Perhaps the most salient article to read this election day in America is from the New Republic: Why Do Republicans Predict a Rigged Election When They’re Projected to Win? by Timothy Noah.
The author argues convincingly that the election-denier movement is not concerned with the cognitive dissonance of Republicans winning control of Congress while they continue to insist the vote is “rigged.”
That’s because their main goal is simply to undermine faith in the electoral system.
“The point is no longer to win elections,” writes Noah. “The point is to hold power. If a corrupt system delivers that power, well, at least it was our side that won.”
Noah explains: “(O)ver the past two years Republicans, at Trump’s instruction, have surrendered to an increasingly nihilistic and repellant worldview, one that justifies the violence of the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill insurrection and finds humor in the violent attack on Nancy Pelosi’s 82-year-old husband. It’s getting harder and harder to resist comparisons between the GOP’s MAGA base and the Camicie Nere, the Blackshirts organized by Benito Mussolini to attack political enemies, later emulated by Adolf Hitler’s Braunhemden, or Brownshirts.”
Whether or not you agree with Noah’s comparisons to the rise of fascism in the 1930s, it is indeed remarkable that the other most important article today documents that Russia indeed has been interfering in U.S. elections (Guardian), also in order to undermine faith in the democratic process.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that the GOP would become aligned with this country’s greatest enemy, Russia, but that is exactly what has occurred. And don’t get me started about the world’s richest man, who supports all of this and is clearly insane.
NEWSLINKS:
Elon Musk recommends voting for Republicans in U.S. midterm elections (Reuters)
Confidence, Anxiety and a Scramble for Votes Two Days Before the Midterms (NYT)
US voters fret about democracy, polarization before election (AP)
Democrats look to centrists in final hours while GOP amps up its base (WP)
Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin admits interfering in US elections (Guardian)
Exclusive: Kevin McCarthy previews Republicans’ plans for the majority – starting at the border (CNN)
As Midterms Near, Biden Faces a Nation as Polarized as Ever (NYT)
Why Do Republicans Predict a Rigged Election When They’re Projected to Win? (TNR)
How a GOP Congress Could Roll Back Freedoms Nationwide (Atlantic)
Republicans sue to disqualify thousands of mail ballots in swing states (WP)
How Political Violence Went Mainstream on the Right (Politico)
Trump and other Republicans are already casting doubt on midterm results (CNN)
Trump derides Gov. DeSantis as ‘Ron De-Sanctimonious’ (Orlando Sentinel)
Trump speeches use dozens of lies, exaggerations to draw contrast with Biden (WP)
Climate summit opens with dire warnings about planet’s future (BBC)
The U.N. chief tells the climate summit: Cooperate or perish (NPR)
The World Meteorological Organization issued a somber report on the state of the global climate, as world leaders started gathering in Egypt for climate negotiations. The last eight years have been the warmest on record, with sea level rise in the past decade double what it was in the 1990s. [AP]
Crucial battle for Kherson could be settled soon; Russia losing aircraft faster than they can be replaced (USA Today)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned against more potential Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, while the mayor of Kyiv urged residents to consider preparing to leave temporarily if the capital lost water and power supplies. (Reuters)
Millions are without power in and around Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. The blackouts — affecting more than 4.5 million people —are intentional and meant to stabilize the power grid damaged by Russian strikes in recent weeks. (WP)
No Justice in Afghanistan for Slain Journalist 2 Years On (HRW)
On Friday, Twitter's new boss Elon Musk began mass layoffs at the San Francisco-based company. But the company is reportedly already trying to hire back dozens of people it laid off — continuing the chaos Musk has wrought since taking the company over. [HuffPost]
Meta: The company that owns Facebook and Instagram is planning significant layoffs this week. (Cal Today)
Can't Hear People When There's Noise Around? A Study Links This to Dementia Risk (ScienceAlert)
Pandemic stress may have changed women’s menstrual cycles. Some had early or delayed periods, others experienced heavier flow or increased spotting between cycles, and some reported shorter or longer periods, a new study found. (WP)
Man Forced To Pathetically Comb Through Movie For Familiar Scene After Falling Asleep Previous Night (The Onion)
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