Russians Interference with the 2022 Elections.

[Joe Elliott]

People here have miss-stated what I was saying in my original post.

I did not claim that Russia has controlled any of our elections, not in 2016, not in 2020, not in 2022.

What I said is that Russians would like us to believe, that they, to a certain extent, control our elections. They would like us to believe that 'others' control the election. Be the 'others' the Deep State within our own country, or themselves. It doesn't matter. As long as we suspect that others are controlling our elections, and so cause us to lose faith in Democracy.

What Russians can do, and have done, is issue false news reports intended to help certain candidates, like Trump. Indeed, any entity, foreign or domestic, can issue information in hopes of influencing voters. I don't see this as a big deal.

And the 2022 election results show clearly, that Russia does not control our elections. Neither by altering the vote totals, nor by having a huge influence on how people vote. If they did, they would have surely caused the Trump candidates to win, not lose.

[Joe Elliott]

You should be embarrassed and ashamed to post this Russian propaganda. Good grief, and you talk about "crazy conspiracy theories," yet you peddle this nuttiness.

You have miss-stated what I was saying. What I was saying was:
1. Russia would like to control our elections.
This effort has not succeeded.
2. In any case, whether their efforts to control succeed or fail, they would like us to believe that they control our elections.

All Russians can do is influence our elections, by putting out false information. As anyone else can do, either from within America, or outside America, including other countries. I don't see this as a big deal.

And, just FYI, if the Russians were going to help anyone in an election, it certainly would not be the Republicans, because the Republicans have been the ones calling for us to give Ukraine fighter jets and long-range missile systems. The Republicans have, entirely correctly, been critical of Biden's incremental, piecemeal approach to helping Ukraine, not to mention his feckless actions before the invasion.

Both the Republican and the Democratic leadership have been calling for us to send more aid to Ukraine, like fighter jets and long-range weapons, which I fully support. President Biden is more cautious than I would like to see. But as least he does support Ukraine.

But I, and most people, fear that if American support for Ukraine falters, it will come from the Republican side. Because Trump does not support Ukraine. And Trump influences the Republican base a lot. Which may cause the Republican leadership in Congress to falter. That has not happen yet and I hope it doesn't. It's time for Republicans to embrace their old values like we had under Reagan and stand up to Russian aggression. I hope they will continue to do so, despite Trump's efforts.

We can see this on our forum. It is the big Trump supporters, like Richard Smith, who want us to give up on Ukraine as a lost cause. In Congress, the few who call on us to greatly reduce our aid to Ukraine are the hard-line Trump supporters. But this is one 'Lost Cause' that I fully support, and which I do not believe is really a 'Lost Cause', at least not until Russia shows a lot more conventional power than they have been able to show so far.

Russia has always had the numbers on its side. But it has not always won all its wars. Not the Crimea War. Not the Russo-Japanese War. Not World War I. Nor the War in Afghanistan. Despite what Richard Smith would want us to believe, Russian victory is not inevitable.

Russian power does not come from its current production of weapons. It comes from the years of high production during the Soviet era, when it was still possible for them to produce a lot of weapons and a lot of ammunition. But they are burning through this surplus at a high rate and show no capability to replace this, at the current rate of production, for over one hundred years.

So, I am for the support we have given Ukraine, and we should do more. We should not accept Russia outgunning Ukraine by a large margin, like 5 to one or whatever it is, but increase our supply of ammunition so they can at least nearly match Russia's. Let's at least give them a fraction of the support we lavished on Afghanistan and continue to do give to Iraq. And not fear Russia response but instead give Ukraine longer range weapons, with superior accuracy, which is also important. Give them the weapons that can take out the bridge to Crimea (the actual bridge, and not just the 'Land Bridge') and sink Russian ships that try to supply Crimea, once it gets cut off, which I hope for this year.

[Jon Banks]

People here have miss-stated what I was saying in my original post.

I did not claim that Russia has controlled any of our elections, not in 2016, not in 2020, not in 2022.

What I said is that Russians would like us to believe, that they, to a certain extent, control our elections. They would like us to believe that 'others' control the election. Be the 'others' the Deep State within our own country, or themselves. It doesn't matter. As long as we suspect that others are controlling our elections, and so cause us to lose faith in Democracy.

What Russians can do, and have done, is issue false news reports intended to help certain candidates, like Trump. Indeed, any entity, foreign or domestic, can issue information in hopes of influencing voters. I don't see this as a big deal.

And the 2022 election results show clearly, that Russia does not control our elections. Neither by altering the vote totals, nor by having a huge influence on how people vote. If they did, they would have surely caused the Trump candidates to win, not lose.

I think some people believe in conspiracies like you describe because the world is too complex and they can't accept that so many Americans distrust their own government.

[Rick Plant]

Russians will continue to interfere in our elections hoping to get Republicans elected because they know right wingers will do their bidding.

[Richard Smith]

Russians will continue to interfere in our elections hoping to get Republicans elected because they know right wingers will do their bidding.

LOL. Baghdad Bob is jealous of this kind of nonsense that is not based in reality.  This is real simple.  You might be able to see it even through Biden's smoke in NYC.

Obama - Russian invasion.

Trump - No Russian invasion.

Old Joe - Russian invasion, endless war, and total destruction of Ukraine.

[Rick Plant]

LOL. Baghdad Bob is jealous of this kind of nonsense that is not based in reality.  This is real simple.  You might be able to see it even through Biden's smoke in NYC.

Obama - Russian invasion.

Trump - No Russian invasion.

Old Joe - Russian invasion, endless war, and total destruction of Ukraine.

Russia's Prigozhin admits interfering in U.S. elections
November 7, 2022
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/russias-prigozhin-admits-interfering-us-elections-2022-11-07/

Funny since Russia already admitted they are actively helping the GOP and did so in 2022. Also, Republicans are notorious for spouting Russian propaganda.

Uh, Russia was already attacking Ukraine under Criminal Donald. And you want to blame Biden for a war that has nothing to do with the United States. Pathetic   

[Richard Smith]

Russian interference?  The election laws were changed in almost every state just prior to the 2020 election to advantage Ukraine Joe.  The media censored and suppressed any story harmful to Biden.  The justice system suppressed evidence of crimes including treason committed by Biden and his family.  But Russia is the bad guy?  LOL.