(Note: Post was originally published December 15, 2020. It's been updated to reflect WHO, not Who.)
Okay. Consider me a...well..."Devil's Advocate" of sorts. Because I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt. All I ask is honest answers to honest questions. Because I am willing to listen with an open mind. I'm neither Democrat nor Republican. I'm simply a patriot who wants nothing more than to understand.
So here we go.
Although different states have different laws regarding the process, mail-in voting has not only been legal, it's been around for decades. Many decades. I can go into citing sources from government websites (like this one here), but that's not the point of this post. Indulge me for a bit.
So, 2020 saw the world (not just America, but the world) knee-deep in a pandemic crisis. Regardless of who was to blame (Trump, China, the WHO, or anyone else), the fact remains that the Virus was (and still is) a major player on the world stage. And while a lot of Americans either dismissed, discounted, or downplayed it, most Americans didn't. That, too, is a fact.
Trump held rallies all over the U.S. Thousands upon thousands attended. That is a fact.
Biden made campaign stops, but not to the degree and not to the numbers of Trump's rallies. Instead, Biden encouraged and practiced social distance, mask-wearing, and taking precautions against the Virus. That is a fact.
Trump says Biden hid in the basement. It's a fact Trump said it, but not a fact (or "not" not a fact) Biden hid in a basement. Trump doesn't know that for sure. Does Trump even know if Biden has a basement? Yet, Trump supporters have been repeating that ever since. That part is a fact.
As far back as August, Trump was saying the only way he would lose is if the election was rigged. He said it numerous times on various occasions but I will simply cite a Wisconsin rally on August 17, 2020. That he felt he could not lose fair and square, months before the first vote was cast. That is a fact.
Since way before the election, Trump had been urging his supporters not to do mail-in voting, but rather to vote in person. This, despite being in the middle of a pandemic. Whether or not some consider the pandemic to overblown (or even a hoax) doesn't negate the fact people were (and still are ) contracting the Virus.
Trump, as President, is briefed on all matters of State and would have been briefed on the security of the voting machines (Dominion).
Question 1) If he had concerns about the integrity of the Dominion machines, why didn't he say so before the first vote was cast?
But I'm also playing Devil's Advocate here. So let's say he was told the integrity was solid. Only to find out AFTER the election they were not.
Question 2) Why call for an audit, recount, etc. ONLY in battleground states?
Question 3) Why not in Red states where he won?
Question 4) Moreover, why not in other Blue states where he lost? (CA comes to mind)
So, because Trump encouraged in-person voting and discourage mail-in voting, his supporters did in-person voting. The exception being Florida. On August 15, Trump via tweet:
"The honorable thing to do is drop the Mail-In Scam before it is too late! Absentee Ballots, like they have in Florida, are good!"
Question 5) Out of 50 states in the Union, why did he make Florida the exception?
But again, I'm playing Devil's Advocate here. So let's say he meant to differentiate between mail-in voting and absentee.
Except, According to the Tampa Bay Times, there is no difference:
In Florida, the term “absentee ballot” was replaced by “vote-by-mail ballot” in state statutes in 2016 because it more accurately reflects the fact that Florida does not require voters to have an excuse (such as being absent) to vote by mail. - Tampa Bay Times June 22, 2020 (updated October 27, 2020).
I won't assume he figured Florida was the exception because that is his state of residence, it's a Red state, and it has a Republican governor. Right now, I'm trying only to deal in facts. Not assumptions.
Biden, meanwhile, did not discourage mail-in voting. But since Trump did, a vast majority of Trump's supporters waited to go in person. Whereas Biden supporters did both (in person and mail-in). So when the votes got counted the in-person got counted first. Then the mail-in (which also included overseas and military). When the votes were tallied, it turned out Biden had the most in the popular and in the electoral. That is a fact.
Allow me to back up a few years. Trump won in 2016. That is a fact. Trump lost the popular vote in 2016. That is a fact. Trump won via the electoral. That is a fact. The following Wednesday morning, Clinton called Trump to concede. She didn't publicly concede until much later because she had no concession speech prepared. That is also a fact.
Back to 2020. There were no faithless electors in 2020. That is a fact.
American turned out in record numbers this year. That is a fact.
I'm going to put on my Devil's Advocate hat again.
Trump got more votes in 2020 than he did in 2016. That is a fact. Trump got more Black votes than any Republican Presidential candidate in history. That is a fact as well.
However, that doesn't equate to getting more of the Black vote than Biden. Blacks turned out in record numbers in 2020. That is a fact.
