Arthur S. Reber

So, according to the latest Trumpian trope this election is rigged. You know, he’s right but as usual he’s ass over elbow and has the whole damn thing flipped. The rigging is certainly there; the fix is in but he’s the beneficiary not the victim.

It started with state governments controlled by Republicans passing ludicrous and occasionally unconstitutional voter ID laws that discriminated against minorities, the elderly, the poor and students — all groups that tend to vote for Democratic candidates. Then they trotted out other little gambits like reducing the number of polling places and cutting back on hours when the polls were open — taking care that these adjustments were limited to targeted neighborhoods.

The SCOTUS compounded matters by nullifying critical clauses in the Voting Rights Act that required approval for any significant change in voting procedure allowing all that chicanery. The court, with the same justices voting in lock-step, also undercut the essential fairness of elections with the Citizens United decision. This highly controversial ruling unleashed the deep-pocket crowd to exert undue influence while denying it to poorer constituents. If you can buy an election you know the poor cannot afford one.

Then two weeks ago the FBI stuck its supposedly nonpartisan nose into the game by abruptly reopening the issue of Clinton’s emails. Within hours her polling numbers started to plummet. Nine days later Director Comey comes back out of his cave to announce, “move on, nothing to see here folks, move on….” Again, another big old nothing-burger but the damage was done and cannot be undone.

Trump keeps screaming that he’s being robbed and jobbed and mobbed but the brutal truth is that the only reason his toxic message is still being heard is because the system is fundamentally rigged and in his favor.

The victims are the under-classes, the poor, minorities, students and the other segments of our society who look toward the Democratic Party for support and concern for their interests and needs.

Fundamental reform is needed … don’t hold your breath.