Morning Politocadoes!
The President suggested that voters in North Carolina commit voter fraud in a bid to test the security of the state’s election systems. Rest assured that this was no joke.
“Let them send it in and let them go vote, and if their system’s as good as they say it is, then obviously they won’t be able to vote,” the president said. “If it isn’t tabulated, they’ll be able to vote.”
So that’s blatantly illegal. To be completely fair, he’s not suggesting it in order for him to fraudulently win the state, he’s just suggesting it as a rock stupid method of testing election security that is also blatantly illegal.
Suggestions of double voting come as Trump’s advisors have reportedly been telling the Lummox that he’s actually suppressing mail-in voter turnout among his own supporters.
Meanwhile, protests have begun in Rochester, NY following the release of body cam footage of Daniel Prude being restrained by police and suffocated with a bag placed over his head. Prude, who was murdered following a call made by his brother to the police for a mental health check, was naked on the ground and completely defenseless. This story is very complicated, very sad, and tragic, but it really emphasizes the need to have mental health professionals handle de-escalation of situations with people who are having a mental health crisis rather than armed police. This is what people mean when they want to defund the police.
And of course, Attorney General Bill Barr went on to CNN to offer his belief that no, actually, there is no such thing as systemic racism and that it is, in fact, very rare for an unarmed black man to be killed by police officers. Just breathtakingly ignorant and arrogant at every turn.
Welcome to Thursday! Please be excellent to each other in the comments. The Mayor McSquirrel Rule remains in effect. As the protests continue, please be safe, dress non-descriptively, avoid wearing contacts if you wear them normally, and keep your phones on you. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, please continue to maintain social distancing measures, wear masks in public areas, and practices sanitation policies as circumstances dictate.
Worried about getting your vote suppressed by the awful, awful people running our government? Check out NPR’s guide to vote by mail!
https://www.npr.org/2020/08/07/900210406/the-most-important-mail-youll-ever-send-a-ballot