Can either side concede gracefully at this point?

There is so much mutual acrimony and both sides are certain of a win for their side. Mail has been shown to be unreliable, but never before has there been an election with this many mail-in a.

Whatever the outcome it will be relatively close. Certainly no 49-state blowout like in 1984. All elections have been won and lost on razor-thin margins in recent years, and this will be no exception.

So my question is: Are we as a society past the point where either Dems or Reps will calmly accept, say, a 3-percent loss? Will there be a stampede of demands for recounts even at 10 percent? Will there be enough acrimony to drag the process out for months?

Lurking below is an even darker question: extreme voices on both sides have threatened violence. We should all be quite clear in condemning any such violence, but is there enough civility to avoid it? And if there are outbursts, how significant do they have the potential to be?

Is society even sane enough to admit defeat graciously, whichever side is the winner and whichever is the loser?

a reply to: Never Despise

My prediction is if Biden wins, Trump fans will be sad but get over it without any violence. If Trump wins cities will burn. And even then, Democrats will feel they have the right to burn stuff.

originally posted by: network dude
a reply to: Never Despise

My prediction is if Biden wins, Trump fans will be sad but get over it without any violence. If Trump wins cities will burn. And even then, Democrats will feel they have the right to burn stuff.[/quote

Gosh l hope not.

a reply to: Never Despise

My husband and I were talking about this last night... we're expecting that this will be a repeat of 2000 and this election will be decided in the Supreme Court. Neither side is going to accept defeat.

For Biden's part, he can't afford to accept defeat. With the help of the MSM, he's been able to limit the reporting of his dirty dealings on the nightly news. But if he loses, investigations will continue, and prosecution is a distinct possibility. The only way to keep it from going anywhere after the election is to be elected so that Biden is calling the shots going forward.

For Trump's part, he's already questioning the process, for example the mass mailings of official ballots going to God only knows who, and I'm sure he's already preparing to challenge the votes/count.

My biggest concern is that the media is playing up the polls for Biden, preparing people for an inevitable Biden win, and if that doesn't happen, folks will assume Trump "stole" the election. But the only enthusiasm I see for Biden is in the news and on the web. In real life, I haven't seen one Biden bumper sticker or one Biden house sign or any other sign of enthusiasm and support for Biden. The only ones I know of voting for Biden are under-40s. Everyone over 40 is either voting Trump or third party or not voting at all.

If there isn't a civil war I'll be bummed, I keep hearing about shooting and stuff, I want some action.

Depends on the margin of victory.

If it's close then I think the House will end up picking the President and the Senate will pick the VP.
In that scenario, Trump will almost certainly be President for another 4 years.

That will result in chaos.

That's why I think Biden needs to win big or Trump needs to win big - more likely for Biden.

a reply to: network dude

My wife is a credit union manager is a mid sized city.
She has warned the big wigs repeatedly for several months to prepare an action plan in case of riots when trump wins again.
They haven't done a thing.

For reference, the city has had little violence but many protests.
There was even a pallet of bricks delivered to a local mall but nobody used the ammo.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

If there isn't a civil war I'll be bummed, I keep hearing about shooting and stuff, I want some action.

I agree. For years I’ve been hearing the left get all puffy and burn down our cities. And for years I’ve been hearing the right threaten to retaliate with bullets in the air and blood on the streets. So far both sides have been a total disappointment. Though, the left has followed through a bit more on their promises than the right, so they’re leading on the scorecard.

The right has plenty of time to get back in the fight though...they just can’t afford their insulin to get them through battle. Luckily for them, the left is easily confused and turning on themselves. This is shaping up to be either an epic showdown, or an epic letdown. Either way, outrage will prevail!!

originally posted by: UKTruth
Depends on the margin of victory.

If it's close then I think the House will end up picking the President and the Senate will pick the VP.
In that scenario, Trump will almost certainly be President for another 4 years.

I don't think it works that way for a contingent election, which would only come about with a tie vote in the electoral college. It's probably safe to assume that no third party candidates will win any electoral college votes, so the 528 votes would be divided between Trump and Biden. If it's not an absolute tie, then one will have a majority. That's my understanding at least.

Also, in the case of a contingent election, given that the House has a Dem majority, I wouldn't expect the House to pick Trump.

Concede to a bunch of murdering,savage sniphats that only pay lip service to the word democracy.

They try anything I'll kick them in the private parts and run to the cops to save me.

originally posted by: Assassin82
The right has plenty of time to get back in the fight though...they just can’t afford their insulin to get them through battle.

The good news is they've had close to four years to charge their mobility scooters and stock up on Mountain Dew for the long, torturous struggle.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Assassin82
The right has plenty of time to get back in the fight though...they just can’t afford their insulin to get them through battle.

The good news is they've had close to four years to charge their mobility scooters and stock up on Mountain Dew for the long, torturous struggle.

You’d think they’d be opposed to electric scooters. Combustion over communism is what I always say. Go diesel, or go #### yourself!

originally posted by: Assassin82
You’d think they’d be opposed to electric scooters. Combustion over communism is what I always say. Go diesel, or go #### yourself!

They can use their other mobility scooter, a Harley.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Assassin82
You’d think they’d be opposed to electric scooters. Combustion over communism is what I always say. Go diesel, or go #### yourself!

They can use their other mobility scooter, a Harley.

Now that’s a vehicle made for a civil war. Advantage conservatives!

a reply to: Never Despise

My prediction (that counts for nothing):

Trump will win...

Dems will challenge to SC...and do whatever else they can conjure up to screw the whole process over...

I think if its a clear win then it will be okay, I do wonder though if Trump would do a concession speech but we will find out soon enough. Other than that it should be okay.

The really problem will come if Trump or Biden win but by one state and its contested and fought over, then you're going to have lots of problems and neither side will concede gracefully and I think both sides will use violence in the streets of those contested streets.

If Trump loses the election --- as polls suggest --- I'll be frightened that Trump will go on a unprecedented --- but predictable --- rampage of terror for the next 70 days while this pathological narcissistic bum is still in office --- Up to --- including a nuclear war.

I have two hands tied behind my back --- So what can I do?

Time for a reality check...

a reply to: Never Despise

Hard to concede when you look at Biden's record and what he says he'll do and still think he has any sort of chance to win. When democrats are working hard to bring Trump down from election night 2016 to now, using everything from an impeachment over total lies to shutting everything down and pushing for fraudulent mail-in ballots, how are we supposed to think Biden would ever stand a chance to win?

originally posted by: Erno86
If Trump loses the election --- as polls suggest --- I'll be frightened that Trump will go on a unprecedented --- but predictable --- rampage of terror for the next 70 days while this pathological narcissistic bum is still in office --- Up to --- including a nuclear war.

I have two hands tied behind my back --- So what can I do?

Time for a reality check...

Nah.

Im hoping he will declare the election null and then declare himself Emperor and seize Greenland and Iraq. Then go on a rampage across China and give large portions of it to India and Japan while shooting the bird at both Turkey and Russia. Bomb the everloving doo out of Tehran and hand it to the country to the people. Send Dennis Rodman and Sean Penn.. and maybe Clooney too to N Korea and erect a plastic bubble over the whole country so we can shake it like a snowglobe. Then go to Antarctica and claim it for the US of Trumpdom and kick the frozen giants out, find the hole to the inner Earth and seize that too.

a reply to: Never Despise

I'm going to knock over statues, start #Impeach46, and scream into a pink hat.