Encore of Revival: America, November 16, 2020

Elections are not decided by news desks. They are decided by the electoral college, which meets in mid December. Electors sent there are chosen by the State based on election results certified by each State. If an election is in doubt, the decision goes to State legislatures, pursuant to the Electoral Count Act (1887) and a Supreme Court interpretation from Bush v Gore (2000).

Judges don’t decide whether election results are certifiable; State legislatures do. The burden is not on the Trump campaign to prove vote fraud to judges. The burden is on the polling stations to prove there was no fraud to State legislatures.

Right now, five key states are in severe doubt concerning polling credibility: Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia. Republicans control the legislatures of all five. And, Trump just backed McDaniel to continue as RNC chair. Perhaps she will have some sway over those Republican legislatures.

Republicans don’t have an option. Gross suspicions of election cheating have caused the Republican base to turn away from Fox News to Newsmax. News networks wouldn’t call Georgia or North Carolina, even though it looked long past the time it seemed reasonable. To Republicans, this is a conspiracy to institute nation-wide political machines, which they can’t accept. In their minds, if they let Democrats steal this election, there will be no more fair elections, and the only way to escape would be an armed revolution. There is no scenario in which the Republican base allows Trump to lose. If Trump gave in, they would turn against him also.

Democratic voters aren’t about to tuck tail and turn. Emboldened by a news industry, that insists on its own ability to declare an election outcome, the DNC base only builds for greater disappointment. They don’t have the power to decide disputed elections, but they think they do. They haven’t already won, but they think they have. Note cautiously, the media does not hope to sway the election outcome, but to sway a revolt for when Trump inevitably wins—a revolt from, of all people, the gun haters.

In order for Trump to lose, he would have to bow out, then Republican voters would take up arms and the RNC, seen as an obstruction, would be dissolved by its base. When he does win, Democrats voters will riot. In either scenario, we are looking at martial law in the coming weeks and months.

But, the question remains: Why was there such gross election ambiguity specifically in states with Republican-controlled legislatures? It’s almost as if the entire election controversy were staged. But, the reason remains yet to be seen, unless the answer is: China.

Trump

Trump Faces Legal Cases After White House Departure // WSJ

Trump CFO’s Family Tax Records Reviewed by New York Authorities // MSN News

Election

Cruz insists Trump ‘still has a path to victory,’ vote count lawsuits could ‘easily’ reach Supreme Court // Fox News

Rudy Giuliani says Trump will not concede election // CBS News

BUSH v. GORE // Cornell Law School

The law is clear: If an election is stolen State legislature can restore the will of the people // Sott.net

Susan Rice: Trump administration not helping Biden transition poses national security threat // The Hill

Trump endorses McDaniel to remain RNC chair, ponders 2024 run // Yahoo News

Chinese yuan after Biden election win, Trump’s trade war // CNBC

Biden carries Arizona, flipping a longtime Republican stronghold // CNN

Trump is reportedly ‘very aware’ he lost the election but is putting up a fight as ‘theater’ // The Week

Republican state AGs ask U.S. Supreme Court to hear mail-in ballot dispute // Yahoo News

Georgia Republican Party head casts new doubt on election transparency // Fox News

GOP backs Trump as he fights election results, transition // AP

After $15 billion and 450 miles, Joe Biden will halt border wall, Trump’s signature project // Seattle Times

Senior Republican senators say Biden should have access to classified briefings // CNN

Republican senator says he will step in if Biden doesn’t have access to intelligence briefings by Friday // CNN

The ‘nonsense’ narrative
Fox News’s Daytime-Primetime Divide on Election Fraud // The Intercept

Top Republicans line up behind Trump election fight, as Biden rips president for not conceding // Fox News

Still this nareative, no mention of vote fraud reports
Donald Trump’s ‘dictator moves’ spark growing alarm as he denies election defeat // CNN

Pompeo doubles down on refusing to acknowledge Biden win // The Hill

Trump allies brace for 30-day legal war as Senate hangs in the balance // Axios

Biden transition team announces coronavirus advisers, including whistleblower Rick Bright // CNN

Donald Trump’s refusal to concede sparks transition sabotage fears // Guardian

Law

Thomas poses mask mandate question during Supreme Court ACA hearing // NBC News

Supreme Court Justice Alito weighs in on Pennsylvania mail-in ballot case // NBC News

Justice Alito: Mail-in ballots received after Election Day in Pennsylvania must be kept separate // Fox News

Justice Alito orders Pennsylvania officials to separate ballots that arrived after Election Day // PBS

News Media, Journalism & Free speech

Glenn Greenwald tears into media, Schiff, other Dems for dismissing Hunter Biden controversy // Fox News

Tucker Carlson SLAMS His Own FOX Network after they Hit ROCK Bottom with their Election Coverage // YouTube @ The Next News Network

Trump eyes starting his own digital media empire to take on Fox News // Axios

Newsmax TV: Trump voters are flocking to a channel that claims Biden is not president-elect // CNN

Fox News cuts away from Trump campaign briefing over election fraud claims // YouTube @ The Sun

Human Rights, Civil Liberties & Privacy

Flashback
One in 11 black residents were evicted from the Seattle area since 2004, researchers say // KUOW-NPR

Science, Weather & Health

US Coronavirus: Expert predicts US could soon hit 200,000 daily cases as the country tops 10 million infections // CNN

Pandemic

Thanksgiving 2020: How to say no in the name of Covid // CNN

San Francisco, long hailed for beating COVID-19, now faces a spike in cases // Yahoo News

Chicago issues stay-home ‘advisory,’ 10-person limit on social gatherings // Chicago Sun Times