It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

Were you looking forward to next Wednesday when the political ads would cease and the talking heads could go back to promoting war and profit full-time?

Not so fast.

Polls in many states are now close after Trump's late surge, and both Trump and Clinton are gearing up for a post-Election Day legal--and extra-legal--tussle that will make 2000 and 1876 look like the halcyon days of domestic bliss and tranquility. Already, there is a legal contest in North Carolina over Republican-executed voter purges that could throw that state's critical electoral votes into question in what looks to be a close contest.

Both parties learned from their experience in 2000 that it's better to be prepared ahead of time for challenges to election outcomes. Letting the other side shape the story can be fatal to the cause, and even Clinton, with her iron grip on the MSM, can't afford to let Trump get out of the gate first.

As things are shaping up less than a week out from Election Day, here are a couple of things that are reasonable to expect:

1) Challenges will not be limited to one state as in 2000. North Carolina is almost certainly going to be challenged by whomever loses, but so are Florida, Nevada, Iowa, Ohio and others.

2) Some of these will be challenges based on election irregularities or unconstitutional behavior on the part of state election officials, not "simple" recounts as was the case with Florida in 2000.

3) The Democrats will blame Nader for all of it.

There are also a few very impactful differences between 2000 and 2016 that could make the coming months a political Armageddon.

1) The Supreme Court is split 4 - 4 on partisan lines. Orin Hatch's 2000 solution is unlikely to work this time.

2) Neither party is for-the-good-of-the-country Al Gore. (Yeah right, Al.)

3) One party is under multiple investigations by the FBI and will likely remain so during the course of these election contests.

4) There is a racial element to this election that was present but not nearly as intense in 2000.

It is not hard to imagine this ending up in a constitutional crisis as grave as 1876. Then it was necessary to appoint a special commission to resolve multiple challenges to state outcomes. The end result was a compromise that effectively allowed the South to achieve partially what it had sought in the Civil War: autonomy, along with its ultimate goal, a re-institution of slavery in all but name.

Given the historically low trust in all institutions but the military (my gods, how did we let that happen?), this election year could lead to big changes.

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Comments

You ask? By allowing spin meisters and shlock artists to take over (de)funding our school system so they could dumb down an entire generation(or three) which left the door open for political psyops to be conducted on the populace at large and nobody would be the wiser.
I know, run on sentence. Shoot me for it. Please?

peace

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Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .

Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .

If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march

event.

And by "look forward, not back" when it came to war crimes.

And by this "thanks for your service" when all the service was rendered not to the American people but to the 1%.

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Bisbonian's picture

I got a 'Kuwaiti Service Medal', directly from the Emirs of Kuwait, for protecting their right to slant drill under the Iraqi border for oil. More oil. The medal was actual gold. (I say 'was'...my ex-wife took it during the divorce.)

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

for the Kuwaitis when Saddam invaded. Slant drilling is not a respectable practice in the oil patch.

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Hetrose's picture

Use them all the time and refuse to stop. It's good exercise for the reader's brain.

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earthling1's picture

By feeding them leaded drinking water at schools across America.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

and voila, another public frontier has been privatized...

So tired of the blatant treachery!

#votenowar
#fuckthisshit
#jillnothill

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But both major parties should have put forward better candidates, if they expected anyone to vote for their candidate. I hope it is a true change election, where a lot of corporate sellouts lose their seats. Otherwise, the veneer of a democratic republic is done, as Hellery & T-Rump will be more than happy to subjugate humanity for corporate gains.

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Fighting for democratic principles,... well, since forever

Steven D's picture

in swing states (i.e., last minute surges of votes for either candidate, voting in certain counties in excess of historical norms, etc.).

All of them, imo. are likely to favor Clinton unless her "donors" suddenly jump ship in the next few days.

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"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott

Great Unraveling. That would expose a whole new level of fraud.

I think there might actually be some risk in trying that kind of hacking right now. There seems to be a split in the "support staff," many of whom are armed and trained, about whether they want to go along with the script. There might be some chance of an "inside job" getting thwarted.

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The state is back in play, and we have Clinton and her surrogates everywhere including in Detroit trying to shore up her firewall. If they don't vote in BIG numbers, she loses MI. Out-state is all red, and the 3 metro counties around Detroit are a tossup.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

WindDancer13's picture

Did they bring water with them?

