All purpose news and politics thread part v: The quickening

[KOSLOX]

Based on my own caucus and what I've heard from friends this tracks. I'm not sure about the specific results since I can only speak anecdotally about my own caucus, but broadly I'd imagine this is how it will shake out.

[Michael Watkins]

Right away the conspiracy theories begin. Bernie Bros are passing a rumour that Robby Mook created the app for the Iowa caucus.

who created the app?

[kidfresh512]

I mean its an embarrassing debacle that after 2016 was a self inflicted error that didn't need to happen. And it leaves the opening for the conspiracy theories and the right being able to laugh and stoke the fires. I think it is just a combo of new systems and incompetence at the exact wrong time in the opening caucus state but that wont stop the theories and conspiracies. And it wont help the party eventually getting together behind the nominee if enough people actually dont trust the "process".

Should be a major sign for every other state to get it together and quickly reexamine their protocols.

[KOSLOX]

I mean its an embarrassing debacle that after 2016 was a self inflicted error that didn't need to happen. And it leaves the opening for the conspiracy theories and the right being able to laugh and stoke the fires. I think it is just a combo of new systems and incompetence at the exact wrong time in the opening caucus state but that wont stop the theories and conspiracies. And it wont help the party eventually getting together behind the nominee if enough people actually dont trust the "process".

Should be a major sign for every other state to get it together and quickly reexamine their protocols.

I'm sort of surprised we haven't just moved to an in-person ranked choice system. Basically modify the caucus process just enough to still call it a caucus and maintain our first in the nation role, but in every other measure just use the rank choice system.

It's already not that dissimilar so it wouldn't be too difficult to do.

[Tami]

who created the app?

Despite Election Security Fears, Iowa Caucuses Will Use New Smartphone App

Iowa's Democratic Party plans to use a new Internet-connected smartphone app to help calculate and transmit results during the state's caucuses next month, Iowa Public Radio and NPR have confirmed.

Party leaders say they decided to opt for that strategy fully aware of three years' worth of warnings about Russia's attack on the 2016 presidential election, in which cyberattacks played a central role.

Iowa's Democratic Party plans to use a new Internet-connected smartphone app to help calculate and transmit results during the state's caucuses next month, Iowa Public Radio and NPR have confirmed.

Party leaders say they decided to opt for that strategy fully aware of three years' worth of warnings about Russia's attack on the 2016 presidential election, in which cyberattacks played a central role.

[GindyPosts]

YAY! Literally nobody voted for Tulsi Gabbard!

[Tami]

Republicans Are Spreading Voter Fraud Disinformation in an Election They’re Not Even Running In

Conservative groups are trying to peddle conspiracy claims of voter fraud to undermine an election that doesn’t even involve Republicans.

Judicial Watch, a conservative advocacy group, put out a report on Monday claiming that “Eight Iowa counties have more voter registrations than citizens old enough to register.”

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, who is a pro-voter-ID law conservative, refuted the claim on Twitter and linked to Iowa’s own numbers debunking Judicial Watch’s report.

[GindyPosts]

Legit question; how the hell did last night happen?

[Michael Watkins]

Despite Election Security Fears, Iowa Caucuses Will Use New Smartphone App

In an interview, Price declined to provide more details about which company or companies designed the app, or about what specific measures have been put in place to guarantee the system's security.

But security is a priority, he says.

[AnakinFlair]

Legit question; how the hell did last night happen?

It sounds like the Iowan Democratic Party decided to try something new that would, in theory, allow everyone to view up-to-the-minute results of the voting. Instead it appears that it broke down, and now they have to move back to alternative methods that are going to take longer.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Legit question; how the hell did last night happen?

Dems rolled out new tech and didn’t properly train people on it or understand how to troubleshoot

[KOSLOX]

Dems rolled out new tech and didn’t properly train people on it or understand how to troubleshoot

Basically this.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Btw for people who actually follow elections this is a big deal. New Hamphire is in a week. A lot of people put a lot of money and volunteer time into Iowa. They didn’t have to allocate that many resources. Candidates like Buttigieg pretty much were riding and dying on a good performance here that they could parlay that into future momentum. They could get the results they want and it’s too late to matter for New Hampshire because you were setting up this weeks media blitzes based on Iowa.

For context Obama’s campaign would have been seriously damaged if he won Iowa, but this happened and the story was about a prolonged mess up and not how people performed, then by the time he was declared the winner, the shine of it came off and Hillary won NH. Something like this could have completely changed the course of American politics.

[aja_christopher]

It sounds like the Iowan Democratic Party decided to try something new that would, in theory, allow everyone to view up-to-the-minute results of the voting. Instead it appears that it broke down, and now they have to move back to alternative methods that are going to take longer.

The important thing is that they get an accurate count -- if it takes a little more time for them to do so, it's not the end of the world.

It's something they could have prevented but if the results are accurate then the problems are mainly superficial.

Not to disregard the effects of momentum, but this race is a marathon, not a sprint.

[Mister Mets]

Gallup finds Trump's approval rating at 49%, his personal best.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/284156/...onal-best.aspx

At this point eight years ago, Obama was at 46%.