at others to deflect attention away from yourself.

              In view of the tragedy in Boulder County, I'd think you would have other things on your mind, but obviously not.

                  1. Deflection number 3…

                    For the record:

                    I am neither sad, nor little and my visual acuity is fine for a man my age. If I evoke pathos in those who know me, I guess that is OK.,

                    And to CHB.. Using your SP as backup is unimaginative at best. Try harder.

                     

                    2. I want to thank you ( and your alter-ego) for helping me to clarify my point. It is, perhaps, a better way to explain to Pols readers ( as you know, I don't give a rats' ass what you think.) the profound dishonesty of your POV.

                      I keep asking you what you, as a Republican (and the party you defend) are doing to stop the Orange Destruction from further destroying our democracy.  You don't have an answer, because your party IS DOING NOTHING to stop Trump…you don't want to stop him, because you want to use him.

                      As long as you get your conservative Justices, as long as you get your tax breaks, your guns, whatever you, as an a individual, and the party that you choose to represent you, can gain by keeping the evil Democrats from helping the American worker and the poor.

                      Never Trump Republicans? What horseshit. The truth is, your party realizes that demographics are beating them. They can no longer retain power unless they dance with the Devil and cheat. The Republican party will not stop Fat Donnie from Queens from being president. They would rather see Trump as president than a Democrat. But they know they will have to institute minority rule to retain power and he is their best chance to do that

                      And THAT is the only thing they, and presumably you, care about…retaining power. Democracy has never been high on the conservatives' list of important stuff..

                      Nor is it important to their political party.

                      You cannot tell me how your beloved Republican party will stop Trump, because you and I both know…they won't even try.

                       

      1. “I would ban the Bible…..”

        The most pornographic book I’ve ever read condoned and encouraged rape, murder, genocide, incest, torture, coveting thy neighbor’s wife and goods, and other assorted crimes that I’m blanking on. It’s called the Old Testament.

        1. In a rare moment, this is an item upon which we agree. The old testament of the Holy Bible has nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Funny that todays' evangelicals seem to prefer to focus on old teachings specifically rejected by their Savior.

          OK..rant switch back ON..

        2. It's got some of the world's best erotica in the Song of Songs:

          Thy breasts are like twin roe, which feed among the lilies.  Thou are fair, my love, thou art fair.

  6. Given the scope of the Republican efforts, I’m hoping there are some absolutely stunning revelations coming from the January 6 Committee’s public hearings, from DoJ prosecutions of the insurrectionists, and from every other place we’ve read about the Trump forces reaching into for the 2020 election. 

    And then I hope there will be substantial overreach by Republicans as they begin exercising control of election offices and officers throughout the country for the 2022 primaries and general election and the 2023 off-year elections. Done as ham-handedly as I expect, the moves ought to be obviously unfair.

    Then, use all of that to push turnout for 2024. Use Presidential election enthusiasm to once again beat the Trump/Trump-alike candidate. Use turnout to win statewide for Senate and executive offices. Then swamp the calculated gerrymandered margins for US House seats and hack into Republican majorities in state legislatures.

    1. Turnout won't matter if voter suppression laws and voter nullification laws are not voided by Federal action in the US Senate.  Like, next week.

      Even then, as I noted, I'm afraid the Dems don't know how to play the game of politics.  We'll see.

  7. I suggest that the Colorado legislature start the process of protecting our own elections from the likes of Peters…we have to worry more about how our state runs elections, without the help of the feds…we all know the republicans are trying to subvert the electoral process…they are doing it at the state level…that is where all voting rights begin…that is why republicans are attacking the process…we are at war with republicans, it is a low level conflict, but one in which we must win…republicans are using terror tactics to scare election workers away, only to replace them with magats willing to break the law…IT IS HAPPENING…and all you so-called conservatives are just a part of the insurrection, and we will find you and purge you…

      2. We got Tukachevsky, we got Zinoviev, we got Kamenev, we got Trotsky and we got Bukharin.

        Don’t worry, Comrade.  Vorkuta is lovely this time of year.

         

         

  9. Media deals American democracy a great blow by framing the voting issue as a GOP vs Democrat issue.  The GOP is nothing more than a shell company for the likes of the Koch Network, The Bradley Foundation, the Mercer Foundation and hundreds of billionaires and corporations, all major players in the AntiDemocracy Movement. 

    They use venues like ALEC, Council for National Policy and The States Network to plot a consensus and plan to overthrow American democracy, for the specific purpose of power and money.

    Media finds more convenience coining the Anti-Democracy Movement as a GOP vs Democrat issue, or conservatives vs liberals.  Taking this easy route necessarily keeps most Americans unaware of the real threat – increasing shifts of wealth and power to the players heading the Anti-Democracy Movement. 

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