One of the reasons I moved to MI 12 years ago was because it is/was a blue state. On Monday, I cast my vote to make it red. *Sigh*

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We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.--Aristotle
If there is no struggle there is no progress.--Frederick Douglass

I'm tending towards fatalism

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A partial break-up and weakening of the American Empire would be one of best things that could happen to the world.

Clearly, things could go very, very wrong. We all remember that mini-coup that the Republican staffers pulled off to stop the recount in Dade County in 2000. That would look like a tea party compared to what is likely to happen this year. In 1876, people were taking shots at Hayes and mobs were showing up at his house. Grant beefed up the troops around D. C. because it looked like the Civil War might break out again.

We're not far from that point now.

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and I'm not seeing Trump saying it was all his fault so yes it will be my fault and your fault because we didn't listen to the GOS. Can't we do anything right.

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Beware the bullshit factories.

Lenzabi's picture

if Trump gets into office we get the shit sandwich and little much done. If Hillary gets in, watch her give us that other crap with lettuce and tomato, and all that the corporates want that Obama could not deliver and then some, including eternal wars.
Johnson gets in? still will pass TPP and likely make America more poor than ever with his crazy tax scheme. Like a shit sandwich with Habenero and ghost pepper.

Jill is the one I want, even though I know and realize what kind of shit-pile to clean that the establishment parties have allowed to grow and fester over the past 40yrs! If we are lucky, she may be able to get some good things rolling for climate change and our spending? I know it takes a congress to pass such moves, but hey, we are not just voting for Jill, but down the road putting Greens and other Progressive minded people into seats formerly sat in by the corporate support politicians, then we could see some real changes made as they help get money out of politics and change the voting situation maybe? ranked voting, money out of politics, and so on.

But for now, they still try and shame us if we do not vote for Her on command as it is the time of the anointment past, and Her coronation to Corporate Queen-hood,,,so much scripting has been shoved into this election, we really need to topple their apple-cart with a Jill victory!

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So long, and thanks for all the fish

but we get to smoke a joint to help it go down.

We're getting a shit sandwich this election, and there is no avoiding that.

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Lenzabi's picture

Sad isn't it that is all they can offer us. Not tuition forgiveness, not shifting from Military for social programs, no infrastructure/jobs programs, just shit sandwiches.

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So long, and thanks for all the fish

earthling1's picture

Got rid of all my credit cards. Pay cash wherever I go. Shop local, even if it costs a little more. Bought an all electric car. Recycle everything. And badmouth corporations everywhere I go.
Fuck 'em.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

learn practical skills, forge/reinvigorate ties with friends and neighbors.

Living that way does more than badmouth corporations, it provides an example of a different, more accurately, a better way.

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Maybe Obama, too. Maybe a few more.

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lotlizard's picture

Change of party in the White House didn’t result in pursuit of Iran-Contra.

Bipartisan collusion covers up everything potentially embarrassing to the establishment — as in 95% of the Abramoff investigation, or the client list of the DC Madam, who died under mysterious circumstances.

Congress switched to Democratic majorities in 2006, and suddenly there was bipartisan agreement to replace the Constitution and rule of law with “off the table” and, two years later, “look forward, not back.”

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If Trump jailed Hillary, they wouldn't come to any more of his weddings and Bill wouldn't phone him with advice anymore.

Anyway, should Trump wind up in the White House, pretty sure Pence would wind up running the show, either as President or as Trump's Cheney - anyone else notice how similar both Clinton's and Trump's VPs are, almost as though they were elected by the same groups of self-interests wanting the same repulsively repressive, intrusive, (not just anti-abortion but including a history of mandatory medical rape and disinformation on one side!) abusive and corporate-serving characteristics?

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

as regards next Wednesday, "looking forward" is not apt.

to the contrary, i'm wondering how i will muster the will to rise and go out into the bleak and dismal dawn of that hideous imminence.

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

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WoodsDweller's picture

University of Denver. 4-way. Clinton/Trump tie. 39/39/6/4

I've been saying for weeks that Clinton can't win Colorado. This is the first poll I've seen that didn't have her in the lead.

