Name:   copperline - Subject:   Just Suppose Date:   10/18/2016 9:35:02 PM

No, the election is not being rigged.    Too many credible experts have weighed in to debunk this, but we should pay attention to who stands to benefit from the myth that US elections cannot be trusted to reveal the will of the voters.

Trump, ever the showman and opportunist, has taken to claiming the election results are rigged even before voting has started… adding hints that minorities in the inner cities or illegal immigrants are part of a grand conspiracy to subvert democracy.     What appears to be happening is that he is laying the groundwork for a claim that he did not lose the election, but it was unfairly stolen from him.  This is vintage Trump, who has been his own worst enemy from the beginning.   Now, in the face of defeat, he intends to burn the house down.   In the end, he may be angling for enough riled up supporters to fuel his next endeavor… whether it be a 3^rd party or as customers for a radical right wing Brietbart-style network.

Putin, who was nearly undercut by domestic protests that he rigged Russian Presidential elections, is also a clear winner in this game.   Whether Trump is a witting or unwitting accomplice is pretty much irrelevant.   Trump stands to benefit from any disruption of the body politic, and Putin knows this.   So a disinformation campaign spawned by Russian Intelligence to discredit the US government, undermine public confidence in our elections, and provoke possible violent reactions to the election results is simply a goal in itself.   Ultimately, it is in Russia's best interest that the US be conflicted, internally confused about the institutions of our country, and willing to believe conspiracy theories over facts.

 On a grand scale, you shouldn’t wonder if the elections are rigged… we should be asking ourselves who would benefit from convincing the US public to believe this…. causing revolt against the democratic process, targeting and accusing minorities of treachery, and  ginning up so much anger within the population that we turn on each other.