Many Republicans who claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump won their own seats down ballot. Why were their elections not stolen as well? No one asks that.
Refusal to accept the results ahead of time should disqualify someone from running for a position. If you’re not going to play by the rules, you can’t be in the game, period.
That’s the way any game is played. When you win, great for you. When you loose, you loose. Better luck next time. You don’t blame the scoreboard for cheating to make you lose. You don’t blame the press for publishing the results of the game showing that you lost. Put in some more practice and try again. Only little babies because of their immaturity blame someone else for a loss.
Off-topic. On this anniversary of this newsletter I want to say as I did at its inception, thank you Dr Reich for your rather amazing *continued* public service here, with MoveOn, and with Inequality Media, at an age and after so many years already given that most people would quietly retire.
Prof. Reich, you write "Candidates who refuse to commit to being bound by the results of elections should be presumed disqualified to hold public office. " Agreed. Of course. But what say you to this: "Candidates who refuse to commit to achieving an authentic democracy wherein women and men have equal rights should be presumed disqualified to hold public office"? This week is Constitution Week--and women still aren't in the Constitution.
I agree with most of what is said here. However, I take issue with Bush v Gore in 2000. This election was indeed stolen. Al Gore won the popular vote and thus won the election regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision. Then Florida Secretary of State Katharine Harris admitted that Al Gore would’ve had the electoral college as well if the entire state of Florida had been re-canvassed. An election that was decided by a politically slanted Supreme Court is unacceptable. Especially considering the shenanigans of the W. Bush campaign. This is why the ‘would be’ W. Bush administration will always be tainted by illegitimacy. It’s one thing to graciously concede in a free and fair election. It’s totally another to concede in a free and fair election in which the winning candidate was declared the loser due to nefarious political activity from the opposition.
the irony that struck me hard is that many of these republicans in congress were elected in elections they say were fraudulent. shouldn't they then disqualify themselves from serving as being elected in a bogus election means your victory is bogus as well?
Sep 20, 2022·edited Sep 20, 2022Liked by Robert Reich
On 538, I've been noticing that in OH, from 2021, Ryan solidly led Vance by 1 point, with 27% undecided. A couple of days before May 1, 2022, the poll flipped to Vance with a 0.8 point lead an 23% undecided. Vance's lead held and widened to 2.6 points until the 4th of July, when the poll flipped back to Ryan, who took a 2.7 point lead on 17.5% undecided. However, although that lead has held, it's volatile, with respect to the generally decreasing percentage of undecided voters. Ryan's lead widened to a high of 4.5 points, but then abruptly dropped to a 1 point lead on 12.4% undecided. I think that's when Vance began his advertising blitz. That lead fell to 0.6 points on 10.2% undecided at the beginning of September. As of the 18th, Ryan's lead fell a bit to 0.5% points, but the undecided increased to 11.2% undecided. Vance's attack on Ryan over fighting and defunding police - which is a lie, because Ryan's been attacking institutional racism, and has publicly announced he's against defunding the police - and taxing "the little guy" - another lie, since the tax increases have been generally on wealthy and very wealthy - seems to have been effective. Vance is also promoting the myth that 87,000 IRS agents have been hired to come after said "little guy." Ryan needs to start attacking Vance as a bigoted liar in service to a bigoted liar, who leads a party of bigoted liars - which does not include that faction of Republicans they've already designated as RINOs, to be driven from the party - among his other obvious character flaws. That 11.2% will have a decisive impact in November, should they >all< do anything other than opt out of voting.
Undoubtedly, the orderly transfer of power is the lifeblood of democracy. Still, in my view, absent comprehensive federal voter protection legislation that deals with the complex challenges facing our voting systems today—specifically GOP controlled state legislatures changing state election rules to change who can be in charge, how votes are counted, and how they’re certified— perhaps our efforts at this moment are better served if we focus mainly on the necessary actions for protecting election integrity and for laying the groundwork for preserving representative government by popular consent.
