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russ_watters
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[note: I may owe you a response from a previous post and I'll try to get back to it, but it has been a busy couple of days...]
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/20/polit...ction-donald-trump-hillary-clinton/index.html
And similar to what you are saying, it ends with:
So again: what do you think Trump could ACTUALLY DO that could be an ACTUAL PROBLEM?
Here's what I think he could actually do: On election night, there is a real possibility that he'll get up and make a midnight speech saying, "I don't accept the results - it's rigged!" and then follow-that by not calling Hillary to concede.
And then...? [*crickets*] Nothing. Him saying he doesn't accept the results is not going to change them any more than a baseball player saying he doesn't accept he was called out a home plate is going to change that. He can't do anything of substance that could create an *actual problem*. Trump's failure to make a phone call is not going to bring down the US democracy.
Again, if you disagree, please tell me what, specifically you fear he might do.
[edit] My read on the entire election is that Trump is a [particularly unfunny] joke and that's it. Pundits and people who are politically passionate are taking him more seriously than is warranted because that's what such people do, despite the fact that a Presidential candidate has no *actual* power of any kind. With one exception: Trump did win a Presidential nomination, which makes him the de facto leader of the Republican party at least for another three weeks. He has likely done *actual* damage to the Republican party, the fall-out of which remains to be seen.
No, as far as I can see, the situation hasn't changed: in order to be fearful of something, there hs to be something for me to fear. Trump hasn't provided any details of what it might mean to not accept the results and my imagination only goes so far as to speculate on the potential legal challenges he could make. CNN has some details:Orodruin said:So after last night's comments by Trump regarding accepting the result of the election. You are seriously not concerned that you have a presidential candidate indicating and entertaining the possibility that the election is being unfair and that he will not accept the outcome? The peaceful transfer of power and acceptance of a democratic vote is a fundamental part of a democracy (as exercised by Cameron after the Brexit vote - he did lots of things wrong regarding it but he got that one right).
Failiure to accept the result (after entertaining any reasonable investigations in the case of a closed race) directly undermines the people's trust in democracy and by extension in democracy itself.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/20/polit...ction-donald-trump-hillary-clinton/index.html
And similar to what you are saying, it ends with:
So, what does that mean? Just being unprecedented is not something to fear. A potato shaped like Jay Leno's chin is unprecedented too, but just being "unprecedented" doesn't give it any value.But if he or she means that they might not accept the final results as certified by each of the states, as voted upon by the Electoral College, and as confirmed by Congress, that would be unprecedented in American history.
So again: what do you think Trump could ACTUALLY DO that could be an ACTUAL PROBLEM?
Here's what I think he could actually do: On election night, there is a real possibility that he'll get up and make a midnight speech saying, "I don't accept the results - it's rigged!" and then follow-that by not calling Hillary to concede.
And then...? [*crickets*] Nothing. Him saying he doesn't accept the results is not going to change them any more than a baseball player saying he doesn't accept he was called out a home plate is going to change that. He can't do anything of substance that could create an *actual problem*. Trump's failure to make a phone call is not going to bring down the US democracy.
Again, if you disagree, please tell me what, specifically you fear he might do.
[edit] My read on the entire election is that Trump is a [particularly unfunny] joke and that's it. Pundits and people who are politically passionate are taking him more seriously than is warranted because that's what such people do, despite the fact that a Presidential candidate has no *actual* power of any kind. With one exception: Trump did win a Presidential nomination, which makes him the de facto leader of the Republican party at least for another three weeks. He has likely done *actual* damage to the Republican party, the fall-out of which remains to be seen.
Nor do I, but in a "hey, look at the [pathetic] funny clown" sort of way, not in an "OH MY GOD, DEMOCRACY IS DOOMED!" sort of way.For all these reasons, I do not find "I will keep you in suspense" an acceptable response to the question "will you accept the results of the election?"
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