POLL: If Russia were to interfere in November...

This follows on from the rather shocking results from a poll that was conducted, which showed that 40% of Republicans think that Russian interference in November to help either party would either be perfectly appropriate or else inappropriate but not a big deal! And I was curious to see if similar results are returned here. I can only assume that this 40% wouldn't say that it was appropriate if Russia helped the Democrats win!

Strangely, 14% of Democrats said that it would be inappropriate but not a big deal! I guess they are Democrats in Name Only! And I suppose that it goes without saying that this 14% would only say that it would be appropriate if it helped them win.

The question:

If Russia were to help the Republicans or Democrats keep or win control of congress in the November elections,
do you think their actions would be appropriate, inappropriate but not a big deal, or inappropriate and a big deal?

https://finance.yahoo.com/video/40-republicans-russia-election-meddling-170415658.html

 

How do they actually help either side win?

They don't.

Hillary spent about 1000 to 1 dollars in advertising money yet somehow Russia's ads had more of an impact?

Does anyone actually believe that nonsense?

If Russia actually had that big of an impact it means that people weren't going to vote for her anyways because they didn't like her.

She lost it on her own.

As to the actual poll, of course its appropriate, we do stuff like this all the time and I expect all nations to not only favor or dislike certain candidates but to actively do what they can to try and influence something in their favor.

Remember that Hillary organized protests in Russia to try and stop Putin from getting elected and that was fine also.

Obama sent money to the opposition party in Israel to try and turn that election.

So here's thought, run on a platform people actually like, go out and campaign for it, then you won't need to worry about anyone and what they say.

 

Every major country messes around with the government of every other major country.

So the REAL poll should be "Do you live in reality or fantasyland when it comes to countries involving in each others politics and elections?"

 

Well, realistically, what is the EFFECT of such 'interference'?

Think! We've been interfering in the elections of other countries, including the old Soviet Union, going back to the 1920's. Did we change anything? Did we stop Stalin from coming to power there? Did we stop Hitler from coming to power in Germany? We interfered a LOT in South Vietnam in the 1960's -- and how well did that work out for us?! How well did our 'interference' in Iraq or Afghanistan work out? How well did any of our meddling work in our favor? A LOT of dead American military personnel would laugh at that suggestion -- if they weren't dead, of course....

The Russians, or some Russian-sponsored organizations (or sympathetic groups) probably do try to sway public opinion in the United States, but not even the most radical Democrats can show that any of those efforts had any effect on the outcome of any vote here.

Tempest in a teapot. Much ado about nothing. And, yes, the interference will continue -- among nearly ALL nations, including Russia, and including the United States....

Oh, and I can't resist -- one more time -- to this moment, no one has ever offered one molecule of PROOF that "the Russians hacked the election for Trump". This has been their unending mantra ever since the morning after Hillary lost the election.

 

Why does the poll assume everyone is a Dem or a Republican?

 

I agree that the Russians didn't HELP Trump win. I suppose the poll question was framed in terms of helping a party win because that would be the best test of people's morals.

 

Can any other party really be taken seriously? You've got the Libertarian Party whose candidate in the last election was NON-LIBERTARIAN Gary Johnson,
who wants to force Jewish bakers to bake Nazi wedding cakes! And presumably, wants to force gay bakers to bake cakes for anti-gay hate groups!

 

Does that make it acceptable?

 

What does that mean, is "reality acceptable?"

It is the task of each country to protect itself from foreign spies and harmful foreign meddling - which the Democrats in government and President Obama totally failed at - and President Obama literally ordered nothing done. Their response after the election? To try to blame President Trump for their own failures and inaction. That is as absurd as it gets.

 

Much of reality is NOT acceptable. What would you say?

 

Depends on the Russian I guess. Some big ole hairy Russian dude trying to hack my vote in the booth would likely be offensive. A pretty young Russian woman wanting to pull my lever might not be so offensive...

Otherwise as I recall, it is my responsibility to determine where my vote goes and to inform myself about the positions of the candidates. Every single candidate I can think of has their own website, so if I question their positions I can go straight to the source, not sure how you hack everything and some how influence the direction of elections.

 

It means its not a big deal.

 

The hacking doesn't HAVE to influence the direction of elections in order for it to be a problem. And if it was not likely to influence anything at all,
why do you think the Russians would even bother to hack an election? They must think there is something worthwhile in it.

 

And yet the entire US security establishments believe they did; how the **** does that work? Are they stupid, or do they have an agenda? It can only be one or the other?

 

Then I guess that you would vote, "Inappropriate but not a big deal."

 

What? An 'agenda'? OUR wonderous "US security establishments", whose legacy of impartiality, thoroughness, and honesty is, uh, legendary?

. -- "Nope, nuthin' in the 'Hillary Pond' -- let's try Trump again!"

 

When was the last incident of partiality, unthoroughness and dishonesty?

 

When?

Impartiality = The pathetic, inept, unprofessional "Hillary" investigation, 'conducted' by the FBI.
Unthoroughness = The pathetic, inept, unprofessional "Hillary" investigation, 'conducted' by the FBI.
Dishonesty = The pathetic, inept, unprofessional "Hillary" investigation, 'conducted' by the FBI.

Have you even been awake during the past 2 1/2 years...?

. "OK, boss, no more Hillary investigation! GOT IT!"

 

Good question.

You didn't answer yardmeat's question and what makes anyone think everyone is "either or" and falls in line with a two-party system?

 

I am neither Democrat nor Republican and I say that any help from abroad - whether it be Canada or Russia - would be an excellent incentive to removing the American, Military-Industrial-Fascist Complex system and introduce Democracy for a change.

 

I dont like it, but any country that does not try in influence our elections is not doing its due diligence considering our power in the world. Not to mention the hypocrisy of us complaining when we do it so blatantly in other countries.

Oh I am a Libertarian

 

It is just reality. If we are upset by it, then we should stop doing it ourselves. Otherwise it is hypocrisy, or in arrogance thinking only we have a right to do it.

Much of our reality is not acceptable, and yet it never changes, particular things. This is one of them.

 

As someone who has no affiliation with either side, I would have to say, generally speaking, it is inappropriate and a big deal. But then again, I'd have no issue if a foreign nation I aligned with ideologically affected the voting process of my country. Anyway, first of all you have a foreign nation interfering with the United State's election process. Second, it is likely that traditionalist Eastern government's like Russia's would choose to influence America in ways I hate.

 

I'm not so sure it's hypocritical or arrogant. Say for example you're watching a game of baseball. You're happy when your team hits a homerun, but upset when the opposing team does the same. Essentially, the U.S. is part of a massive competition with rival states, influencing elections in other countries is part of what makes those nations beneficial to American interests.

 

It is often easy for me to not think of the FBI as an Intelligence Agency. Anyway, as the majority of intel relating to Russia's influence in the 2016 election would've come from the CIA and NSA, I was really asking when THEY were last partial, unthorough and dishonest. I don't think the CIA and NSA should be tarred with the same brush as the FBI.