So let's say Trump is, as he himself has said, "the least racist person there is". As Devil's Advocate, I will believe him. But that doesn't change the fact that he has that perception of being a racist from others (whether it's true or not). And a vast majority of People of Color do not want whom they perceive to be racist (whether true or not) to hold the highest office in the land.
Oh, wait, I need to back up again. My apologies.
The Bob Woodward Tapes.
President Trump during a February 7, 2020 phone call with Bob Woodward:
It goes through air, Bob. That's always tougher than the touch. You know, the touch, you don't have to touch things. Right? But the air, you just breathe the air and that's how it's passed. And so that's a very tricky one. That's a very delicate one. It's also more deadly than your, you know, your even your strenuous flus. This is deadly stuff.
Three weeks after that call, the President said the following to the public.
President Trump during a February 26, 2020 White House press conference:
It's a little like the regular flu that we have flu shots for. And we'll essentially have a flu shot for this in a fairly quick manner.
Trump himself admitted how deadly the Virus was, yet downplayed it to the American people.
I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because I'm the Devil's Advocate. I'm willing to say he wanted to portray strength and at the same time keep the people calm. An admirable quality in a leader. Okay, but many Americans blame him for the over 301,000 deaths of families, friends, and loved ones. That is a fact.
So, because he lost, Trump did what he said he would do way back in August. He said it was rigged. No proof as of yet. But in his eyes, there's no way so many people would choose Biden over him.
So as Devil Advocate I will believe him and say there was fraud. I will say it was rigged. As it is Trump's legal right, he took the allegations to court.
Question 6) Why did both Trump's Team and Trump's Allies lose all but one legal challenge?
So let's say the judges were in on the rigging.
Question 7) All the judges, including Republicans and Trump-appointed ones?
Question 8) In all the fifty-something cases, why was no credible evidence presented?
Question 9) If there is credible evidence and if it is forthcoming (as Trump, his lawyers, allies, and supporters say and have been saying for weeks), then when?
Question 10) Why were Sidney Powell's briefs, affidavits, and other legal documents put online riddled with typos, font misalignments, and obvious errors? As if there were no thoughts to having them proofread.
Tweets of allegations are good. Hearings are great. Affidavits and so forth. All that is fine...until it comes time to present before a judge. Because you can say whatever you want in a tweet. Before a judge, only the truth. So some are saying, at some point, it's either pee or get off the pot. Others are saying, put up or shut up.
So, now I'm going to look at it from the other side. In other words, Trump supporters wondering why Trump lost. This part, I confess, is where the assumptions on my part come in. Not in the underlined statements (because every single one I have listed, I have seen online or heard in person myself), but in the response.
So here we go.
But thousands and thousands of people showed up at Trump rallies.
Everyone likes a good show.
But the enthusiasm at the rallies.
Jerry Springer had the same enthusiasm. Jer-ry, Jer-ry, Jer-ry!
But it was a movement.
But it wasn't enough.
But we had the best economy.
And probably still would have, had the pandemic been handled better.
But they only voted for Biden because they hate Trump more than they like Biden.
Perhaps, but they voted for Biden nonetheless. That is a fact.
Biden was in his basement.
Why, because Trump said so? Or was Biden simply strategizing? And again, does Biden even have a basement?
Biden couldn't get anywhere near as many people to show up at his events as Trump.
Because 1) People worked. 2) The Pandemic. 3) Biden supporters aren't fans or followers. They don't want an entertainer, they want a leader. 4) They don't need to see him in person.
Biden has dementia.
Why? Because Trump says so? Because Biden stutters? Because of gaffes? Let's be fair and unbiased here. How many gaffes have Trump made, both in person and in tweets?
Hunter Biden and Ukraine and China.
Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric. Charity fraud. Ivanka's trademark merchandise made in China. Eric securing the golf resort in Scotland. The RNC paying over $100,000 to keep Don Jr.'s book on the bestseller's list. Those are verifiable facts.
Biden got one billion dollars in aid leveraged to oust the prosecutor investigating Burisma, where Hunter was on the board.
True. Joe Biden did. But it had nothing to do with Burismas. The prosecutor was corrupt. The entire international community wanted him out. Biden was backed by not only President Obama, but the international community to facilitate that ouster. Even a Senate Republican investigation found no wrongdoing. Now, to be fair, I read the report, and yeah, it did sound shady. Clearly, there were questionable decisions on Hunter (not Joe) Biden's part. But no clear-cut evidence of wrongdoing.
Hunter had no experience sitting on a Board of Directors making that much money.
