By the time you are reading this, it will either be before, during, or after Election Day. (Please check local listings for the Election Day in your area.) And this year there’s a lot of attention being paid to election integrity.
Or the lack thereof, depending on who you ask.
For a country that proclaims itself to be a democracy, our elections are a mish-mash of the good, the bad, and the ugly. But enough about the candidates. The elections themselves are about as reliable as President Brick Tamland’s memories, which gives rise to concerns about whether they’re legit.
Like how a joke of a Senator who dropped out of at least 3 previous Presidential runs managed to get more votes than the most popular President of recent memory, Barack Obama.
Regardless if you think the elections are more secure than Fort Knox or less secure than a Leftist who’s been misgendered, election integrity is worth a look.
election integrity
What the Left thinks it means – the cornerstone of our democracy that should never be questioned
What it really means – a modern political oxymoron
In recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, it is said the first step towards recovery is admitting you have a problem. Yeah, that’s gonna be a hard no from the Left, dawg. Not only does it make them look like the incompetent asshats they are, but it hurts their widdle fee-fees. And when a Leftist has hurt fee-fees things get…whiny.
To say the Left has had more positions on election integrity than the Kama Sutra would be accurate, but not nearly accurate enough. When a Republican wins, it’s because the GOP cheated. And by cheating (and by Leftists having a massive melty) that Republican isn’t really a winner. When a Democrat wins, it’s because the Democrat was the vastly superior candidate and the election was the most secure in history, so anyone who expresses doubt is un-American.
If you doubt me, let me point out the difference between how the Left treated George W. Bush and Brick Tamland after controversial election victories. Yeah.
It wasn’t that long ago that Americans could accept election results because there wasn’t a bunch of hinky shit going down. Recent years have shown examples where the hinkiest of hinky shit was treated as normal, and I’m not just talking about the 2020 Election. From Minnesota allowing voters to vouch for others so they can vote to people voting on behalf of deceased relatives, it’s clear election integrity is more of an afterthought than sending thank you cards after a gang bang.
Not that I know anything about that, mind you…
Anyway, the Left doesn’t seem to think election integrity is an issue, and they seem to have the facts on their side. By the actual numbers, it doesn’t seem election fraud is as widespread as the Right claim. On the surface, that’s a compelling argument.
Of course, I don’t just trust the surface.
What the numbers don’t tell you is how many non-eligible voters get by with it without getting caught. And given how some election rules are looser than Rosie O’Donnell’s pants after an Ozempic overdose, I’m gonna say the numbers are a bit larger than what’s being reported.
And we can look to California to support that notion. Yes, California, the state that makes Las Vegas look like an Amish barn-raising. Under the tenure of Gavin “I’m Not With Stupid, I AM Stupid” Newsom, we’ve seen crime go lower than a snake’s belt buckle, and there’s a good reason for that.
Namely, not enforcing theft laws.
See, if you don’t steal over a certain amount, it’s okay. At least until Newsom needs to look quasi-Presidential and pushes for harsher punishment for…breaking existing laws that weren’t being enforced depending on how much was stolen.
So, what does this have to do with election integrity? Simple. Even if there are laws on the books prohibiting certain actions, they mean jack shit if no one is enforcing them. You know, like…oh, I don’t know…laws preventing some people from voting?
That’s not all, though. The Left has gone all in on the idea any attempt to enforce election law is voter suppression. Whether it’s the SAVE Act or having ICE agents assigned to polling places to ensure illegal immigrants don’t vote, there is not a strengthening of election integrity the Left won’t oppose.
Unless, of course, they can exploit them.
Take the situation in the Senate race in Alaska, for example. The Republican incumbent is named Dan S. Sullivan, and one of the candidates he is running against an independent named…Dan Sullivan. Granted, it’s not illegal for someone to have the same name as you (yet), but more investigation into this turn of events has uncovered the latter Sullivan might have ties to Sullivan’s Democrat challenger, Mary Pelota. Thanks to Alaska’s ranked-choice method of deciding the candidates who make the final ballot, the independent Dan Sullivan made the final cut, and will presumably appear on the ballot near the incumbent Dan Sullivan.
