Republicans are tipping their hand over how they will approach every election loss: columnist

In his Friday column for the Washington Post, Greg Sargent explained that Donald Trump has supplied Republicans with the playbook for every close election to come and it is already playing out in California's recall election.

GOP candidates who have been looking at the reception and support Trump has received after claiming the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him -- without a shred of evidence -- are already seeding doubt about election security over a year before the 2022 midterms.

Sargent notes that conservative radio personality Larry Elder has increased his attacks on how votes are being counted on Gov. Gavin Newsom's recall as more reports come out showing the California Democrat will survive in the heavily Democratic state.

"This week, Elder told reporters that 'there might very well be shenanigans' in the vote counting, just like 'in the 2020 election,' and vowed that his 'voter integrity board' of lawyers will 'file lawsuits,'" the columnist wrote before quoting the Republican claiming, "The 2020 election, in my opinion, was full of shenanigans. My fear is they're going to try that in this election right here and recall."

According to Sargent, "It's common for campaigns to prepare for post-election litigation. But Elder is going much further. He's hinting at a concerted effort to steal the recall and linking that to the 'big lie' that there were widespread problems in 2020. The goal is plainly to tap into the deep well of paranoia and conspiracy-mongering that Trump fed for years — and to undermine faith in a loss in advance."

As he goes on to note, Trump's hand-selected candidate for a U.S. Senate seat representing Nevada is already undermining the 2022 election with an even worse approach.

Republican Adam Laxalt -- grandson of former Nevada governor and U.S. Senator Paul Laxalt -- is already poisoning the well, Sargent reports.

"This week, Laxalt flatly declared his campaign will 'file lawsuits early' to 'secure this election,' as if it's a foregone conclusion that a loss will be dubious by definition. Worse, Laxalt vowed to avoid the supposed mistakes of 2020, in which the election was 'rigged' and the only failure was that Trump campaign lawsuits 'came too late,'" the columnist wrote before adding, "Laxalt, then, will begin contesting any eventual loss right now, because otherwise Democrats will succeed in stealing another election. This, too, is a declaration not to accept a loss as legitimate in advance."

Worse still he noted was Laxalt's response when he was called out for trying to undermine the integrity of the election.

"When the press covered his despicable threat, Laxalt rejoiced that he was 'triggering the media,' smarmily insisting the press is attacking anyone who wants 'secure' and 'fair' elections," Sargent wrote. "In fact, Laxalt is the one threatening to undermine secure and fair elections. Indeed, as this demonstrates, for Trumpist politicians, the refusal to commit to respecting legitimate election losses is now a badge of honor."

According to the columnist, voters can expect more of these tactics by extremist candidates trying to increase their election chances in tightly contested elections.

"The willingness to abide by election losses as legitimate, on the understanding that our system is worth preserving and you can live to fight another day, is a hallmark of democratic stability," he wrote before warning, "But it's becoming a hallmark of GOP primary politics to publicly renounce that ethic, and to do so defiantly and proudly."

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