Candid truth

Via Drudge comes a short report of comments Elizabeth Edwards made to a supporter yesterday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania:

Supporter: Kerry's going to take PA.

Liz Edwards: I know that.

Supporter: I'm just worried there's going to be riots afterwards.

Liz Edwards: Uh.....well...not if we win.

The article also has a link to a short audio clip of the exchange.

Let's think about the implications of this for a moment. In a candid conversation, Mrs. Edwards has basically summarized what I've considered to be likely to happen after the election depending on who wins.

Though there has been harassment and intimidation on both sides, it's more prevalent on the part of Kerry supporters/Bush opponents and the magnitude of their actions is generally greater as well. Vandalism and assault are standard operating procedure for the more extreme among them. Should Bush win the election, I believe there will be considerable civil unrest, probably outright rioting. I think it likely there will be blood and almost certainly considerable property damage. This is on top of the flood of lawsuits that will certainly be filed by Democrats and their lawyers in a nationwide effort to overturn the results of the election. It will be especially bad if, as in 2000, Bush wins the electoral vote but not the national popular vote. Should that happen, look for Democrats to vigorously advocate for the elimination of the electoral college and a switch to a direct popular election.

If Kerry wins, there will be a lot of grumbling, and there will probably be some lawsuits filed as well. However, it won't be near the magnitude of the legal onslaught the Democrats will wage if Bush wins. Also, there won't be rioting, unless it's done by Kerry supporters/Bush opponents who are out celebrating and take it too far. Should Kerry win the electoral vote but not the electoral college popular vote (corrected 10/21/2008), look for those who advocated doing away with the college after the 2000 election to be suddenly silent on the topic. Some Bush supporters might express their desire for a change to a direct election but most if not all will be those who have long advocated such change.

One final thought. To anyone who thinks it will be a good idea to assault Bush supporters during or after the election I have one question: Which candidate's supporters do you think are far more likely to be armed and ready to defend themselves?