Kari Lake’s line on election results reflects GOP’s new normal - MSNBC

Much of Kari Lake’s gubernatorial candidacy is based connected discredited conspiracy theories astir Donald Trump’s 2020 defeat. But arsenic we were reminded yesterday, the far-right campaigner hasn’t conscionable rejected the results of the past predetermination cycle, Lake is besides prepared to question this year’s results, too. NBC News reported:

Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake repeatedly declined to accidental Sunday whether she would judge the results of the predetermination if she loses. In an interrogation connected CNN’s “State of the Union,” Lake dodged erstwhile she was asked aggregate times whether she would judge the results if she loses.

With conscionable 3 weeks remaining earlier Election Day, and with respective polls successful Arizona showing the far-right, first-time campaigner narrowly ahead, Lake would lone accidental that she’d “accept” her expected triumph — which truly isn’t however ideology is expected to work.

At look value, this mightiness look predictable. Lake is 1 of the year’s astir outlandish predetermination deniers, truthful of course the Arizona Republican is refusing to accidental she’s prepared to judge the predetermination results, careless of the voters’ verdict.

But circling backmost to our earlier coverage, what matters is the larger discourse and the grade to which Lake’s presumption reflects a extremist caller mean successful Republican politics.

The Daily Beast reported implicit the weekend, for example, connected Lake’s chap far-right Arizonan, Republican Senate hopeful Blake Masters, who’s besides “starting to formed uncertainty connected the result of this predetermination — earlier the votes are adjacent counted.”

Two weeks earlier, Sen. Ron Johnson’s run was asked whether the Wisconsin Republican would judge the predetermination results successful the lawsuit of a defeat. Instead of saying, “Of course,” the senator’s run spokesperson said, “It is surely his anticipation that helium can.”

As regular readers know, it was successful September 2020 erstwhile Donald Trump archetypal balked publically astatine the thought of a peaceful transportation of power. What we didn’t afloat recognize astatine the clip was that helium was helping make caller standards for his party. The Washington Post precocious published a report connected a twelve Republican candidates successful competitory races for politician and Senate declining to accidental whether they would judge the legitimacy of the upcoming results.

The New York Times did the aforesaid thing, asking nominees for politician and the Senate successful midterm battlegrounds whether they would perpetrate to accepting this year’s predetermination results. The results were similar: Most Republicans either wouldn’t reply oregon wouldn’t marque specified a commitment, portion Democratic candidates said they would respect the results, triumph oregon lose.

We utilized to beryllium a state successful which questions similar these weren’t adjacent asked. As we’ve discussed, it was a foregone decision for generations: The United States was a unchangeable democracy, and the world’s pre-eminent superpower. There was nary existent request to wonder: American candidates for almighty offices agreed to grant predetermination results. The full enactment of enquiry was unnecessary since the answers were assumed.

Now, arsenic the radicalization of Republican authorities intensifies, it’s nary longer considered outlandish to inquire GOP candidates whether they’ll judge voters’ judgement — and it’s nary longer astonishing erstwhile Republicans neglect to accidental “yes.”

Complicating matters, politicians similar Lake and her cohorts are echoing the sentiments of GOP voters: My MSNBC workfellow Ja’han Jones precocious noted the latest poll conducted by Yahoo News and YouGov, successful which less than fractional of Republican voters said candidates who person less votes should concede.

A period agone today, arsenic portion of an investigation connected threats to our democracy, The New York Times’ David Leonhardt explained, “The archetypal menace is acute: a increasing question wrong 1 of the country’s 2 large parties — the Republican Party — to garbage to judge decision successful an election.”

It’s astonishing to spot conscionable however galore successful the GOP proceed to beryllium him right.