# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/21 "2016-11-08T17:45:50Z")
Punch them in the throat. It ain’t witty, but I guarantee you it will shut them up instantly, if not permanently. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/22 "2016-11-08T17:54:51Z")
A lot of people are pessimistic and think everything is rigged. Even ro-sham-bo is rigged. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/23 "2016-11-08T17:59:45Z")
You can’t logic someone out of a position they didn’t logic themselves into. Any claims of rigging should be dismissed and ignored. Got actual evidence? Ok then maybe we’ll talk. Briefly. ---
**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, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/24 "2016-11-08T18:14:42Z")
> [@Bootis](#): > > 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”. Again, they’ve got the extraordinary claims, they can bring the _extraordinary_ evidence. Tell them to bring evidence that would actually swing the election. When they don’t, tell them , “[I’M LISTENING TO THE FUCKING SONG!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vcCbwVmuBc)” ---
**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, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/25 "2016-11-08T18:29:58Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > He was going on about it every time he lost a state in the primary. Perhaps I’m misunderstanding. My take on the OP is that someone is suggesting the primaries were rigged _in favor of_ Trump so that the GOP would have a weak candidate in the general election. And if my understanding is correct, again I ask, who is making such statements? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/26 "2016-11-08T18:52:16Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > 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. You can’t cleave with a Claymore. It’s like a shotgun on steroids. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I have [one of these](https://www.flickr.com/photos/27492458@N05/4802258398/in/dateposted-public/). There you go. > [@AngelSoft](#): > > 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. I want to see his birth certificate. The LONG form. > [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Perhaps I’m misunderstanding. My take on the OP is that someone is suggesting the primaries were rigged _in favor of_ Trump so that the GOP would have a weak candidate in the general election. And if my understanding is correct, again I ask, who is making such statements? Actually, that probably did happen to an extent, in that in states with open primaries, a lot of Democrats crossed party lines to vote for Trump. I don’t know how much it’s actually responsible for him winning , though. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/27 "2016-11-08T18:57:57Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > You can’t cleave with a Claymore. It’s like a shotgun on steroids. They’re talking about the Scottish medieval sword that the land mine was named after. Think the sword Liam Neeson used in “Rob Roy” at the very end (a basket-hilt claymore). ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/28 "2016-11-08T19:01:23Z")
It’s funny how the worm turns. 😛 At any rate, it’s the same answer as when folks were shouting that Bush ‘stole’ the election from Gore and that the elections were rigged. Trump and his idiotic followers are just following in the same tradition…though, granted, they have started to set the groundwork early (probably because they realize that Trump is a long shot at best today). Anyway, I was watching [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOgcY8WvVdU) Youtube video on how difficult it would be to rig a US election if anyone is interested. The TL&DW answer is…it would be nearly impossible. ---
**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, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/29 "2016-11-08T19:02:25Z")
ETA: beaten by **bump** … @ **RivkahChaya** : I meant this claymore [Claymore - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claymore) not that claymore [Claymore mine - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M18_Claymore_mine) Guess which is named after which? And both are known for scything a swath through an advancing horde. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/30 "2016-11-08T20:29:24Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > You can’t. They’re not open to anything approaching logic. They just _know_. Trump was able top overcome a tsunami of establishment Republicans running against he and he prevailed because the American people were sick of politics as usual. The voters were delivering votes tot he Republicans and the Republicans weren’t delivering anything to the American people. (except a Republican base that would nominate Trump). But even TRUMP might not be able to prevail against crooked Hillary. She has rigged the system. Just look at what she did during the primaries? She had the DNC in her pocket. She had the media feeding her questions to the debates. Anyone who thinks that the debates between Trump and Hillary were fairly moderated have been drinking the kool aid. The media goes out of its way to make Trump look bad. They take his words out of context and overblow things from the distant past. Meanwhile, they hardly even mention the stuff Hillary did (you know, the stuff we see every day in the media about Hillary). If Trump loses, it will have been because establishment Republicans, establishment Democrats and the LAMEstream media (and the voters) have conspired to defeat him. ---
**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, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/31 "2016-11-08T20:58:21Z")
You do that so well. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/32 "2016-11-08T21:19:53Z")
Look - the media could be biased (whitewahs some, demonize others) - the polling could be flawed (designed to show the opponent is winning/losing, etc) - the political process may favor X over Y - others may constantly talk bad about you or take your words out of context But there is no evidence that the election itself is ‘rigged’ in any way - no evidence of ‘voter fraud’ on the scale needed to sway the election itself. And no - just because there are lots of dead people on voter rolls does not mean that that they are voting - when the zombies\* start voting, THEN we worry - and they will, usually, be caught. If people are ‘swayed’ in their vote due to the things above - that’s on them to correct and be more educated - and you don’t do that by limiting your news sources. \*can’t be much worse than some of the braindead voters we have now ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/33 "2016-11-08T21:22:22Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Trump was able top overcome a tsunami of establishment Republicans running against he and he prevailed because the American people were sick of politics