Wisconsin Megathread v3: GOP in MASSIVE DISARRAY

[Green Line]

The governor should staff the polling stations with members of the National Guard if necessary.  Elections should not be affected by illness.  The state has resources at its disposal to solve the staffing shortages.  We're not a banana republic, moving the elections would be unconscionable.

[Virginiá]

Holy crap.  If there's a controversy this fall, they're going to 5/4 let the state legislatures assign electors to their preferred candidate (results in an automatic Trump reelection if governors can't veto),  aren't they? 

EDIT: To be clear, I don't like the last minute rule change and would favor moving the whole thing to a different, safer time but holding it under the same rules as before.

I wouldn't rule out some states trying this. Based on how the economy is going, Republicans could get wiped out if we hold fair elections. With redistricting coming up, the stakes have never been higher for them in recent memory.

If you think about it, this catastrophe really gives Republicans some opportunities to play dirty. They can first try and use the pandemic to shut down polling places in Democratic-leaning areas, and if that causes issues with the courts, they can then say the election results are not reliable and use their power to assign the electoral votes themselves. Not hard to see this happening in many of the states expected to be competitive (or on the edge of competitiveness) this cycle - GA, NC, AZ, FL, WI, etc.

[Comrade Funk]

There are barely any polling stations in Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Supreme Court and SCOTUS are gonna kill people to help their sh**t good 'ole boy friend win the race. Can't have them city folk (blacks) vote safely now! Gotta keep gerrymandering in place to help the good rural citizens (whites) keep power.

[Skill and Chance]

Holy crap.  If there's a controversy this fall, they're going to 5/4 let the state legislatures assign electors to their preferred candidate (results in an automatic Trump reelection if governors can't veto),  aren't they? 

EDIT: To be clear, I don't like the last minute rule change and would favor moving the whole thing to a different, safer time but holding it under the same rules as before.

I wouldn't rule out some states trying this. Based on how the economy is going, Republicans could get wiped out if we hold fair elections. With redistricting coming up, the stakes have never been higher for them in recent memory.

If you think about it, this catastrophe really gives Republicans some opportunities to play dirty. They can first try and use the pandemic to shut down polling places in Democratic-leaning areas, and if that causes issues with the courts, they can then say the election results are not reliable and use their power to assign the electoral votes themselves. Not hard to see this happening in many of the states expected to be competitive (or on the edge of competitiveness) this cycle - GA, NC, AZ, FL, WI, etc.

I deleted this because after I read portions of the opinion, I no longer agree with it.  They were dealing narrowly with the change the rules at the last minute issue and came down against it.  If anything, that would make them less amenable to allowing legislatures to just assign EV after planning to hold a statewide popular vote.

[Virginiá]

I deleted this because after I read portions of the opinion, I no longer agree with it.  They were dealing narrowly with the change the rules at the last minute issue and came down against it.  If anything, that would make them less amenable to allowing legislatures to just assign EV after planning to hold a statewide popular vote.

I'm thinking worst case scenarios, but the way this has played out, it's not looking good. I'd like to see if and how SCOTUS weighs in on a challenge to the legitimacy of the results in an election where Milwaukee/Madison/etc will have few if any polling stations open - a decision made very recently, giving voters little to no time to even try and vote another way. Not sure how it could be constitutional when so many voters are not given the means to actually vote.

[free my dawg]

Heil Vos.

[Dr. Arch]

lmao, this state has fallen to complete crap.

[Gass3268]

I now 100% support packing the courts. Add 100 new Justices for all I care.

[Stockdale for Veep]

Thanks again Bernie nuts.

[Gass3268]

Thanks again Bernie nuts.

The State Supreme Court, Milwaukee races, and others would still have to happen at some point.

[Dr. Arch]

I now 100% support packing the courts. Add 100 new Justices for all I care.

Yep! Steal Steal Steal. That's the Republican brand nowadays. I hope Kelly loses on top of all this. It would be at least some form of poetic justice.

[Dr. Arch]

Also WI Republicans: WhY r YunG pe0pl3 LeaVinG th3 StaTe!!!??!?

[It’s so Joever]

Now do you see why it’s time to bring back Choppy boi?

[Stockdale for Veep]

Thanks again Bernie nuts.

The State Supreme Court, Milwaukee races, and others would still have to happen at some point.

I was talking to the ones that didn't hold their nose and vote for her in '16.

5-4

[Green Line]

I now 100% support packing the courts. Add 100 new Justices for all I care.

You want a banana republic.  Good to know.

Why don't you read the decision and say what you actually disagree with.  Sometimes the law doesn't work out in your favor.

The Governor does not have the legal authority to postpone the election.  He's been saying that himself all along until this about-face.

[Suburbia]

Both political parties play the political gerrymandering game.

Democrats and Republicans want to continue in power. News at 11.

Republicans want only Republicans to vote, Democrats want only Democrats to vote.

[Gass3268]

https://twitter.com/skchheda/status/1247348253236092928?s=20

[Gracile]

https://twitter.com/EoinHiggins_/status/1247354993142837249

[Gass3268]

I now 100% support packing the courts. Add 100 new Justices for all I care.