Not illegal, but fucking shadier than a goth kid sitting under a cemetery tree during the Winter Solstice.
While Leftists point to the lack of illegal activity as justification for the situation in Alaska (even going so far as to blame President Trump for trying to create distrust in the election results), this fact shows how little Leftists care about election integrity in general. And even if Republicans did it (which they did), it doesn’t give the Left the moral authority to do it, too, especially if they want to portray themselves as anything but the cheaters they are.
So, what do Leftists actually believe when it comes to elections? They believe more votes equals more legitimacy for those elections they steal…I mean win. The problem they face is their candidates and ideas suck ass. Seriously, the best they could come up with in the 2024 Presidential election was an unaccomplished Vice President with a speech impediment (that being Can’t Stop Talking Syndrome) and who could double as Nancy Pelosi’s drinking buddy? And Queen Kamala the Appointed “won” the nomination without ever winning a single caucus or primary because shut up.
Say what you will about the Republicans (and believe me I have), but at least they’re trying to put the integrity back into election integrity. Even people tangentially connected to the Right like James O’Keefe have gotten eyes on the lack of election integrity, and the Left’s response has been…let’s just say predictably hacktastic.
Even beyond the political mucking going on to make our elections less believable than Steven Seagal’s martial arts accomplishments, the cynic in me sees a divine irony in modern politics being concerned about a trait that has no place in the current practice of it. The cynic in me also says it’s all theater designed to get people to believe they’re totally serious about the idea so they can rig the system in their favor.
Needless to say, I listen to the cynic inside me a lot.
But then there’s the hopeful side of me who sees the steps towards election integrity as a good thing. Even if our image in the world is scuffed due to the dumbfucks in charge, we are still a country that prides itself on listening to the will of the people, and elections are still a good indication of what people want, even if it’s fucking stupid. (I’m looking at you, West Coast.) So, in spite of my cynical side, I hope for once Republicans make good on their commitment to election integrity because it’s sure as shit the Left won’t.
Tag: election fraud
Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week
This week was a big one for our friends at Fox News. Sure, the Left loves to talk about the Dominion defamation lawsuit against the network, but the Fox hate was cranked up to 12 (because 11 just won’t do) because of Tucker Carlson showing previously unreleased security footage from January 6th. You know, that insurrection that simultaneously could have destroyed the nation and was run by dumb Trump supporters?
Well, since both Leftists and, well, other Leftists are losing their collectivist shit over the footage, I figured it was time to take a look at the little cable network that could…bitch slap CNN and MSNBC into oblivion.
Fox News
What the Left thinks it means – a radical right wing network that lies to the country, thus becoming a national security threat
What it really means – a right-leaning network that represents everything the Left fears/hates
Fox News Channel began in 1996 from humble beginnings. Well, as humble as can be while being funded by a wealthy Australian. Anyway, Fox News was established as an alternative to the media, who lean so far left they walk at a 5 degree angle perpendicular to the ground, and it proved to be very successful. No longer did we have Leftist talking heads telling us what and how to think about the events of the day. Now, we had “fair and balanced” news.
Kinda.
It’s hard to overcome personal biases in the media, but Fox News at least tried to do it for a long time, and they still do. But try to convince a Leftist raised on Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann of that. They’ll continue to say Fox News isn’t really news because of all the lies they tell.
Seriously? Have you fucknuckles looked in the mirror lately?
Where the Left gets things twisted is a common blind spot for people: separating news from opinion. To the Left, the two are inseparable as they believe their opinions are facts. Granted, the Right does this as well, but in their defense people on the Right can be persuaded with facts most of the time. Their ego isn’t tied to being correct. The Left’s is.
