This long-ish video has made it's rounds through the internet, convincing viewers that the integrity of this election is in jeopardy.
Sources: First, the screenshots of the conversations include news outlets that are soft, like progressiveism.com and other splinter political sites. Additionally, the video of the court room testimony by the software engineer is at least 10 years old. Finally (and most importantly), his sources listed on the youtube.com page are citing his own website.
However, There are some interesting points made here. They are playing into the democrat's emotion when talking about Bernie getting pushed out. If that can raise enough ire within the party, then the logical response is "of course it can happen to Trump if it happened to Bernie". The fact is, Bernie didn't make it past the primaries. Why? Probably lots of reasons. His campaign was decentralized and less cohesive than initially thought. I know that in so many words, this is what the DNC wanted us to believe, but talk to the supporters and you could easily gather that same conclusion. What I think was happening, is simply politics. What is a weak spot for Sanders? Decentralization? Let's go with that. Rather than create the problem, lets expose one that already exists.
BUT, there is no doubt in my mind that the DNC wanted Hilary from the get-go and was ready to smear their way past the primaries, as you see with Wasserman. The aggravators at Trump rallies are just par for the course. I blame this on the game of politics. Is it ethical? Well, that's never a yes or no answer because it depends who you ask. Is it illegal? Not at all.
Next, paying homeless people to vote and then providing showers and a place to sleep and then putting them in a program, is, in my opinion, totally okay. That is just micro gifts that politicians have always provided to their supporters. No one knows what the homeless actually do in the booth.
The shell corporations and rental car scenario is particularly intriguing. But this isn't voting. This is polling.
They supplement that information with 'facts' about voter fraud. What isn't explained here, is what constitutes as fraud. Of course, there will be some margin of error between hard copies and the software, that is known and accepted due to the imperfect world we live in. However, what they fail to demonstrate is that in order for recounts and the doubt of integrity, there must be large differences in those margins. Are they counting minor infractions or large fuck-ups? This video doesn't say.
My conclusion.
Ok, let's assume that the election is rigged. We currently live in a country that is pretty ok. If we stay the straight and narrow (as in, don't murder people, don't do heroin, etc.), we are often rewarded with the life of our choosing. Why would everyone involved at the top of the pyramid (not local volunteers) of the voting process need Trump out of the picture? Well, the simple answer to me, is that he threatens that way of life.
For Example, his rhetoric of ripping up immigrant families and shipping them back to whatever hellhole they came from would destroy our national fabric. His volatile behavior toward anyone who doesn't adore him is characteristic of a megalomaniac, a dictator. His speeches mirror Hitler's (except less eloquent). He has no grace when approaching other's differing perspectives. He refuses to work with anyone who isn't a yes-man. This is super scary for many reasons.
The main issues that Trump supporters have with the possibility of a rigged election are two points: 1) The democratic process is in jeopardy and 2) Their guy isn't going to be in office.
Issue #1: legitimate. Our greatest treasure is slipping (according to supporters who claim a rigged election). However, the Republican party has let this candidate who spouts dictator-like rhetoric to slip past the primaries and into the November election. His supporters seem to be people who would vote Republican no matter who was running because -"I'm a Republican". What if that over-sight from the Republican party (to let Trump in in the first place) has sparked a worry among politicians who appreciate the American way and can totally see Trump's first orders destroy our progress completely. The DNC (and GOP, now) are looking at each other going, "We can't let this happen".
Yes, Hilary is crooked. Every politician is. I'm not being flippant or complacent, but she is no dictator. Trump threatens the American way more than this one election of shadiness with aggressive rally tactics, pushing Bernie out, paying homeless to vote, and shell car rental companies ever could.
Sometimes the ends justify the means. But again, I don't think its rigged. Maybe coerced. But not flat-out rigged.
