# Locked thread in Elections **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 12, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976 "2017-01-12T18:17:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/1 "2017-01-12T18:17:44Z")
[This puppy.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=816093) I can see **Bone** ’s thinking in locking my thread. I kind of brought it on myself by introducing the example of the leaked reports but the scope of the thread was intended to be far wider, ie the attempts in general to delegitimize the election. Any room for manoeuvre here, eg reposting the question without reference to the leaking and speaking in general terms? No problem at all if there isn’t, I can just introduce it into one of the existing threads and try to broaden the discussion a little there. BTW my first locked thread; I feel as if I’ve had my cherry popped. **Bone** , you were so gentle. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/2 "2017-01-12T19:04:19Z")
I see no issue with a thread about attempts to delegitimize an election past or present, and/or the merits, demerits, or existence of such attempts. It is reasonable that such discussion may involve talks of the recent leaked documents but as a starting point I think it’s more organized to contain that topic to the existing thread that is currently active. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/3 "2017-01-12T19:45:07Z")
That well was so poisoned, it qualified for superfunding. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/4 "2017-01-12T20:05:03Z")
Yeah, that thread was ruined during the OP. Good call in closing it. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/5 "2017-01-12T20:09:14Z")
I think Bone misread the OP or I did or we both did. I thought it was about the Democrats’ efforts to de-legitimize the 2016 election and not just documents. It’s more than leaked documents, it’s a also Hamilton electors, the Emoluments Clause, the talk of future impeachment, (un)qualifications, etc. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/6 "2017-01-12T20:46:37Z")
Yes, unless I’m misinterpreting **Bone** it wasn’t closed because of any ‘well poisoning’, but simply because the issue was covered elsewhere. Nice attempt by some to inject politics into the decision though. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/7 "2017-01-12T21:08:12Z")
Well, I’ve got no Bone to pick. A move to the Pit would also have been appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/8 "2017-01-12T21:39:39Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, I’ve got no Bone to pick. A move to the Pit would also have been appropriate. Well, as [**Bone** pointed out](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19914779&postcount=10), there already was a Pit thread. So the maximal thing you could want would have been a move+merge, which is pretty far to go. (Especially with the inevitable post-merge confusion.) Bone considered the Pit move and decided against it. Like it or not, at least it was a conscious and intentional decision, not a knee-jerk. And, in perfect fairness, that’s all you can ask for. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/9 "2017-01-12T22:04:00Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Like it or not, at least it was a conscious and intentional decision, not a knee-jerk. And, in perfect fairness, that’s all you can ask for. I’ve given no indication of not liking the decision or the level of intention behind it. I’ve simply pointed out a reason for closure beyond the stated one. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/10 "2017-01-12T22:06:40Z")
Just to emphasize that I thought the decision a fair and reasonable one too, despite the fact that it makes this thread no fun at all. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/11 "2017-01-12T22:56:10Z")
It is my opinion that the OP was not written in a way that encouraged honest discussion of the broader topic, as you indicate was your intention. It rightly belonged in the Pit. As Bone noted there was already a thread that more or less covered it. You could legitimately start a new thread, but I would take it up a notch writing your OP. It could go in Elections or GD, I think. It’s an interesting topic. It’s certainly happened, historically speaking, as long as there have been leaders. So bring it out again, rephrase a bit (if you’re actually interested in discussing the phenomena of delegitimizing election results or political leaders), and try again. Maybe don’t poison the well quite so much this time, 'kay? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/12 "2017-01-12T22:59:58Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Yes, unless I’m misinterpreting **Bone** it wasn’t closed because of any ‘well poisoning’, but simply because the issue was covered elsewhere. Nice attempt by some to inject politics into the decision though. Well, yeah it pretty much was closed because of well poisoning. If there hadn’t already been a Pit thread, it would have been moved there. And that’s because the OP was a rant. Rants are generally considered well poisoning. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2017, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locked-thread-in-elections/776976/13 "2017-01-13T02:28:09Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > It is my opinion that the OP was not written in a way that encouraged honest discussion of the broader topic, as you indicate was your intention. It rightly belonged in the Pit. As Bone noted there was already a thread that more or less covered it. > > You could legitimately start a new thread, but I would take it up a notch writing your OP. It could go in Elections or GD, I think. It’s an interesting topic. It’s certainly happened, historically speaking, as long as there have been leaders. So bring it out again, rephrase a bit (if you’re actually interested in discussing the phenomena of delegitimizing election results or political leaders), and try again. Maybe don’t poison the well quite so much this time, 'kay? Thank you for saying that much better than I did.