Posted on 04/17/2016 4:34:27 AM PDT by Kaslin
You hear it all the time: “The system is rigged.” On so many issues, people wrap themselves in this abdication of individual responsibility to insulate themselves from the negative consequences of their decisions and actions. Still others use it to empower themselves, acting as political Pope and absolving others of their mistakes.
Context matters. In some cases, the system is rigged. In others, the system itself is doing the rigging.
Nowhere has the “the system is rigged” theme been more commonly used than in the political world.
Donald Trump cries it every time he loses, every time he realizes he’s been outsmarted, every time it’s clear he’s in over his head and didn’t hire competent people who understand, or even read, clearly stated rules. But his refrain is hollow and damaging only to those to whom he’s lying.
The more nefarious usage of the phrase comes from the recipient of Trump’s political donations – Hillary Clinton.
When a politician, particularly the standard bearer of a major political party, complains “the system is rigged” against people getting ahead, it’s the same as telling them they should quit. It saps those susceptible to such things of their ambition, their drive.
When you say this to people who, because of skin color, sexuality, economic status or whatever, already may be receptive to the idea, it resonates – maybe not that day, but someday. When something doesn’t go their way, the way something doesn’t go people’s way all the time, they now have an excuse.
The next time they fail to get a job or lose one, regardless of the circumstances, they can come more quickly to the “realization” the system is rigged against them and they can’t succeed no matter what.
Some people will quit, wait for some politician to “unrig” the system and become and remain loyal to that person and party who vows to “protect” them. It’s worked out swimmingly for the black community, hasn’t it? Now Democrats want to work their same magic to “help” Hispanics.
The vote is more important than lives to progressives. It’s power über alles.
Hillary claims the system is rigged? She rose from a middle-class family to marry a man from a poor family and then become one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in the world. Her story, like that of President Obama and so many other progressives, embodies the American Dream.
Why not just rely on that story, which would do a lot of good? Because it doesn’t give enough credit to government for her success.
“The system is rigged” absolves everyone of the responsibility of their mistakes. You went to prison not because you were doing something illegal, but because the system was rigged. You can’t afford rent not because you wasted your money on other things, but because the system is rigged. You have a crummy job not because you smoked a lot of weed in high school rather than studying, but because the system is rigged. The possibilities are endless, the blame – and the results – are the same.
If Hillary wants to talk about rigged systems, she knows all about one that truly is rigged – the Democratic Party’s nominating system.
She can’t win her party’s nomination without unelected party elites pushing her over the top, which her campaign acknowledged this week. Further, Tuesday’s primary in New York already is a victory for her before the first vote is counted. Unless Bernie Sanders, a fellow traveller in the “the system is rigged” brigade, beats her in a landslide, she will leave the state with significantly more delegates.
Yes, some systems are rigged. But not the ones most progressives would have you believe. The economy is not rigged. How delegates are won or lost may be, but everyone knows the rules.
No, the real rigging in most people’s lives is the lie that someone other than the individual is responsible for the state of our lives.
Looking externally for redemption, fulfillment, or making anything great again is the individual rigging the system against themselves. So maybe all the systems are rigged after all.
Ain’t it the truth. All was rosy with the trumpers when trump lost a state by 65 to 35 and took all the delegates with his 35.
Now, when he loses a state he did not bother to campaign in ... even sent his surrogate speaker, Sarah Palin, home ... the whining can be heard on Mars.
I know. They were all over FR, pouting and proclaiming their purity because they did not get a perfect candidate.
So, we aren’t voting anymore, are we? Hope the GOPe is happy!! Jerks!! Reince Priebus, call your office!!
Ted Cruz is an amazing candidate. He embodies all that conservatives have stood for.
I watched him on a CNBC panel of money wonks and he totally ruled. He was more informed than any of them. They could not stump him.
He explained his tax plan fully and it would be great.
Only a person who is in some sort of Trump spell could speak of Cruz as you do.
It’s weird and odd.
I don’t understand your take.
The press is far less powerful than it used to be. We used to believe Walter Cronkite was God, or at least one of his messengers.
Now we have all kinds of news stations, plus we have a strong grass roots press in the social media that we never had before.
Donald Trump is totally indebted to the mainstream press.
If they hadn’t given him a billion in free publicity, he would be back polishing the sign on Trump Towers.
“Now, maybe one can argue for changing the caucus system afterwards and the points made can be valid, but the rules as they are are what they were going into Colorado and it was Trump’s responsibility to know the rules.”
This whole “he didn’t know the rules” is just a stupid GOPe talking point.
He did know the rules, the GOPe is aiding Cruz, pulling strings to select anti-Trump delegates. All within the “rules”. Fine.
But that’s a no-win situation for Trump, so he’s not going to play that game, instead gets on TV and yells “rigged”.
He’s playing HIS game. Now the RNC is on the defensive and have to explain their “rules”.
He’s definitely NOT being outsmarted. By Cruz or the GOPe.
How many counties did your boy, Fidelito, win in FL?
