The most likely reason for the delay in the Iowa caucus results is the combination of new, untried technology with an overly complicated process and the ongoing problem of the media demanding instant results on election night. Sabotage is the least likely explanation.
Here in California, it often takes weeks to process election results and they often turn out to be different than the estimates on election night. It’s not optimal but it isn’t a conspiracy. Better to get it right than end up with what happened in Florida in 2000.
And anytime you see something like this, you should wonder cui bono?
That’s right. This plays directly into Trump’s playbook. Recall in 2016, Trump had his storyline all laid out: I lost because it was “rigged.” (It was, but in his favor as it turns out.)
US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said the election is “absolutely rigged” by the “dishonest media” and “at many polling places”.
His comments appear to contradict his running mate Mike Pence, who told NBC Mr Trump would “absolutely” accept the election result, despite media “bias”.
Mr Trump’s adviser Rudy Giuliani has also accused Democrats of “cheating”.
Polls suggest Mr Trump is losing ground in some key battleground states against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Mr Trump has questioned the legitimacy of the election process in a series of tweets, the latest of which said on Monday: “Of course there is large scale voter fraud happening on and before election day.
“Why do Republican leaders deny what is going on? So naive!”
An earlier tweet said: “The election is absolutely being rigged by the dishonest and distorted media pushing Crooked Hillary – but also at many polling places – SAD.”
The White House candidate also tweeted: “Election is being rigged by the media, in a coordinated effort with the Clinton campaign, by putting stories that never happened into news!”
He even said that he would only accept the results if he won.
So, while it’s understandable that people are upset with the Iowa results it’s really not helpful to jump on the conspiracy bandwagon without any proof. All it does is help Trump in the end.
Obviously, it’s important to figure out what happened. But there is no reason to believe that the eventual results that are going to be reported today are not correct. Waiting a few hours to get there isn’t the end of the world and the upside is that it’s now likely that the party will get rid of the Iowa “first in the nation” caucuses once and for all.
Caucuses are a terrible way to do elections in this day and age. They should all be abolished in favor of the systems that make it possible for people to vote in the easiest way. I happen to think the secret ballot is essential for real democracy to flourish and we need all the flourishing democracy we can get right now.
I’m sorry that people are disappointed they didn’t get their big moment of victory with which to roll into New Hampshire but really, by next month this will all be as distant as uhm … the impeachment of the president of the United States and our recent brush with the possibility of WWIII. Things come at you fast these days.