Doom vs. Despair. Despair is gaining, Doom may be doomed.

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"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone

Stein- Baraka
2016

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thanatokephaloides's picture

Doom vs. Despair. Despair is gaining, Doom may be doomed.

And once the election's over, a minimum of four years of Agony.....

Diablo

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

OLinda's picture

Hmm. Hadn't thought about that, but yes, I would expect if Hillary were to lose, she would contest every state Trump won. She will fight this one to the death.

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TheOtherMaven's picture

And the Dims won't blame Nader, they'll blame Bernie. Just you wait and see.

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Hillbilly Dem's picture

But there will also be some residual hippie punching and we'll be the recipients.

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"Just call me Hillbilly Dem(exit)."
-H/T to Wavey Davey

A freak will hit you back.

Stein - Baraka
2016

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As I've said before - if we can't hurt them, they can ignore us. Next time when we say XXXX or Bust, they had better listen.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

thanatokephaloides's picture

Next time when we say XXXX or Bust, they had better listen.

And heed!

Diablo

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

thanatokephaloides's picture

And the Dims won't blame Nader, they'll blame Bernie. Just you wait and see.

They'll blame Jill, too. As usual.

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Jill is being funded by Putin, and the real goal isn't even helping Trump. It's to use Dr. Stein's anti-science beliefs to soften up the American people so that Putin can mess with our bodily fluids.

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Alligator Ed's picture

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Hetrose's picture

The Dogs of War are ready and always on the loose! Will we all have to unpack and load our muskets? Perhaps the Revolution actually is upon us. It's going to be a bumpy ride any way we slice it.

Blessings and safety be upon all good people! The rest can go rot.

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skod's picture

we will see the first of the 2020 presidential campaign ads. It will never end.

Particularly in Colorado, where we will see a return of the incessant pro-fracking ads, with paid-actor "farmers" telling us how wonderful it is to have flammable green well water and we should all be so lucky as to have wells on our properties.

These will run a minimum of 4 times an hour during the news programs, just as they have for the past several years. It truly will never end.

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is long overdue for a major shake-up. It's like a poker game where all the players are cheating. Sooner or later, somebody is bound to overturn the table and start a fight. At which point all bets, as they say, are off.

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native

That's why I'm sitting in the corner of the room with a clear route to furniture that can be used as a bulletproof barrier.

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Some people are even kind of edging toward the exits, just in case.

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native

I came to the conclusion that there is no exit other than in Satre's mind.

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Lily O Lady's picture

Prepare for even stranger things ahead.

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"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Actually, I've been a Royals fan since there were Royals.

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lotlizard's picture

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Elements of the FBI are fighting back and even sending out bizarre alert signals via the previously sleepy Archive twitter account. A lot of the national security community is violently opposed to her because of her reckless self-indulgence, putting troops and agents in mortal peril. If she wins, the election will be only the beginning. I'd be surprised if she made it through her first term alive and still in office.

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Everybody hates the Clintons.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Hawkfish's picture

One of the strange things I learned working on a state initiative is that even if you win, you need to keep some cash on hand in case you have to sue the state to carry it out. Sad, no?

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We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg

It's over.

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Anja Geitz's picture

If the swing states erupt into electoral chaos. Gleefully, and with such a big serving of schadenfreude, it'll be difficult to find a container large enough. Maybe we'll get an oil tanker for an extra pinch of irony, eh?

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

will accept defeat. They know the consequences.

Everbody has been laughing about Trumps' pronouncement that he will happily accept the results - if he wins, but the exact same thing and perhaps even more applies to the Clinton gang. They CANNOT lose this. Prison is a cold place to spend your days.

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“The first duty of a man is to think for himself”

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Yeah right, with all the bought and paid for friends of the Clintons there is no way they even think about prison. You must think they are poor or middle class , have you seen the amount of money in their foundation. The only folks who are fearing prison are the far right wing militants because the Clintons are going to finish the job on these domestic terrorists that they didn't finish in the 90's.

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Fionnsboy's picture

Trump wins, agony for a bit, he gets bored, Pence takes over, can't get anything done, stalemate, huge progressive wave in 2020 starring Tulsi and Nina Turner.

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Semper ubi sub ubi