Don't Elect Lunatics to Positions of Serious Public Responsibility

National Review: Don't Elect Lunatics to Positions of Serious Public Responsibility

The supervisors of Cochise County, Arizona, or should I say two Republican supervisors out of three, one of whom is a Democrat, are on the verge of making a boneheaded, ridiculous move, out of their baseless belief in election denialism, which will nullify over 44,000 votes, the majority of which are from Republicans.  Not because of any glitches or problems with ballots, or machines in their own county, mind you, but because of rumors and innuendo spread mainly by Kari Lake's campaign, about a small handful of ballot glitches in Maricopa County.  

Maricopa County has already certified their vote total, including laying out a mountain of evidence proving that none of the voters in the precincts which had ballot printing problems were denied the right to vote.  It was the only place in the state where Lake, who was determined to make a stink if she didn't win, had anything that looked like it would support her baseless conspiracy theories and blame her loss on voter fraud.  There were not anywhere near enough votes affected by the glitch to make up the difference by which she lost, over 17,000 votes, and the county was meticulous in laying out the evidence that not a single voter was disenfranchised, either by the glitch itself, or by the delay it caused in having to wait in line.  

But two supervisors in Cochise County, three hours away from Maricopa, and a cultural and ideological world away, have decided to risk their county's votes, none of which were affected by fraud, to make a point and draw attention to the Maricopa County issue.  They appear to be undeterred by the truth, unable to comprehend that they are setting aside their responsibilities as elected officials for a non-issue.  

Not knowing what options are available to the voters in Cochise County, I would suggest that whatever options they have to remove these two supervisors, who are more interested in forcing their own ignorance and superstition, and willing to risk the right to vote of every registered voter in their county for it, be done as quickly as possible.  I don't know if Arizona provides for the recall of public elected officials, but I'd say that would be the way to go if its' available.  Beyond that, joining in calls for them to step down would be another option.  And apparently, since they are in violation of the law, arrest is also a possibility.  

Whether these antics are a wake up call for Republicans in Arizona, I don't know, but they should be.  This is the Republican party we have now, a group of people willing to take away your rights so they can gain political power for themselves.  But these antics, and that's what they are, have the potential to cost the GOP two seats, one in Congress, where the upcoming majority is already razor thin, and may be getting thinner, and one in the State Superintendent of Public Instruction's office.  They richly deserve for that to happen and I hope it does.