Energizing the opponent

Donald Trump has been blustering about rigged elections and saying he’ll respect the outcome … if he wins. But the effect of Trump’s comments aren’t what the GOP establishment would like. I had commented earlier that party officials want Trump to shut up because talk of rigged elections messes up their narrative of voter fraud requiring voter ID laws. Here are some more consequences of Trump’s flapping lips:

He could be convincing GOP voters to not vote: “If your vote doesn’t matter because the system is rigged against you, why bother turning out?”

Confidence in the accuracy of the election has increased – among Democrats.

And that call to go watch (intimidate) polling places where those people vote? No surge of Trump supporters seeking to be certified poll watchers.

And in North Carolina, where the GOP tried to limit early voting, they have both energized their opponents and demoralized their base. Compared to this time four years ago, Dem ballots are up 3%, unaffiliated up 9% and GOP ballots are down 41%.

Faced with a choice between one candidate they have been taught to despise and another they find appalling it appears that over 40% of Republican voters are just tuning out.