What experience does Ivanka or Jared have that qualifies them to wear the hats they wear in the White House?
Hunter's drug use.
The same can be said for Don Jr.
(And, most important, Hunter isn't running for president.)
Communism and Socialism.
Buzzwords and fearmongering. America already has socialist-style initiatives as part of government programs now. And have for years. Even the stimulus packages are a form of it. Social Security as well. That is a fact.
Biden is for murdering babies (abortion).
Trump being accused of paying for abortions notwithstanding (I can't say it's true because I have only found one source to verify it, and I'm a multiple sources type of guy), he was very pro-choice up until he decided to give politics a try. That is a fact. Biden's faith (Catholic) is on record. Is Trump's? Not to mention Trump had adulterous sex with Stormy and Karen. Both while married to Melania.
Biden is a pedophile.
First, he isn't. Second, Trump has a case against him from a (then) underage girl. Third, Trump has a known association with Epstein and Maxwell. Fourth, Trump's name is in court documents related to Epstein and Maxwell. Is Biden's name in said court documents? No. That is a fact.
Biden is corrupt.
I can't say if Biden is or is not. I can say that Trump is having discussions with advisers about pardoning his three oldest children and himself. Plus he is under a state criminal investigation regarding possible tax fraud by the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance. The NY AG Letitia James has already stated she would pursue all civil cases (but not criminal at this time) against Trump. That is a fact.
Biden will run America into the ground.
Okay, perhaps he will. But we (you and I) don't know that. And out of 81 million people, a good lot of them voted for Biden because of what is happening now.
A sitting president lobbing tweetstorm after tweetstorm of insults and negativity.
Civil unrest and a president who, instead of encouraging unity, is only deepening the divide.
A president who not once tried to see why People of Color were protesting. Not once tried to see why People of Color are hurting and angry.
A president who constantly vilified Democrats and Blue states.
A president who retweets debunked claims and conspiracy theories.
A president who tried to be the president for only half the country (Red), not all.
A president who was never a consoler. When People of Color watched one of our own on the street with a cop's knee to his neck for 7 minutes 46 seconds. When People of Color saw no justice for Breonna Taylor. When Blacks saw the way Ahmaud Arbery's death was treated, and all the other People of Color whose deaths made the headlines. Did Trump at least try to be there to offer healing for the Black community? No. Yet, in August he was neither neutral nor silent with Kyle Rittenhouse. He borderline defended him (Monday, August 31, 2020). Maybe it was self-defense, maybe it wasn't, but Trump spoke on it and didn't speak against Rittenhouse. That is a fact. And People of Color took notice.
BLM Condemnation.
Constantly vilifying Obama, a former President whom many People of Color still admire.
The Michigan Courthouse Militia ("Liberate Michigan").
The Pandemic.
Portland.
When a nation needed unity and healing, Trump teargassed citizens for a photo-op in front of a church.
And all that was just in this year alone. I'll stop there. It would take a lot more writing to list the rest.
America is burning. America is set on edge. America is on the verge of a Civil War. Meanwhile, Trump only stokes the flames. 81 million Americans want to put out the fire. Douse the flames to save the house and just take care of the water damage later.
Perhaps Biden will do a better job. If so, great. If not, then he will either be challenged at every turn or be voted out in 2024. But 81 million Americas felt like change had to be better than the past four years. 81 million Americans weren't looking at what might/maybe/coulda/shoulda/woulda/probably will/will not happen down the road. No. They were looking at what is happening now.
And before you are quick to dismiss this and say I have TDS or somesuch, not everyone who disagrees with Trump hates him. I don't hate Trump. I don't hate anyone. I mean, I hate crickets, but that's a separate issue. I'm just a guy who loves my country. Just because I don't agree with Trump doesn't make me any less of a patriot. Neither am I someone who's a Biden defender. Just like Trump, Biden became a target of public opinion attacks when he signed his name on the dotted line for public office. You will never see me defend a politician. They are grown folks, let them defend themselves. I see Biden in the same vein as Trump and Obama in this regard. No, what I am is someone trying to understand. Trying to look at it from another point of view. I don't think all Republicans are bad, just like I don't think all Democrats are good.
All in all, I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. I'm willing to listen. I just want honest answers to honest questions. And please don't give me the whole "do your research" line. Don't quote ONLY right-wing sources (Breitbart, Gateway Pundit, and Epoch come to mind). Don't throw around that three-letter MSM (I mean, hey, what is considered MSM at this point anyway). Let's all be the adults in the room. And maybe, by the grace of God, we could each be the other's "Devil's Advocate".
