Democrats sure do enjoy warning about the danger of undermining faith in our electoral system when they’re talking about Republicans.
However, they do not mind claiming that elections could be stolen when they think it will benefit them by scaring the living daylights out of their base.
In a video message to the progressive organization, the Indivisible Guide, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “I’m here to highlight something that is keeping me up at night.”
“And I know this group really understands what I am about to say. I know we’re all focused on the 2022 midterm elections. And they are incredibly important. But we also have to look ahead because, you know what? Our opponents certainly are,” she continued.
She went on:
“Right-wing extremists already have a plan to literally steal the next presidential election. And they’re not making a secret of it. The right-wing controlled Supreme Court may be poised to rule on giving state legislatures… the power to overturn presidential elections.”
Watch her comments below:
HILLARY CLINTON: “Right wing extremists already have a plan to literally steal the next presidential election.”
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 25, 2022
pic.twitter.com/gUfkiy5206
Finally, Clinton added, “Just think, if that happens, the 2024 presidential election could be decided not by the popular votes, or even by the anachronistic electoral college, but by state legislatures, many of them Republican-controlled.”
Her comments appear to refer to the case Moore v Harper, which the Supreme Court has agreed to hear.
Vikram Amar, the dean of the college of law at the University of Illinois, told The Guardian the case could give state legislatures the power to decide who won the 2024 election in their state.
The idea of legislatures being able to choose who won their state’s electoral votes, regardless of how their constituents actually voted, without any kind of check is terrifying.
Despite the fearmongering about the Supreme Court, it is hard to believe that there would be five justices willing to vote in favor of a ruling that would directly cut against the idea of checks and balances which is so deeply ingrained in our system.
Even if it did that way and states could choose their slates of electors unchecked, it is difficult — though unfortunately not entirely impossible — to believe that enough Republicans would be so craven they would ignore the will of the people and back a different candidate than the one chosen by their voters.
Just look at the 2020 election when supporters of then-President Donald Trump refused to bend to his pressure to alter the results.
It is important Americans know about candidates who might seek to undermine the will of the people if they were elected.
But to pre-emptively warn that the results of a future election may not be accurate only serves to stir up fear and undermine trust in the system. It’s wrong when Republicans do it. And it’s wrong when Democrats do it.
