# The elections are rigged **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 8, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076 "2016-11-08T16:34:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/1 "2016-11-08T16:34:39Z")
When Trump loses, there will be a lot of people (including Trump) who will say he lost because the elections are rigged. If the elections are rigged, how did he become the Republican candidate in the first place? I can’t speak for the conspiracy theorists, but I can imagine some saying ‘Well, the puppet masters knew Trump wouldn’t win against Crooked Hillary, so they _made sure_ Trump would be the Republican candidate!’ OK… So if the elections were rigged to pick a candidate to be set up to fail, and you knew that he only became the Republican candidate because the Bilderbergers or Space Aliens or the Kennedy Assassins wanted a Democratic president, why are you angry and surprised that he lost? ‘Because the elections were rigged!’ So… Trump lost because he was a candidate? ‘BENGHAZI!!!111ONE’ Seriously, though: When Trump loses, people will scream ‘Rigged elections!’ How do you counter that? Specifically, how do you demonstrate their circular reasoning? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/2 "2016-11-08T16:37:11Z")
You can’t. They’re not open to anything approaching logic. They just _know_. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/3 "2016-11-08T16:37:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Seriously, though: When Trump loses, people will scream ‘Rigged elections!’ How do you counter that? Specifically, how do you demonstrate their circular reasoning? A sign saying “sucks to be you.” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/4 "2016-11-08T16:37:38Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Seriously, though: When Trump loses, people will scream ‘Rigged elections!’ How do you counter that? Specifically, how do you demonstrate their circular reasoning? There is nothing that will work. It’s like trying to teach a pig about nuclear fission. It kills the pig but the meat is too radioactive to eat. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/5 "2016-11-08T16:39:07Z")
Tell them: “You’ve got the extraordinary claims, you must bring the extraordinary evidence. Otherwise, please fuck off as soon as possible.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/6 "2016-11-08T16:42:52Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > You can’t. They’re not open to anything approaching logic. They just _know_. > [@samclem](#): > > A sign saying “sucks to be you.” > [@running\_coach](#): > > There is nothing that will work. It’s like trying to teach a pig about nuclear fission. > It kills the pig but the meat is too radioactive to eat. I know this, of course. But I can’t not try. 1. 'The elections are rigged. 2. Then how did Trump become the Republican candidate? 3. ‘The elections were rigged to make sure he was a candidate so he would lose the election.’ 4. Then why are you saying the voting was rigged? 5. ‘Because Trump lost!’ 6. So the elections were rigged because Trump lost because he was chosen to lose? 7. [Deflection] I know what I _want_ to say, but I’d like some help saying it in a way that would be familiar to people who can still think – even if it doesn’t convince the True Believers. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/7 "2016-11-08T16:44:37Z")
My parents and brother are in the ‘rigged’ camp. They’re convinced Hillary is controlling the election and will vehemently give examples of vote rigging they’ve heard about. Mostly people having their votes changed to Hillary on voter machines when they had pushed Trump. There’s video proof of it happening sheeple!!! Wake up!!! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/8 "2016-11-08T16:46:19Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > My parents and brother are in the ‘rigged’ camp. They’re convinced Hillary is controlling the election and will vehemently give examples of vote rigging they’ve heard about. Mostly people having their votes changed to Hillary on voter machines when they had pushed Trump. There’s video proof of it happening sheeple!!! Wake up!!! :rolleyes: Ask them, if the elections are rigged, then how did Trump become the Republican candidate? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/9 "2016-11-08T16:53:33Z")
Try this tack (which won’t work any better than any other): **You** : Did you vote? **Trumpist** : Sure I did. For Trump of course. **You** : If you believe it’s rigged so Trump had no chance, why did you bother? **Trumpist** : So my protest would be registered. **You** : But it didn’t register; you already said you believe both his and her vote totals had to be faked. etc. Once they go into deflection you’ve done as much as you can. It might be better to simply cleave their skull with a claymore; it’s the easiest way to improve their thinking ability up from negative to zero. Getting it into positive territory is waaay too hard for mere mortals like us. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/10 "2016-11-08T17:04:45Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > It might be better to simply cleave their skull with a claymore; I have [one of these](https://www.flickr.com/photos/27492458@N05/4802258398/in/dateposted-public/). ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/11 "2016-11-08T17:05:58Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I know this, of course. But I can’t not try. > > 1. 'The elections are rigged. > 2. Then how did Trump become the Republican candidate? > 3. ‘The elections were rigged to make sure he was a candidate so he would lose the election.’ > 4. Then why are you saying the voting was rigged? > 5. ‘Because Trump lost!’ > 6. So the elections were rigged because Trump lost because he was chosen to lose? > 7. [Deflection] > > I know what I _want_ to say, but I’d like some help saying it in a way that would be familiar to people who can still think – even if it doesn’t convince the True Believers. Who’s saying all this? I’ve heard about Trump making noise related to a rigged general election, but nothing about a rigged primary. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/12 "2016-11-08T17:12:14Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Ask them, if the elections are rigged, then how did Trump become the Republican candidate? Clearly it’s because the DemoRATS knew they could win no matter who the GOP nominee was, since the final decision is RIGGED. They could have been running against the second coming of Christ and still won. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/13 "2016-11-08T17:16:20Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Who’s saying all this? I’ve heard about Trump making noise related to a rigged general election, but nothing about a rigged primary. He was going on about it every time he lost a state in the primary. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/14 "2016-11-08T17:19:23Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I have [one of these](https://www.flickr.com/photos/27492458@N05/4802258398/in/dateposted-public/). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/15 "2016-11-08T17:22:34Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Ask them, if the elections are rigged, then how did Trump become the Republican candidate? Trump winning the primary does not disprove election rigging. Maybe the Nefarious Vote Rigger (NVR) didn’t wish to rig the Republican primaries, or preferred Trump to win (to help Dem candidate). Maybe they just couldn’t get their act together fast enough (I’m guessing some Establishment Republicans wished they could have done this). It’s really going to come down to faith in the electoral process (with some help from trained poll watchers, the feds, and international observers). That’s the real reason that Trump’s statements are so corrosive. Our modern life is built on faith in so many institutions (currency for example). I myself don’t think that the threat of vote rigging should be dismissed out of hand. Voting irregularities should be investigated. I know that Democrats will have their doubts about the integrity of the system if California goes Trump (and they should). ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/16 "2016-11-08T17:24:32Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Tell them: “You’ve got the extraordinary claims, you must bring the extraordinary evidence. Otherwise, please fuck off as soon as possible.” Oh they’ll have evidence. There will be confirmed individual cases of voter fraud. Confirmed instances of malfunctions, and various isolated incidents that are inevitable in an election with over 100 million voters that can be cherry picked as “proof”. ---
**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:** [November 8, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/17 "2016-11-08T17:28:02Z")
Do they allow cameras inside the voting booth itself? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/18 "2016-11-08T17:35:02Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Do they allow cameras inside the voting booth itself? [It depends on where you are](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/03/photo-polling-place_n_6095746.html). ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/19 "2016-11-08T17:43:47Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > … It might be better to simply cleave their skull with a claymore… > > I have [one of these](https://www.flickr.com/photos/27492458@N05/4802258398/in/dateposted-public/). Use it! Use it! That’s what the edges are for you twit!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/20 "2016-11-08T17:45:46Z")
Three possibilities. 1. Why bother rigging the primary when you can rig the general. Who cares which Republican is up when Clinton as already been crowned by the Illuminati 2. The Democrats let Trump win thinking that he would be easy to beat, but massively underestimated him and the power of the silent majority of real Americans. Remember the Democrats are super competent at rigging and destroying America but super incompetent at everything else. 3. Logic is a librul plot for losers. The Democrats rigged both elections, but Trump won both elections fair and square. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076.md?page=2)