I agree. Reading some of the other comments this seems like a no-brainer. If you don't like the rules, then don't play the game. If you can't commit to the rules, then you shouldn't be in the game.
I agree with your conclusions. Those candidates should be disqualified. There is no other
way to handle the “bad sportsmanship” of Trump and his flying monkeys.
I am using that term as a lead in to my comments.
Some years ago in an effort to understand people who voted for Trump, I picked a few ordinary Trumpers, not political figures, just people who made comments that would put them on the opposite side from me. I proceeded to read their Twitter bios and Twitter feeds.
This was not a scientific study, of course, but the ones I read had way more entries about sports than politics. Lots of info about teams, players, games, etc.
It occurs to me that sports analogies and discussions of sportsmanship might be used as a way to break through to some of the less crazy Trump crowd in terms of their pre-election denial.
(Trump himself is a notoriously poor sport who regularly cheats at golf. I read an article describing
how he asked his caddy to sneak out to move the ball of a 10 year old boy who had made a better shot than the Orange Spoil Sport.)
Anyway, regarding Vance and other GOP pre-election denier candidates:
If as he stepped up to the plate, a baseball player said that he will never accept the ruling of the umpire and, if he didn’t get to first base, it meant that the other team was cheating, that player would be immediately be put back on the bench and likely kicked off the team.
To be a player means agreeing to play by the rules in advance. The player may argue with the umpire,
but he still has to accept the umpire’s calls.
Trump has been a poor sport all his life. The pre-election denying candidates who he bullies and blesses are likewise poor sports who have no intentions of following the rules.
They should be kicked off the team, forfeit the signing bonus, take their ball and go home.
Additionally, I suggest reading Hillary Clinton’s concession speech, which follows my comments.
I’ve never been an admirer of Hillary, but what a contrast from Trump. It’s almost as if she knew what was to come.
Hillary’s concession speech:
Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country. I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans. This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for and I’m sorry that we did not win this election for the values we share and the vision we hold for our country.
But I feel pride and gratitude for this wonderful campaign that we built together, this vast, diverse, creative, unruly, energized campaign. You represent the best of America and being your candidate has been one of the greatest honors of my life.
I know how disappointed you feel because I feel it too, and so do tens of millions of Americans who invested their hopes and dreams in this effort. This is painful and it will be for a long time, but I want you to remember this. Our campaign was never about one person or even one election, it was about the country we love and about building an America that’s hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted.
We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.
Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power and we don’t just respect that, we cherish it. It also enshrines other things; the rule of law, the principle that we are all equal in rights and dignity, freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these values too and we must defend them.
Now — and let me add, our constitutional democracy demands our participation, not just every four years but all the time. So let’s do all we can to keep advancing the causes and values we all hold dear; making our economy work for everyone not just those at the top, protecting our country and protecting our planet and breaking down all the barriers that hold any American back from achieving their dreams.
We’ve spent a year and a half bringing together millions of people from every corner of our country to say with one voice that we believe that the American dream is big enough for everyone — for people of all races and religions, for men and women, for immigrants, for LGBT people, and people with disabilities. For everyone.
So now, our responsibility as citizens is to keep doing our part to build that better, stronger, fairer America we seek. And I know you will.
I am so grateful to stand with all of you. I want to thank Tim Kaine and Anne Holton for being our partners on this journey.
It has been a joy getting to know them better, and it gives me great hope and comfort to know that Tim will remain on the front lines of our democracy representing Virginia in the Senate.
To Barack and Michelle Obama, our country owes you an enormous debt of gratitude.
We — we thank you for your graceful, determined leadership that has meant so much to so many Americans and people across the world.
And to Bill and Chelsea, Mark, Charlotte, Aidan, our brothers and our entire family, my love for you means more than I can ever express. You crisscrossed this country on our behalf and lifted me up when I needed it most — even four-month-old Aidan who traveled with his mom.
I will always be grateful to the creative, talented, dedicated men and women at our headquarters in Brooklyn and across our country.
