Georgia GOP official who previously pushed back against Trump appears to have had a change of tune

27 May 2021

Why Brad Raffensperger's troubles are a sign of problems to come for non-extremist conservatives: columnist

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) may have voted for former President Donald Trump but he was one of the few Republican officials willing to push back against wrongdoings in the name of democracy. Now it appears Raffensperger, up for re-election, is appearing to fold.

According to The Daily Beast, the Georgia official, who previously opposed Trump's relentless efforts to overturn the election results in his state, released a tweeted statement this week shortly after a judge advanced a motion that would allow absentee ballots to be examined for fraud.

At the time, he tweeted, From day one, I have encouraged Georgians with concerns about the election in their counties to pursue those claims through legal avenues."

Then, he later conceded that "the county in question has a long-standing history of election mismanagement" (not that his audits found it) "that has understandably weakened voters' faith in its system" (the one he pronounced solid). The audit thus "provides another layer of transparency and citizen engagement."

The judge's granted motion sets Georgia on a path similar to Arizona's as Republicans in the Grand Canyon State fight to prove massive voter fraud was the reason for Trump's loss. Raffensperger's stance has shifted sharply in contrast to his previous take on Trump's efforts to overturn the election. It also signals a dramatic shift in Republicans' lack of concern about the state of America's democracy as they trudge dangerously closer toward the point of no return.

Based on the occurrences in Arizona and Georgia, it appears the election recounts could be ongoing with no end in sight. Per the Daily Beast, "Every day it's clearer that recounts are never going to end and a commission to investigate what happened on Jan. 6 is never going to begin,"

The publication also warns: "Looking ahead, Republicans want to make sure they never have a squish like Raffensperger foiling their plans again. They're busy packing races for election officials with partisans more susceptible to pressure, choosing candidates who publicly supported Trump's specious claims. This raises the real possibility that politicians still trying to undermine the vote in 2020 will do more than try the next time around."

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