Election Challenges, Protests, Conspiracy Theories, and Moral Panics

[GMDino]

(12-30-2020, 07:28 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: Without googling I’m going to assume he referenced 1960 and 2000. In 1960, Hawaii sent a new slate of electors (certified by the governor) after a recount overturned a 100 or so margin of win that the state didn’t wait on before sending electors for Nixon. Nixon, while declaring he wasn’t setting a precedent as president of the Senate just a suggestion, recommended that the new JFK electors be accepted without objections.

In 2000 a Democrat from the House objected to Florida (for obvious reasons which were arguably legitimate reasons) but no one from the Senate joined them, so Gore dismissed the objection.

In both cases the losing party was presiding officer (as the sitting VP) and encouraged the certified results be accepted by all. Both instances also involved a state where there was a difference of 100-500 votes.

No, no, no...2004 and 2006.  I mistakenly remembered is during Gore because there was one then about the 527 votes in FL.

https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2020/12/30/951430323/gop-sen-hawley-will-object-to-electoral-college-certification




Naturally he's misrepresenting what actually happened...but his desire to be Trump-lite will not be denied!

https://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/06/electoral.vote.1718/

Quote:Thursday, January 6, 2005 Posted: 7:08 PM EST (0008 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Alleging widespread "irregularities" on Election Day, a group of Democrats in Congress objected Thursday to the counting of Ohio's 20 electoral votes, delaying the official certification of the 2004 presidential election results.


The move was not designed to overturn the re-election of President Bush, said Ohio Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones and California Sen. Barbara Boxer, who filed the objection.


The objecting Democrats, most of whom are House members, said they wanted to draw attention to the need for aggressive election reform in the wake of what they said were widespread voter problems.


In a letter to congressional leaders Wednesday, members of the group said they would take the action because a new report by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee found "numerous, serious election irregularities," particularly in Ohio, that led to "a significant disenfranchisement of voters."


"How can we possibly tell millions of Americans who registered to vote, who came to the polls in record numbers, particularly our young people ... to simply get over it and move on?" Tubbs Jones told reporters.


The House of Representatives and Senate met Thursday afternoon in a constitutionally mandated session to count the electoral votes. Vice President Dick Cheney, in his role as president of the Senate, presided over the session.


The results from each state, read in alphabetical order, were ticked through quickly until Ohio was called, and a clerk read the letter of objection from Boxer and Tubbs Jones.


Cheney then ordered the lawmakers back to their respective chambers for two hours of debate on the merits of the challenge.


It is only the second such challenge since the current rules for counting electoral votes were established in 1877. The last was in 1969 and it concerned a so-called "faithless elector," according to congressional researchers.


Four years ago, after the disputed election results in Florida, members of the Congressional Black Caucus attempted to block Florida's electoral votes from being counted.


In a scene recalled in Michael Moore's movie "Fahrenheit 9/11," lawmaker after lawmaker was gaveled down by Vice President Al Gore because no senator would support the objections, as the law requires.


House Democrats involved in this year's protest worked for weeks to enlist the support of a senator in their party, and Boxer agreed to join the effort Wednesday.


"This is my opening shot to be able to focus the light of truth on these terrible problems in the electoral system," Boxer told a press conference.


"While we have men and women dying to bring democracy abroad, we've got to make it the best it can be here at home, and that's why I'm doing this."


If one member of each body of Congress objects, congressional rules require that lawmakers return to their chambers to vote on the merits.
A simple majority vote in each chamber would overturn the challenge -- something that should be easily achieved in the GOP-controlled Congress.


Republicans dismissed the effort as a stunt, noting that specific allegations of voting problems in Ohio have been investigated by journalists and, the Republicans said, found to be untrue.


"But apparently, some Democrats only want to gripe about counts, recounts, and recounts of recounts," said Rep. Deborah Pryce, an Ohio Republican.


"So eager are they to abandon their job as public servants, they have cast themselves in the role of Michael Moore, concocting wild conspiracy theories to distract the American public."


White House press secretary Scott McClellan dismissed the challenge as "partisan politics."


"The election is behind us," he said. "The American people now expect their leaders in Washington to focus on the big priorities facing this country."


Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic nominee for president, released a letter Wednesday saying he would not take part in the protest.


"Our legal teams on the ground have found no evidence that would change the outcome of the election," Kerry said.


Bush carried Ohio by more than 118,000 votes -- the Buckeye State win providing the margin of victory in the Electoral College race. The president received 286 to Kerry's 252 electoral votes.


"There are very troubling questions that have not yet been answered by Ohio election officials," the senator from Massachusetts said.


"In the coming months I will present a national proposal to ensure transparency and accountability in our voting process."


Kerry was not on hand Thursday. He is in Iraq to thank U.S. troops for their service.

https://www.npr.org/2017/01/06/508562183/biden-to-democrats-objecting-to-electoral-college-results-it-is-over

Quote:Biden To Democrats Objecting To Electoral College Results: 'It Is Over'



January 6, 20171:50 PM ET


Vice President Biden pauses between mock swearing-in ceremonies in the Old Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Biden presided over the official Electoral College tally amid several interruptions.
Alex Brandon/AP
The official Electoral College vote tally just concluded, but some Democratic House members decided to put on a bit of a show.

More than half a dozen members rose at different points to object to the results of the election, citing Russian hacking, the legitimacy of the election and electors, voting machines, voter suppression and more.

Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts was the first to rise. Amid grumbling from other members, Vice President Biden, who presided in his role as president of the Senate, gaveled the body to order. He noted that any objection must be in writing, signed by a member of the House and a member of the Senate.

He asked McGovern if he had fulfilled all three. McGovern admitted the objection was not signed by a member of the Senate, and Biden threw it out.

"In that case the objection cannot be entertained," Biden said, and Republicans stood and cheered.

Jamie Raskin of Maryland interrupted later. Biden cut him off, read the requirements again and asked if his objection was signed by a member of the Senate. Raskin, too, admitted it was not. This went on with others.

Biden grew increasingly curt. At times, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan could be seen laughing behind him.

"It is over," Biden chided.

Three protesters were escorted out of the House chamber. NPR's Susan Davis reports that at least one was arrested.

NPR's Ron Elving notes that it all was a similar scene to one that played out in January 2001 after George W. Bush's election, the Florida recount and the Supreme Court decision that stopped it. The vice president, who had to play Biden's role then, was none other than Al Gore himself. The objectors were all from the House, many from Florida.

After overruling several objectors the same way Biden did, Gore jokingly noted that it was becoming somewhat painful.

"This is going to sound familiar to you," he noted, "--to all of us...."

So hopefully it is all for show and hopefully all the new Parler members don't "take up arms" to destroy our country because they haven't figured out they were the marks yet.