You poured your hearts into this campaign. For some of you who are veterans, it was a campaign after you had done other campaigns. Some of you, it was your first campaign. I want each of you to know that you were the best campaign anybody could have ever expected or wanted.
And to the millions of volunteers, community leaders, activists and union organizers who knocked on doors, talked to neighbors, posted on Facebook, even in secret, private Facebook sites…
… I want everybody coming out from behind that and make sure your voices are heard going forward.
To everyone who sent in contributions as small at $5 and kept us going, thank you. Thank you from all of us.
And to the young people in particular, I hope you will hear this. I have, as Tim said, spent my entire adult life fighting for what I believe in. I’ve had successes and I’ve had setbacks. Sometimes, really painful ones. Many of you are at the beginning of your professional public and political careers. You will have successes and setbacks, too.
This loss hurts, but please never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.
It is — it is worth it.
And so we need — we need you to keep up these fights now and for the rest of your lives.
And to all the women, and especially the young women, who put their faith in this campaign and in me, I want you to know that nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion.
Now, I — I know — I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but some day someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now.
And — and to all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.
Finally…
Finally, I am so grateful for our country and for all it has given to me. I count my blessings every single day that I am an American. And I still believe as deeply as I ever have that if we stand together and work together with respect for our differences, strength in our convictions and love for this nation, our best days are still ahead of us.
Because, you know — you know, I believe we are stronger together and we will go forward together. And you should never, ever regret fighting for that. You know, scripture tells us, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season, we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
So my friends, let us have faith in each other, let us not grow weary, let us not lose heart, for there are more seasons to come. And there is more work to do.
I am incredibly honored and grateful to have had this chance to represent all of you in this consequential election.
May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America.
Signing a commitment to be bound by the electoral results should be a legal requirement to have one's name printed on the ballot.
Political activists in each state should start a movement to enshrine this requirement in their state's electoral law.
Many Republicans who claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump won their own seats down ballot. Why were their elections not stolen as well? No one asks that.
Refusal to accept the results ahead of time should disqualify someone from running for a position. If you’re not going to play by the rules, you can’t be in the game, period.
Sounds good to me Robert. If you can't play by the rules, then you can't be in the game. Yep. I like it!
Democracy _is_ first and foremost being bound by elections.
But it has become the Republican credo that there are two kinds of elections: elections they win and elections that were rigged. I fear for America.
That’s the way any game is played. When you win, great for you. When you loose, you loose. Better luck next time. You don’t blame the scoreboard for cheating to make you lose. You don’t blame the press for publishing the results of the game showing that you lost. Put in some more practice and try again. Only little babies because of their immaturity blame someone else for a loss.
Off-topic. On this anniversary of this newsletter I want to say as I did at its inception, thank you Dr Reich for your rather amazing *continued* public service here, with MoveOn, and with Inequality Media, at an age and after so many years already given that most people would quietly retire.
Prof. Reich, you write "Candidates who refuse to commit to being bound by the results of elections should be presumed disqualified to hold public office. " Agreed. Of course. But what say you to this: "Candidates who refuse to commit to achieving an authentic democracy wherein women and men have equal rights should be presumed disqualified to hold public office"? This week is Constitution Week--and women still aren't in the Constitution.
Thanks for a reply. ~RD
I agree with most of what is said here. However, I take issue with Bush v Gore in 2000. This election was indeed stolen. Al Gore won the popular vote and thus won the election regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision. Then Florida Secretary of State Katharine Harris admitted that Al Gore would’ve had the electoral college as well if the entire state of Florida had been re-canvassed. An election that was decided by a politically slanted Supreme Court is unacceptable. Especially considering the shenanigans of the W. Bush campaign. This is why the ‘would be’ W. Bush administration will always be tainted by illegitimacy. It’s one thing to graciously concede in a free and fair election. It’s totally another to concede in a free and fair election in which the winning candidate was declared the loser due to nefarious political activity from the opposition.
i could not agree more
the irony that struck me hard is that many of these republicans in congress were elected in elections they say were fraudulent. shouldn't they then disqualify themselves from serving as being elected in a bogus election means your victory is bogus as well?