You want a banana republic.  Good to know.

Why don't you read the decision and say what you actually disagree with.  Sometimes the law doesn't work out in your favor.

The Governor does not have the legal authority to postpone the election.  He's been saying that himself all along until this about-face.

My reaction was to the illegitimate US Supreme Court ruling overturning the the extension to get absentee ballots in. Also there is nothing against the law or unconstitutional to adding more Justices. Sometimes the law doesn't work out in your favor.

[Green Line]

I now 100% support packing the courts. Add 100 new Justices for all I care.

You want a banana republic.  Good to know.

Why don't you read the decision and say what you actually disagree with.  Sometimes the law doesn't work out in your favor.

The Governor does not have the legal authority to postpone the election.  He's been saying that himself all along until this about-face.

My reaction was to the illegitimate US Supreme Court ruling overturning the the extension to get absentee ballots in. Also there is nothing against the law or unconstitutional to adding more Justices. Sometimes the law doesn't work out in your favor.

Sure it was.  Very mature response when I'm asking you to simply cite what about the ruling you disagree with.  Too much to ask I guess.

[Gass3268]

I now 100% support packing the courts. Add 100 new Justices for all I care.

You want a banana republic.  Good to know.

Why don't you read the decision and say what you actually disagree with.  Sometimes the law doesn't work out in your favor.

The Governor does not have the legal authority to postpone the election.  He's been saying that himself all along until this about-face.

My reaction was to the illegitimate US Supreme Court ruling overturning the the extension to get absentee ballots in. Also there is nothing against the law or unconstitutional to adding more Justices. Sometimes the law doesn't work out in your favor.

Sure it was.  Very mature response when I'm asking you to simply cite what about the ruling you disagree with.  Too much to ask I guess.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court didn't release a ruling with their decision, it was just a statement saying that they overturned the Governor's executive order and that a ruling would come later.

[Green Line]

I now 100% support packing the courts. Add 100 new Justices for all I care.

You want a banana republic.  Good to know.

Why don't you read the decision and say what you actually disagree with.  Sometimes the law doesn't work out in your favor.

The Governor does not have the legal authority to postpone the election.  He's been saying that himself all along until this about-face.

My reaction was to the illegitimate US Supreme Court ruling overturning the the extension to get absentee ballots in. Also there is nothing against the law or unconstitutional to adding more Justices. Sometimes the law doesn't work out in your favor.

Sure it was.  Very mature response when I'm asking you to simply cite what about the ruling you disagree with.  Too much to ask I guess.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court didn't release a ruling with their decision, it was just a statement saying that they overturned the Governor's executive order and that a ruling would come later.

So then why exactly are you calling for packing the courts?

Why was Evers saying until this weekend that he didn't have the legal authority to postpone?  Was he lying then, or now?

[Gass3268]

I now 100% support packing the courts. Add 100 new Justices for all I care.

You want a banana republic.  Good to know.

Why don't you read the decision and say what you actually disagree with.  Sometimes the law doesn't work out in your favor.

The Governor does not have the legal authority to postpone the election.  He's been saying that himself all along until this about-face.

My reaction was to the illegitimate US Supreme Court ruling overturning the the extension to get absentee ballots in. Also there is nothing against the law or unconstitutional to adding more Justices. Sometimes the law doesn't work out in your favor.

Sure it was.  Very mature response when I'm asking you to simply cite what about the ruling you disagree with.  Too much to ask I guess.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court didn't release a ruling with their decision, it was just a statement saying that they overturned the Governor's executive order and that a ruling would come later.

So then why exactly are you calling for packing the courts?

Why was Evers saying until this weekend that he didn't have the legal authority to postpone?  Was he lying then, or now?

Again, my packing the courts claim was towards the illegitimate U.S. Supreme Court and their decision to overturn a lower court's decision to give absentee ballots to the 13th to be submitted. Around 11,000 absentee requests had yet to be sent out to voters due to the backlog in requests and about 43% of absentees that were sent out has yet to be returned. All of those folks were told one thing and now have the choice of either being disenfranchised or venture to an understaffed/potentially packed polling place during the middle of a pandemic.

[Yoda]

I now 100% support packing the courts. Add 100 new Justices for all I care.

Welcome to the light side. Playing "fair","by the rules" and respecting "historical norms and traditions" is a suicide pact for Dems, especially when republicans have no respect for such things when they stand between them and total, unchecked, minority rule. The modern day republican party is an organized crime syndicate, and the only way to thoroughly defeat them is to take away their illegitimate SCOTUS majority, which acts as a friendly backstop to green light any illegal action they like and stop any legitimate law or rule passed by Democrats they don't like.

[Pericles]

I think it's clear that the Republicans have already turned the judiciary into partisan hacks. So the argument that packing the courts would politicize the judiciary and undermine its legitimacy, because this has already taken place. However, I would prefer structural reforms that make the judiciary less partisan-but I'm not sure how these would work (and a big problem is that the judiciary has so much power and on both sides there are lots of activist judges who have no qualms about legislating from the bench).