But actual reporting has little to do with ego. The journalism of even the past 50 years has gone from hitting the pavement to hitting up a Leftist politician on Twitter to get a quote for a story that’s pretty much plug-and-play. Just add a quote or two, make Republicans look bad, and you’re done.
Fox News’ actual reporting isn’t anything like that from what I’ve seen. For one, they get blocked by Twitter Leftists. But more importantly the reporters on staff do amazing work. Even former Fox News contributors like Catherine Herridge found work after leaving it because of her reputation as a strong, driven reporter. And if you look at the body of her work, you’ll find a common theme: report the facts without emotional attachments. She’s like a female Data.
This blurring of lines between news and opinion actually makes the rest of the media look bad, mainly because they assume Fox News does what they do, only with more of a conservative bent. Of course, Leftists think…excuse me…AHAAAHAAAAAHAAAAHAAAAAHAAAAAHAAAAAA!
So, where was I? Oh, yes, Leftist media.
Being anything to the right of the Socialist Socialite makes you incredible to Leftists, and not in a good way. Once you get branded as a conservative, Leftists no longer consider you to be human, let alone credible. Just ask Matt Taibbi, a reporter that used to work for Leftist rag Rolling Stone and is now reporter-non-grata for his role in the Twitter Files.
Yet, this is lazy thinking. Dismissing a source solely because of political leanings is silly. You need to take the time and really look at the body of work before you determine how badly they suck. Then, you can dismiss them.
In the case of Fox News, I can’t completely dismiss them for having no credibility. Their news side is consistently running circles around the competition by being good at their jobs. It’s the commentary side that ultimately hurts the network. Sure, they have solid contributors like Brit Hume, Greg Gutfeld, Tammy Bruce, and Tulsi Gabbard, people whose opinions aren’t hidden and even-handed.
Then, there’s the hard pro-Trump side like Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity, neither of one I can stand because they just find ways to say the same things over and over again night after night. If I wanted to hear Trump talking points, I would go right to the source, not filtered through people whose opinions I care less about than the insane homeless man I see on my way to work. Although the homeless guy did give me some great stock tips…
Regardless, Fox News is doing something right because they continue to dominate the cable news ratings. Granted, ratings doesn’t always mean quality. I’m looking right at you “Friends.” You owe me 3 years of my life back watching Ross and Rachel. And no number of times singing “Smelly Cat” will make up for it.
Yet, Fox News has enough crossover appeal that it gets people on the Left and the Right to watch. This link is from 2019, so the numbers may have changed, but the fact Fox News continues to dominate month after month, year after year, makes it harder to dismiss the network as niche. Even with the Dominion lawsuit looming over them, it just doesn’t matter.
And that’s what pisses off Leftists the most. No matter what they do, no matter how many boycotts or hashtags they come up with, Fox News keeps chugging along, making CNN and MSNBC fight for the scraps. Or scrap for the scraps, if you prefer (and I do).
Of course, the Left can’t let that happen, so they’re doing what they can to attack Fox News. Hence, the accusations they’re a threat to national security and lie all the time. And hence the reason they have to lie about what Fox News is.
A lot of the “Fox News is a national security threat” bullshit arose in the aftermath of January 6th, a dark day in our history where…let me check my notes…a bunch of people attended a rally in Washington, DC, to protest an election they felt was stolen and some asshats decided to be destructive dicks. Apparently, protesting the results of a contested election is a national security threat to the Left.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries? Please pick up the white courtesy phone. You may be a national security threat.
Where Fox News comes into the picture is related to the Dominion lawsuit in that the network is alleged to have lied to its viewers about the 2020 Presidential election being stolen, which prompted the January 6th “insurrection,” which as we’ve been told is worse than 9/11, Pearl Harbor, and another “Scary Movie” sequel…combined.
