How the "Big Lie" was born?

[kentuck]

It didn't happen in 2020. It didn't happen in 2016. It happened many years ago.

It was born in the mind of a sick and cowardly person that could not envision ever losing at anything. Excuses had to be created before the truth and reality intervened. The "Big Lie" was nothing more than an excuse for losing.

Even before the election of 2016, we heard the same excuse. The election was "rigged". It was a "fraud". Even after losing the popular vote by almost 3 million votes, Trump was somehow able to win the "Electoral College". So he declared it a "landslide".

Months before the election of 2020, we heard how the election was going to be "rigged" against Trump. It was going to be "stolen" from him. Over and over, he pounded the "stop the steal" mantra into the weak minds of his followers. So that when he did lose, they actually believed the election was "stolen". Although all the experts and all the evidence said otherwise.

The "Stop the Steal" was a defense mechanism for the cowardly loser that was born many years ago. If anything did not go his way, then he was a victim. He was cheated or it was stolen from him. Because he simply could not be a "loser".

Although his supporters were a minority of Americans, they were devoutly loyal to him and he was the only source of news that they trusted. They were a cult. They could never understand how a majority of Americans could ever vote against him? They still cannot understand.

The "Big Lie" was created as a defense against truth and reality. When coupled with power, it is a very dangerous weapon to confront.

[bucolic_frolic]

1. I don't know. Was it psychological in origin, a defense mechanism? Or was it always a plan

to undermine, topple, overthrow the US government and establish dictatorship? Because there is the psychology, but then there are the self-interests, and the corporate interests, that simply want government out of their way so they can reduce costs and pollute everything. Developers always want government gone.

[kentuck]

2. I think he has been using the "Big Lie" his entire life.

He was always a liar.

But when coupled with the power of the Presidency, it became very toxic and dangerous. It was very similar to a virus.

[malaise]

5. and a loser

His own niece said someone sat his SATs for him.

[moondust]

3. A possible scheme.

He or his co-conspirators may have recalled the "disputed" elections of 1876 and/or 2000. Both were "settled" in favor of the "right": 1876 with the Compromise of 1877 and 2000 with Bush v. Gore. They may have presumed that if they kept contesting the results all the way up to "his" Supreme Court they would decide in his favor as they did for Bush.

[kentuck]

7. If it had been a "closer" election, it may have worked.

But the votes showed that he lost by more than 7 million in the popular vote, and translated into a large electoral margin also. That made it much more difficult to pull off, in my opinion.

[moondust]

11. More difficult after the election but...

Last edited Sun Jan 2, 2022, 06:29 PM - Edit history (1)

months or even years ahead of the election the schemers didn't know what the margin would be. In order to create and reinforce the "disputed election" narrative he started crowing about "election fraud" months before the voting started. Once the votes were counted they may have figured that despite the popular vote it was close enough in a few states that they could focus on them and get a different set of electors--with the support of "his" Supreme Court if necessary.



ETA:

GET RID OF BALLOT HARVESTING, IT IS RAMPANT WITH FRAUD. THE USA MUST HAVE VOTER I.D., THE ONLY WAY TO GET AN HONEST COUNT!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2020

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-55009950

[maxsolomon]

4. He is a malignant, narcissistic sociopath who was handed a fortune.

he IS the Big Lie.

[MyOwnPeace]

6. BINGO!!!!

It really IS that simple - HIS ego, HIS simple brain - HIS belief, love, respect for NOBODY but himself simply could NOT allow the thought that he could possible lose. He left it to his underlings/ass-kissers to figure out a way to 'make it so' - and these are the same people that had been running the country for his whole term.

Absolutely amazing that we survived.

[jalan48]

8. It's part of the authoritarian playbook. When a direct overthrow of the government is not possible

sow chaos through misinformation and prepare the populace for the next "necessary" overthrow attempt. Like a fighter taking body blows, the intent is to wear down the opposition until the coup is successful.

[kentuck]

9. It has definitely worn down the opposition...

I sense that people cannot bear it for much longer.

[jalan48]

10. I've been reading some Roman history and learned Julius Caesar used this strategy in order to

become Caesar and supplant the Senate as the ruling entity. Sowing chaos is like the Shock Doctrine, eventually the people become too scared and confused to fight for a representative form of government and give in to an authoritarian ruler who will magically fix all their problems.

[JHB]

12. How? Conservatives waving the bloody shirt of "Daley stole the election for Kennedy" since 1960

It didn't matter that if Illinois had gone for Nixon, Kennedy still would have won.

It was all a matter of fostering outrage and grievance that what was "rightly theirs" was "stolen" because "Democrats cheat."

Just spin that wheel for 60 years, and presto!

[secondwind]

13. He KNEW way before he lost the election...