With the 2024 election just around the corner, the former president continues to warn of a rigged election months before ballots are cast. Fair election advocates are mobilizing to counter the false narrative. Democratic former Congressman Zack Space of the bi-partisan Democracy Defense Project joins the show.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this podcast incorrectly attributed statements made by a different organization to the Democracy Defense Project. We edited the audio to correct the error.
Free and Fair
There have been six presidential elections this century. Four of the six have brought some claims of, at the least, unfairness, and at the most, theft.
In 2000, George W. Bush narrowly beat Al Gore after the Florida recount was stopped by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2004, there were complaints by a few on the left that Bush unfairly won re-election because of alleged voter suppression efforts in Ohio.
Then came fairly routine elections in 2008 and 2012.
A very small number of Democrats claimed Hillary Clinton lost unfairly in 2016 because of alleged Russian interference on behalf of Donald Trump. Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, on Jan. 6, 2017, tried to stop the certification on the floor of the House.
The man pounding the gavel and immediately shooting down that claim was then Vice President Joe Biden.
Then came 2020, and outgoing President Trump, on Jan. 6, 2021 made claims the election was stolen.
We all know what happened after that speech: the president’s supporters stormed the Capitol and delayed the election's certification.
To be clear, there is a big difference here. In 2000 2004, and 2016, the losing candidates—Al Gore, John Kerry and Hillary Clinton—conceded and embraced the peaceful transfer of power. The claims of a stolen election were largely pushed aside.
The 2020 claims led to an insurrection, and the former president and his supporters continue to claim the election was stolen.
It wasn’t. Just like there is no evidence the 2000, 2004 and 2016 elections were stolen, there is no evidence the 2020 election was stolen.
Snollygoster of the week
There is a brand new and suddenly powerful lobby at the Ohio Statehouse. The chairman of the House Finance Committee, Jay Edwards, had no idea so many Ohioans love pickleball until he saw the state’s capital budget and all the pickleball courts planned for communities around the state. By our count, lawmakers approved a dozen pickleball court projects around the state for a total of $1.9 million.
If you have a suggestion for our "Snollygoster of the Week" award, a question or a comment, send them to snollygoster@wosu.org.