NC 2016 Gubernatorial Discussion Thread

[JerryArkansas]

The Daily Kos had an interesting, if hysterical article on a possible challenge by McCrory:


http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/11/22/1602733/-How-Pat-McCrory-is-preparing-to-ask-North-Carolina-s-GOP-legislature-to-steal-the-election-for-him

The errors in the article are numerous.

1) Election challenges are part of the process. To so grossly prejudge an election challenge before giving the challenger an opportunity to state his case is unfair, and, fundamentally, un-American.

2) Election challenges exist to seat the rightful winner. This is not an academic question. Hayes successfully challenged the apparent results of the 1876 elections arguing among other things that Blacks had been systematically denied the opportunity to cast ballots, and, had they been allowed to cast such ballots that he would have won a majority. The irony of the authors claims are thick.

3) Election challenges exist to stop the stealing of elections, not, steal elections. In the same election of 1876, a Democratic governor of Oregon disqualified the duly elected Elector who was pledged to the Republican nominee on a technically [which might have not been proper based on another technicality], and replaced him with not with another Elector pledged to the winner of Oregon, but, rather, an Elector who supported the Democrat. That was a blatant and transparent attempt to steal an election.  Had that challenge not been upheld, the Presidential election itself would have been stolen. Thankfully, we have remedies to such abuses.

4) The rightful winner in North Carolina is the person who received the most valid ballots. A valid ballot being a vote cast by a lawful resident who is a citizen, of age, not disqualified by felony conviction, etc., casting one and only one ballot on his own behalf for which he has not been paid. It is that count that ought determine the winner, and, not an official count tainted by the votes of non-citizens, fraud, duplicate voting, etc.

5) The remedies are clear enough. Just as in the election of 1876, as a political question, the judges of the challenge can award the election to rightful winner, or they could order a new election and let the electorate vote for Cooper if they think he truly won, or McCrory if they think he was the legitimate winner.

Finally, I would say, if only it were true! Finally, we may see some Republicans with a backbone saying "Enough!" to things such as allowing non-citizens to vote with a wink-and-a-nod.

Wow the dumb is strong with this one.