I won’t dispute Fox News had a hand in the “stolen election” narrative. What I do dispute is that they knowingly lied. I didn’t vote for Trump or Puddin’ Head Joe, so I don’t really have a dog in the hunt, but I can’t completely dismiss the idea there was some funky shit going down at the polls. Polling places running out of ballots, allegations of renewed counting after most of the vote counters had left, and other irregularities became the coin of the Trump realm. I can’t say every accusation of election irregularities could be substantiated with facts, but there were enough to make me question whether the results we got on Election Day 2020 were real or Memorex. And, me being the curious boy I am, I want to get to the bottom of it.
And apparently Fox News did, too. When the rest of the media dismissed the possibility of election fraud out of hand (while saying the 2016 election was fundamentally flawed because of Russia, Russia, Russia), Fox News became the contrarian and started to look at what happened with a critical eye.
You know, like reporters are supposed to do?
But is this questioning a threat to national security? In a word. In two words, fuck no. In three words, fuckity fuck no. In four words…well, let’s just say there’s a lot more variations of “fuck” used.
The First Amendment says Congress cannot pass laws prohibiting the redress of grievances against the government. If a rally about possible election fraud isn’t a redress of grievances, I don’t know what is. At the very least, the January 6 protestors had a Constitutional right to do what they did. Once they breached the rules of decorum to commit criminal acts, that protection goes the way of Kamala Harris’ Presidential hopes in 2024.
On top of that, the concept of January 6th being a “riot” or an “insurrection” is being undone by the security footage being shown. Most of the people at the rally stayed outside, and those who gained access to the Capitol mostly…took a tour, some with the help of the Capitol Police on duty that day.
But wait a minute! Wouldn’t that prove the Left’s narrative about January 6th is full of shit? Why, yes…yes it would! But they can’t just say “The real reason we lied about January 6th is because we got scared by a bunch of non-violent Americans who disagree with us” because it would go over as well as giving David Duke an NAACP Image Award.
And not to put too fine a point on this, but who was President on January 6, 2021? That would be Donald Trump, not Puddin’ Head Joe. There was no transfer of power, no transition (except maybe for some members of the Biden Administration), and no attempt to overthrow the government. For January 6th to be an actual insurrection, the protestors/”rioters” would have to be seeking to overthrow…the man they supported for President in 2020. Fox News broadcasting security footage doesn’t make the lack of logic behind the “insurrection” go away, nor is it nearly as horrible as the Left wants to make it out to be. The only real threat with releasing the security footage isn’t to national security, but to the security of the Leftist narrative.
Now, for the lying. Not on my part, but to the allegations Fox News misinforms its viewers. Let’s just say any major media outlet that pushed even one-tenth of the stories about Russiagate being real should take all the seats. Much of what passes for reporting these days revolves around lying, whether it be omitting context, fabricating stories to advance a narrative, or spinning events to make one side look better than the other. In fact, most of the “reporters” today should get an additional pay for being the DNC’s steno pool.
Fox News is no different, except for the DNC steno pool bit. They do exactly what the rest of the media do, only for the Right instead of the Left. That’s not meant as an excuse, but rather an observation built over 35 years of studying the media both formally and informally. It’s hypocritical for the Left to hold Fox News to a higher standard than they hold themselves, but it’s par for the Alinsky course. Not that you’d ever get an actual admission of dishonesty from the Left, mind you. They’re still clinging to the “very fine people on both sides” lie as though it were a security blanket.
So, is Fox News as bad as its critics say it is? Yes, and no. They are a product of the current media environment and are guilty of at least some of the sins attributed to it. Overall, they’re no better or worse than any other media outlet, and much of the criticism levied against it is the result of partisan hyperbole. Having said that, Fox News has a lot of room to improve. Don’t fall back on reciting RNC/Donald Trump talking points and go back to reporting that lives up to the “fair and balanced” standard.
Oh, and fire Geraldo Rivera. He’s as useful as tits on Michael Moore.