I couldn't agree more.
A candidate can't expect to benefit if s/he wins, but be free to ignore the results if s/he doesn't.
On 538, I've been noticing that in OH, from 2021, Ryan solidly led Vance by 1 point, with 27% undecided. A couple of days before May 1, 2022, the poll flipped to Vance with a 0.8 point lead an 23% undecided. Vance's lead held and widened to 2.6 points until the 4th of July, when the poll flipped back to Ryan, who took a 2.7 point lead on 17.5% undecided. However, although that lead has held, it's volatile, with respect to the generally decreasing percentage of undecided voters. Ryan's lead widened to a high of 4.5 points, but then abruptly dropped to a 1 point lead on 12.4% undecided. I think that's when Vance began his advertising blitz. That lead fell to 0.6 points on 10.2% undecided at the beginning of September. As of the 18th, Ryan's lead fell a bit to 0.5% points, but the undecided increased to 11.2% undecided. Vance's attack on Ryan over fighting and defunding police - which is a lie, because Ryan's been attacking institutional racism, and has publicly announced he's against defunding the police - and taxing "the little guy" - another lie, since the tax increases have been generally on wealthy and very wealthy - seems to have been effective. Vance is also promoting the myth that 87,000 IRS agents have been hired to come after said "little guy." Ryan needs to start attacking Vance as a bigoted liar in service to a bigoted liar, who leads a party of bigoted liars - which does not include that faction of Republicans they've already designated as RINOs, to be driven from the party - among his other obvious character flaws. That 11.2% will have a decisive impact in November, should they >all< do anything other than opt out of voting.
Undoubtedly, the orderly transfer of power is the lifeblood of democracy. Still, in my view, absent comprehensive federal voter protection legislation that deals with the complex challenges facing our voting systems today—specifically GOP controlled state legislatures changing state election rules to change who can be in charge, how votes are counted, and how they’re certified— perhaps our efforts at this moment are better served if we focus mainly on the necessary actions for protecting election integrity and for laying the groundwork for preserving representative government by popular consent.
I agree. Reading some of the other comments this seems like a no-brainer. If you don't like the rules, then don't play the game. If you can't commit to the rules, then you shouldn't be in the game.
Recall Trump's statement, also in late 2020: "If I lose, it's because the election was rigged."
Then why have an election? Just throw out the Constitution and appoint him dictator.
I agree with your conclusions. Those candidates should be disqualified. There is no other
way to handle the “bad sportsmanship” of Trump and his flying monkeys.
I am using that term as a lead in to my comments.
Some years ago in an effort to understand people who voted for Trump, I picked a few ordinary Trumpers, not political figures, just people who made comments that would put them on the opposite side from me. I proceeded to read their Twitter bios and Twitter feeds.
This was not a scientific study, of course, but the ones I read had way more entries about sports than politics. Lots of info about teams, players, games, etc.
It occurs to me that sports analogies and discussions of sportsmanship might be used as a way to break through to some of the less crazy Trump crowd in terms of their pre-election denial.
(Trump himself is a notoriously poor sport who regularly cheats at golf. I read an article describing
how he asked his caddy to sneak out to move the ball of a 10 year old boy who had made a better shot than the Orange Spoil Sport.)
Anyway, regarding Vance and other GOP pre-election denier candidates:
If as he stepped up to the plate, a baseball player said that he will never accept the ruling of the umpire and, if he didn’t get to first base, it meant that the other team was cheating, that player would be immediately be put back on the bench and likely kicked off the team.
To be a player means agreeing to play by the rules in advance. The player may argue with the umpire,
but he still has to accept the umpire’s calls.
Trump has been a poor sport all his life. The pre-election denying candidates who he bullies and blesses are likewise poor sports who have no intentions of following the rules.
They should be kicked off the team, forfeit the signing bonus, take their ball and go home.
Additionally, I suggest reading Hillary Clinton’s concession speech, which follows my comments.
