. . . . The primaries are easier to rig.
How good are last days "voting intention" polls, these days - despite the fact that you could rig one or two - there are loads, so that could skew results a bit, but much less.
They have got much better.
There are professors etc that are experts in this sort of thing - statistics, etc.
In the USA, after the "chads" disaster, lots of people got accustomed to doing a lot of "number-crunching".(search engine keywords - as you might expect - but a good place to get going, with a lot of links, is the Ohio Free Press, that was so successful in its enquiries that Ohios were the key results in criminal charges, people in prison, resignations, statements from the (new) state authorities about how easy computer vote tabulators are to rig, etc.
Were there past doubts about primaries? Yes, that time against McCain, amongst others - the rigging of internal elections of several parties at the same time is a staple diet of old "covert ops" types - in the "bad old days" of the cold war.

(A few people did get a lot of cash out of the "bad old days" too. A few of those old covert ops types are, shall we say, more free of the dictates of the old job these days. We hear a lot about ex-KGB types in russia, but its odd, for some reason - despite a succession of dodgy scams coming to light - its all halos for ex-western covert ops types, the old "safari club" networks, etc - all the moles we look for are "ideological" . . . . the idea that old black budget research people might have cash acquisition as a "cause" is something WE ARE NOT TO THINK.
Although . . . . we do. Its the news, it does that to you sometimes. . . . "directors of ex British Mod research group pocket. . . ." etc. But in the USA ? Might variations of black budget secrets get new applications ? OF COURSE NOT.
Or . . . . )

How did elections get rigged ? Often in a variety of ways, to the extent that there were sometimes "overt, in your face" bits of the rigging to distract attention from who or why the rigging was happening, or to play people off against each other with the use of old or new preprogrammed "faultlines"
(- a bit of internal war for the criminals/operators to "get away with the cash" in the chaos - survey the damage from a pool in the bahamas or the middle east - it aint all war-torn - or a pet dictators luxury tax haven . . . . for a few ex-pats, the idea of trying to whip up a bit of race war or tribalism, or portraying critics as "bolshie threats" is something the taxpayer paid to train them to do - although often the taxpayer wasnt told this at the time )
REALITY CHECK RECHECK, by the way. We are currently watching the US admin claim that Kenyas election was rigged - without claiming that a courageous ex-Brit was involved, although denying that the far dodgier seeming election that Russia is complaining about was rigged at all - despite the doubts about some of the OSCE observers, "it is accepted" that two days after her murder, Bhutto was to pass a document to two US congressmen about plots within a faction of the ISI (with others?) to rig THAT upcoming election - with details - from others also within the ISI .
The past of South America or the Middle East, coups etc - with the involvement of people from western groups - with both state funding, etc, BUT ALSO "commerce" funding - all of this is written up in the actual records, taught to kids at school. The use of puppets, pseudo-groups, cheap frauds to pay minions less, the use of "cut-outs" . . . . is also old hat. But to use it "at home" . . . . HERE. It couldnt happen.
Or . . . .



A lot of good work has gotten done by people that, as the statistics professors or computer scientists have, take a good sceptical attitude, check, recheck, etc . . . . but dont let somebody press the "wipe" button on them when the facts DO add up to the need for enquiries. Remember - they are getting results too. The cover-up - trying to destroy proof, despiter federal orders - is getting much clunkier . . . . people are also getting caught.



After the iraq war, a lot of journalists apologised for getting so misled. That isnt adequate, as a retort to the situation. Timing means . . . .



If you are the most cynical, hard bitten type in the world, all this mess does get to you too. In your lifetime. YES, your kids . . . . but you too. The disasters from this "amp up the war-scenarios" situation ARE happening in a house of cards world. Subtle? Sometimes - if you aint seen the three card trick in the past - but then a gun is "subtle" . . . . for a bit, if all you have is a bow. Its the scams we are talking about - new tech, perhaps, but the same old stupid scams. Treat people as "slaves" or "puppets" or "dots" . . . . set up a few cut-outs, then disappear.

But its the same as that old spin from alleged "hardball" economics, that says "the future is a free good". . . . meaning if your corporation doesnt have to pick up the tab, you poison the future without penalty. Or if you are the CEO, if you retire.
Except the "future" is getting nearer "you" all the time, the "other" people that get poisoned is getting nearer to including YOU all the time, the enquiries (etc) are getting a lot nearer too. . . . the "afterlife" you didnt choose to accept happened to you, happens to you too, you might say. "Getting away with it" was the myth. The mesmerism of frequent repetition says otherwise, but . . . . some denials are less plausible.
Amends, for journalists too, you might say, in a different way, that "they aint getting fooled again".
From a doublebluff to triple bluff then back to . . . . it is what the job title says.

There is plenty of good, solid background research, but its the worlds election too, in lots of ways - in effect. Most of us dont get a vote in it - but if America gets stolen, it gets used against us too.



cheers