as usual. The voters were delivering votes tot he Republicans and the Republicans weren’t delivering anything to the American people. (except a Republican base that would nominate Trump). > > But even TRUMP might not be able to prevail against crooked Hillary. She has rigged the system. > > Just look at what she did during the primaries? She had the DNC in her pocket. She had the media feeding her questions to the debates. > > Anyone who thinks that the debates between Trump and Hillary were fairly moderated have been drinking the kool aid. The media goes out of its way to make Trump look bad. They take his words out of context and overblow things from the distant past. > > Meanwhile, they hardly even mention the stuff Hillary did (you know, the stuff we see every day in the media about Hillary). > > If Trump loses, it will have been because establishment Republicans, establishment Democrats and the LAMEstream media (and the voters) have conspired to defeat him. So this is the kind of stuff that will stop after the elections is over, right? PLEASE? ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/34 "2016-11-08T21:45:39Z")
I responded to a student’s “it’s rigged” claim by pointing to a county-by-county map of the 2012 results, similar to this one: [https://goo.gl/images/IwfcQ4](https://goo.gl/images/IwfcQ4) Roughly speaking, each of those little counties is having its own election this year, run by local people. Some might be “rigged.” But really … ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/35 "2016-11-08T21:50:41Z")
Krugman has a good column on this: [Opinion | How to Rig an Election - The New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/07/opinion/how-to-rig-an-election.html) ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/36 "2016-11-08T21:52:43Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Trump was able top overcome a tsunami of establishment Republicans running against he and he prevailed because the American people were sick of politics as usual. The voters were delivering votes tot he Republicans and the Republicans weren’t delivering anything to the American people. (except a Republican base that would nominate Trump). > > But even TRUMP might not be able to prevail against crooked Hillary. She has rigged the system. > > Just look at what she did during the primaries? She had the DNC in her pocket. She had the media feeding her questions to the debates. > > Anyone who thinks that the debates between Trump and Hillary were fairly moderated have been drinking the kool aid. The media goes out of its way to make Trump look bad. They take his words out of context and overblow things from the distant past. > > Meanwhile, they hardly even mention the stuff Hillary did (you know, the stuff we see every day in the media about Hillary). > > If Trump loses, it will have been because establishment Republicans, establishment Democrats and the LAMEstream media (and the voters) have conspired to defeat him. ::Checks OP’s join date::…2006 :eek:😕 Please tell me this is a big whoosh. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/37 "2016-11-08T22:06:02Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > … The media goes out of its way to make Trump look bad. They take his words out of context and overblow things from the distant past. What possible context could have made these Trump remarks acceptable? > [@](#): > > [ul] > [li]Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.[/li][li]His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald’s being, you know, shot.[/li][li]I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering.[/li][li][John McCain is] not a war hero. … He is a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured, OK?[/li][li]She does have a very nice figure. I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.[/li][li]Jeb Bush has to like the Mexican Illegals because of his wife.[/li][li]The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.[/li][li]I have a great relationship with the blacks. I’ve always had a great relationship with the blacks.[/li][/ul] Do please tell us _what_ was removed from either before or after what Trump was recorded saying here—the removal of which made these remarks … what they are. In other words, please give us the missing context that would make this stuff okay. Sources: [http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/the-absolute-trumpest-121328](http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/the-absolute-trumpest-121328) > **[Top 16 controversial quotes of Trump](https://www.thedailystar.net/us-election-2016/top-16-controversial-quotes-trump-1310824)** > > Republican nominee Donald Trump has drawn the attention of the whole world because of his controversial comments ridiculously delivered during US presidential campaign since announcing his candidacy. Here are 16 of the most controversial comments... [http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/donald-trump-speech-debates-and-campaign-quotes-1.11206532](http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/donald-trump-speech-debates-and-campaign-quotes-1.11206532) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/38 "2016-11-08T22:10:14Z")
Well yes. [The final actions](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/08/us/politics/election-live.html) of a desperate man. ---
**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, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/39 "2016-11-08T22:18:29Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > What possible context could have made these Trump remarks acceptable? > > Do please tell us _what_ was removed from either before or after what Trump was recorded saying here—the removal of which made these remarks … what they are. In other words, **please give us the missing context that would make this stuff okay.** > > Sources: > [http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/the-absolute-trumpest-121328](http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/the-absolute-trumpest-121328) > [Top 16 controversial quotes of Trump](http://www.thedailystar.net/us-election-2016/top-16-controversial-quotes-trump-1310824) > [http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/donald-trump-speech-debates-and-campaign-quotes-1.11206532](http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/donald-trump-speech-debates-and-campaign-quotes-1.11206532) The press never mentioned he was crossing his fingers behind his back on each of these statements. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076/40 "2016-11-08T22:27:11Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The press never mentioned he was crossing his fingers behind his back on each of these statements. > 😉 I wouldn’t be surprised if some Trump apologists try (or have tried) that one. It has a certain school ground mentality that seems fitting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elections-are-rigged/771076.md?page=3)