I’ve never been an admirer of Hillary, but what a contrast from Trump. It’s almost as if she knew what was to come.
Hillary’s concession speech:
Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country. I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans. This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for and I’m sorry that we did not win this election for the values we share and the vision we hold for our country.
But I feel pride and gratitude for this wonderful campaign that we built together, this vast, diverse, creative, unruly, energized campaign. You represent the best of America and being your candidate has been one of the greatest honors of my life.
I know how disappointed you feel because I feel it too, and so do tens of millions of Americans who invested their hopes and dreams in this effort. This is painful and it will be for a long time, but I want you to remember this. Our campaign was never about one person or even one election, it was about the country we love and about building an America that’s hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted.
We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.
Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power and we don’t just respect that, we cherish it. It also enshrines other things; the rule of law, the principle that we are all equal in rights and dignity, freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these values too and we must defend them.
Now — and let me add, our constitutional democracy demands our participation, not just every four years but all the time. So let’s do all we can to keep advancing the causes and values we all hold dear; making our economy work for everyone not just those at the top, protecting our country and protecting our planet and breaking down all the barriers that hold any American back from achieving their dreams.
We’ve spent a year and a half bringing together millions of people from every corner of our country to say with one voice that we believe that the American dream is big enough for everyone — for people of all races and religions, for men and women, for immigrants, for LGBT people, and people with disabilities. For everyone.
So now, our responsibility as citizens is to keep doing our part to build that better, stronger, fairer America we seek. And I know you will.
I am so grateful to stand with all of you. I want to thank Tim Kaine and Anne Holton for being our partners on this journey.
It has been a joy getting to know them better, and it gives me great hope and comfort to know that Tim will remain on the front lines of our democracy representing Virginia in the Senate.
To Barack and Michelle Obama, our country owes you an enormous debt of gratitude.
We — we thank you for your graceful, determined leadership that has meant so much to so many Americans and people across the world.
And to Bill and Chelsea, Mark, Charlotte, Aidan, our brothers and our entire family, my love for you means more than I can ever express. You crisscrossed this country on our behalf and lifted me up when I needed it most — even four-month-old Aidan who traveled with his mom.
I will always be grateful to the creative, talented, dedicated men and women at our headquarters in Brooklyn and across our country.
You poured your hearts into this campaign. For some of you who are veterans, it was a campaign after you had done other campaigns. Some of you, it was your first campaign. I want each of you to know that you were the best campaign anybody could have ever expected or wanted.
And to the millions of volunteers, community leaders, activists and union organizers who knocked on doors, talked to neighbors, posted on Facebook, even in secret, private Facebook sites…
… I want everybody coming out from behind that and make sure your voices are heard going forward.
To everyone who sent in contributions as small at $5 and kept us going, thank you. Thank you from all of us.
And to the young people in particular, I hope you will hear this. I have, as Tim said, spent my entire adult life fighting for what I believe in. I’ve had successes and I’ve had setbacks. Sometimes, really painful ones. Many of you are at the beginning of your professional public and political careers. You will have successes and setbacks, too.
This loss hurts, but please never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.
It is — it is worth it.
And so we need — we need you to keep up these fights now and for the rest of your lives.
And to all the women, and especially the young women, who put their faith in this campaign and in me, I want you to know that nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion.
Now, I — I know — I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but some day someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now.
And — and to all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.
Finally…
Finally, I am so grateful for our country and for all it has given to me. I count my blessings every single day that I am an American. And I still believe as deeply as I ever have that if we stand together and work together with respect for our differences, strength in our convictions and love for this nation, our best days are still ahead of us.
Because, you know — you know, I believe we are stronger together and we will go forward together. And you should never, ever regret fighting for that. You know, scripture tells us, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season, we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
So my friends, let us have faith in each other, let us not grow weary, let us not lose heart, for there are more seasons to come. And there is more work to do.
I am incredibly honored and grateful to have had this chance to represent all of you in this consequential election.
May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America.