4 ms·

Now watch nothing happen to them.

ajross 4y ago
The alleged behavior isn't a crime. Basically he made public statements in line with Trumpist allegations (implying that there were serious problems with the election), then failed to release the internal report finding that the election results were correct and its administration was perfectly routine (which isn't to say "free of all problems", obviously). That left it to his successor (a democrat) to release the report, which I believe happened fairly routinely. It's... bad. It's spin. Doing it this way makes something that should be a public good (we all want fair elections, right?) into a partisan football. But it's not criminal. FWIW: it's also not popular. Note that the reason for that party switch in the SoS office is that Brnovich lost his reelection campaign, owing in no small part to his engagement with fringe conspiracist politics. So in some sense he absolutely did get punished.
- ModernMech 4y ago
  > It's... bad. It's spin. Doing it this way makes something that should be a public good (we all want fair elections, right?) into a partisan football. But it's not criminal. The parent didn't say anything about criminal penalties, they said watch nothing happen. Yes, it's not criminal, but as you say it's also bad and not something we want to happen in our society. And yet, nothing will happen to him. Nothing. He won't be shunned by his political party for his actions, because they support the Big Lie. The problem we have today is that it's completely acceptable to lie to everyone and anyone about elections being stolen, and no one will do anything about that because "it's not a crime". Even when those lies lead to an assault on the electoral process by the loser of the election, it's still apparently not punished. And so the attempts continue. Today, insurrectionists are in control of the US House of Representatives. People who worked to overturn the free and fair election in 2020 are now sitting members of Congress, chairing committees, and directing investigations into political rivals and private citizens. Again, not a crime for the people to elect insurrectionists who aspire to overthrow American democracy. Just don't be surprised when American democracy is eventually overthrown. No one will be prosecuted for overthrowing democracy when that day comes (prosecutions will indeed follow, just not against the insurrectionists). > FWIW: it's also not popular. Note that the reason for that party switch in the SoS office is that Brnovich lost his reelection campaign, owing in no small part to his engagement with fringe conspiracist politics. So in some sense he absolutely did get punished. Actually, he was shunned by his constituents because he wasn't denying elections hard enough; his primary challenger Blake Masters won because his fidelity to the Big Lie was more authentic than Brnovich's. Trump endorsed Masters over Brnovich because Brnovich refused to decertify the Arizona results. That was the end of his political career. Now, it's true Master's eventually lost. But at the same time, 46% of voters cast a vote in favor of election denialism. Run an election that close enough times and eventually the election denier wins. When election deniers are in control of elections, that's when we need to really question the legitimacy of the elections they manage.
bediger4000 4y ago
That's good isn't it? Wouldn't some extra-judicial consequences happening be cancel culture?

The alleged behavior isn't a crime. Basically he made public statements in line with Trumpist allegations (implying that there were serious problems with the election), then failed to release the internal report finding that the election results were correct and its administration was perfectly routine (which isn't to say "free of all problems", obviously). That left it to his successor (a democrat) to release the report, which I believe happened fairly routinely. It's... bad. It's spin. Doing it this way makes something that should be a public good (we all want fair elections, right?) into a partisan football. But it's not criminal. FWIW: it's also not popular. Note that the reason for that party switch in the SoS office is that Brnovich lost his reelection campaign, owing in no small part to his engagement with fringe conspiracist politics. So in some sense he absolutely did get punished.

ModernMech 4y ago
> It's... bad. It's spin. Doing it this way makes something that should be a public good (we all want fair elections, right?) into a partisan football. But it's not criminal. The parent didn't say anything about criminal penalties, they said watch nothing happen. Yes, it's not criminal, but as you say it's also bad and not something we want to happen in our society. And yet, nothing will happen to him. Nothing. He won't be shunned by his political party for his actions, because they support the Big Lie. The problem we have today is that it's completely acceptable to lie to everyone and anyone about elections being stolen, and no one will do anything about that because "it's not a crime". Even when those lies lead to an assault on the electoral process by the loser of the election, it's still apparently not punished. And so the attempts continue. Today, insurrectionists are in control of the US House of Representatives. People who worked to overturn the free and fair election in 2020 are now sitting members of Congress, chairing committees, and directing investigations into political rivals and private citizens. Again, not a crime for the people to elect insurrectionists who aspire to overthrow American democracy. Just don't be surprised when American democracy is eventually overthrown. No one will be prosecuted for overthrowing democracy when that day comes (prosecutions will indeed follow, just not against the insurrectionists). > FWIW: it's also not popular. Note that the reason for that party switch in the SoS office is that Brnovich lost his reelection campaign, owing in no small part to his engagement with fringe conspiracist politics. So in some sense he absolutely did get punished. Actually, he was shunned by his constituents because he wasn't denying elections hard enough; his primary challenger Blake Masters won because his fidelity to the Big Lie was more authentic than Brnovich's. Trump endorsed Masters over Brnovich because Brnovich refused to decertify the Arizona results. That was the end of his political career. Now, it's true Master's eventually lost. But at the same time, 46% of voters cast a vote in favor of election denialism. Run an election that close enough times and eventually the election denier wins. When election deniers are in control of elections, that's when we need to really question the legitimacy of the elections they manage.

bediger4000 4y ago

That's good isn't it? Wouldn't some extra-judicial consequences happening be cancel culture?