Daily Episode 269 - This Week in Fascism #46
Summary
This episode focuses on the imminent U.S. midterm elections, analyzing the "blue wave" polls and the Trump administration's aggressive efforts to suppress or overturn results. The host details various interference tactics, including FCC threats to broadcasters, DOJ lawsuits against California, and the deployment of federal agents to intimidate voters. Additionally, the discussion covers legal strategies for potentially blocking the seating of elected Democrats in January, highlighting the administration's willingness to exploit legal gray areas to challenge the democratic process.
Topics discussed
Welcome, new listener guidance, and Patreon appeal
Sponsorships: Perk, Zen Nicotine, and Rho
Episode focus: Upcoming US elections
Polling shifts and right-wing voter disenfranchisement
FCC attacks on broadcasters over election polls
Analysis: Why a blue wave might not prevent denial
NYT article: Could GOP refuse to seat Democrats?
Scenario 1: State officials contesting election results
Scenario 2: Interference with the House Clerk's duties
Sponsorships: Perk and Zen Nicotine
Scenario 3: House adjudication of election disputes
Scenario 4: Individual member objections in the House
Senate procedures and legal murkiness
Strategy: Exploiting legal gray areas for delay
ProPublica: Trump appointees request CISA hack voting machine
Anecdotal reports of voting machine glitches in Tennessee
Sponsorships: Zen Nicotine and Perk
Texas lawsuit over 600,000 delayed voter registrations
North Carolina: High rejection rates for mail ballots
DHS agents knocking on doors to check voter status
DOJ lawsuit against California over non-citizen ballots
Critique of racial profiling and minuscule fraud claims
Senators demand DOJ pledge not to seize ballots
Closing remarks and outlook for election day
Sponsorships: Zinn, Perk, and Onnit Total Human
Outro: Note on daily episodes for back-catalog listeners
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