———00000000000000000000-————
How many votes did Cruz lose to the Donald Trump ?
500,000- - -FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND-— - 1/2 Million
What state must the POTUS win in the Real election?
—>Florida,— Fidelito can’t win 1/3 of Florida.=Nationally Unelectable!
29 Electoral Votes we can’t afford to lose, think about it.
And Cruz’s unpopularity in Ohio is worse than Florida.
We don’t want to get slaughtered in November. Think ahead.
Totally and completely rigged and Cruz has shown us this!
GOPe is just a catch phrase to you people that has lost all meaning.
You drag it out to make points when it is not applicable.
It used to mean our elected Republican representatives in Congress and the Senate who were not longer representing us and cooperating with the democrats.
That is it’s true meaning.
If you think the GOPe wants Ted Cruz, I believe you are totally mistaken.
They would prefer an insider but between Cruz and Trump, they would greatly prefer Trump.
They’ve already had a taste of how Cruz will stand up for principles and not join the good ole boy club.
“GOPe is just a catch phrase to you people that has lost all meaning.”
Not true at all: GOPe is Romney, and most of the older republicans in the Senate.
“You drag it out to make points when it is not applicable.”
Not true, it’s a definable group, and given Romney’s actions it’s TOTALLY applicable.
“It used to mean our elected Republican representatives in Congress and the Senate who were not longer representing us and cooperating with the democrats.
That is it’s true meaning.”
Agree.
“If you think the GOPe wants Ted Cruz, I believe you are totally mistaken.”
I never said the GOPe wants Ted Cruz, I said they’re helping Cruz get delegates. And that is totally accurate. I believe you need to read more closely next time.
“They would prefer an insider but between Cruz and Trump, they would greatly prefer Trump.”
Now I believe YOU’RE mistaken. Completely.
“They’ve already had a taste of how Cruz will stand up for principles and not join the good ole boy club.”
Cruz has welcomed their aid, Trump continues to criticize them.
What alternative universe do you live in?
I live alone in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but even from here I can see BS from the trumpers.
Cruz is running for president and is likely to win. He welcomes aid and support from all sources.
Trump is criticizing everyone but failing to put any work into campaigning.
Trump has you people snowed but 70% of the rest of the country hates him.
He cannot win the general.
That is the second reason I am praying for Ted Cruz to get the nomination.
The other reason is that Trump would be a horrible president if he did win against all odds.
The secret key to Cruzin’ Victory...
Hold one snake in each hand,
Twirl in circles as you pray.
Best of Luck!
I am not speaking of just federal elections either.
Let's say you want to get on the ballot in a local election. In my area you need 15,000 signatures to get on the ballot. If you are Joe SixPack you will need to go door to door collecting them yourself. If you are connected with the political system they will give you teams of young people to go door to door for you. The people they use will get either college or high school "community service" credit.
And that is just to run for the school board.
They have created a closed system and outsiders (or as we think of our selves, citizens) are not wanted except as a resource for votes or money.
And here all this time we’ve been hashing back and forth about who we’re going to vote for....
What no one seems to answer is, HOW is it legal/Constitutional/moral for two PRIVATE organizations to hold the American People and their votes HOSTAGE to these two private parties?
Why are two PRIVATE parties allowed to make their own private rules resulting in Voter Disenfranchisement for PUBLIC gov’t positions? When did they perpetrate this coup of the United States of America?
More and more, I read posters on various websites answer that “when” question with: November 22, 1963
The same way a champion poker player can lose, marked deck and crooked dealer.
It is just naive to believe all delegates are equal. Of course there is always money or patronage to be doled out if one choses that method.
Florida is a winner take all state. I think a proportional distribution of the delegates is more democratic and faire. But I accept that those were the ground rules. Every state can have their own rules, like them or not. Sometimes Trump wins by the rules, sometimes he loses by the rules.
Typical trump response, containing silliness and no substance.
I look at rules historically, beyond 2016.
This is systemic rigging entrenched for many elections, nothing new.
They (Romney) stole Santorum’s win in Maine, Colorado, and likely Wyoming.
Maine was the worst on Santorum. Very obvious cheating/ rigging and fraud in multiple ways. I just figured it out last week and I payed no attention in 2012.
They robbed Ron Paul as well, in many states, from what I’ve been told.
We basically have several states with super delegates. The rules are rewritten as needed to achieve the desired results.
“I live alone in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but even from here I can see BS from the trumpers.”
You’re lucky, I wish I was in the middle of the Pacific ocean, unfortunately, I live in a very congested New England state surrounded by desperate out of work people unable to make ends meet.
“Cruz is running for president and is likely to win.”
Nope, he’s got no appeal north of the Mason/Dixon, won’t win FL and probably won’t even win Arkansas. He can’t use his “ground game” in the general so his big advantage is completely nullified.
“He welcomes aid and support from all sources.”
Yeah, especially from the GOPe.
“Trump is criticizing everyone but failing to put any work into campaigning.”
Ridiculous, he’s on TV everyday giving interviews and holding rallies, looks like an exhausting schedule.
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