Mike Pence (Shutterstock)
The conservative-leaning Rasmussen Reports polling firm apocryphally quoted Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to suggest Vice President Mike Pence might hand the election to President Donald Trump.
The series of tweets set off fact-checks from legal experts and historians, as well as baffled mockery and anger, and the pollster later responded by pointing out the analysis, and the quote wrongly attributed to Stalin, had originally been written by right-wing game developer and blogger Alexander Macris.
Other social media users were surprised -- and unconvinced.
Thanks for letting us know that we don't even have to pretend to take your polling seriously in the future.
— djthomp (@Ruldar) December 28, 2020
Oh, look: here's a polling company doing their part to subvert democracy, violate the Constitution, and pander to the most corrupt man ever to squat in our @WhiteHouse. If anyone ever believed @Rasmussen_Poll was an unbiased source of objective polling, think again.
— Lorraine Devon Wilke (@LorraineDWilke) December 28, 2020
PRO TIP: When your thesis can best be summarized by a Stalin quote, rethink your thesis.
— Jeff Mac (@JeffMacIsHere) December 28, 2020
I say we should let the courts, maybe even the supreme court decide if there was fraud. Oh wait.. We did? Then why are we still having this discussion?
— Matt D (@dacajunmatt) December 28, 2020
Yeah, if 80 million people hadn't voted for Biden, Trump would have won. But that isn't what happened.
— Kathy Kreutzer (@kokanekreutzer) December 28, 2020
Because it doesn't matter what 70% of Republicans believe since our election officials watched and counted the ballots, the judiciary heard all concerns, and the electors have voted.
Nobody, not even the VP, gets to disenfranchise millions of voters.
— Dr. Beth Hansen (@Erdos_4) December 28, 2020
Ah yes, that well-established democratic principle that a person can only be elected president if a majority of the losing party is okay with it.
— Rob Gordon (@ndcanuck72) December 28, 2020
Ah yes, that great believer in democracy & constitutional federal republics (checks notes) Joseph Stalin. 😳 pic.twitter.com/YMhHcfb6i6
— 🔥 Lucky Dog Hot Sauce 🔥 (@luckydoghot) December 28, 2020
The constitution very clearly says the VP “shall" count the votes. Courts have set precedence in determining shall means must. He has no power or leeway. He must count the certified votes for Biden
It's like someone smacked you upside the head with a stupid stick. Multiple times
— Stop the Insanity (@shellaceous) December 28, 2020
Pence does not have the power alone to refuse to count votes or open boxes. The tellers deliver the votes. If a Senator and House member object, the two houses debate the objection. Senate Pro Tem takes over official count of Pence cannot or will not count them.
— Aaron Astor (@AstorAaron) December 28, 2020
Pence doesn't really want to be tried for sedition against the 46th President of the United States , Joe Biden. He doesn't want to hold the bag for plotting a coup against America.
— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) December 28, 2020
Are you endorsing this idea - that the votes of Americans mean nothing and Pence can override our votes as he "counts" them? Pence does not have this power, but it's pretty damn disturbing you seem to be endorsing such a coup.
— 🌊Cyndia BLUE "Unstable Genius"🆘 (@malinablue) December 28, 2020
Citing polls of republicans.
We just did the biggest poll there is... and the people spoke.
Biden won. Period.
End of polling season.
Have a nice day
— Michael Davidson 🏴☠️ (@Point5Empty) December 28, 2020
I'm no polling expert, but shouldn't a polling firm (when calling for an anti-democratic coup) get their # of "contested/disputed" (LOL, ok, whatever) states right? pic.twitter.com/0nEyI2frhO
— Dan Haberman (@TheDhabes) December 28, 2020
