Dive into the chaotic aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, where claims of fraud ignited unrest and strategic maneuvers were set in motion. Discover the tangled story of Dennis Montgomery, whose notorious fabrications contributed to conspiracy theories that have lingered dangerously. Explore the unsettling belief among many Americans in a rigged election and how this mindset poses threats to democracy as the nation gears up for another election cycle. The narrative unfolds with shocking revelations and critical insights into political tactics.
The 'blue shift' phenomenon illustrates how initial election night counts can mislead perceptions of vote outcomes and manipulation.
The unfounded 'hammer and scorecard' conspiracy highlights the significant dangers of election denialism and its impact on democracy's integrity.
Deep dives
The Blue Shift Strategy
The concept of the 'blue shift' is critical to understanding the 2020 election strategies discussed in the podcast. It refers to the phenomenon where initial vote counts on election night favor Republican candidates, but as mail-in ballots are counted later, Democratic candidates, like Joe Biden, tend to gain ground. Steve Bannon planned to leverage this dynamic by having Trump declare victory early in the evening, creating a narrative that would cast doubt on the election results if they shifted against him. This calculated move was expected to fuel a narrative that the election was being stolen, as Bannon anticipated chaos and controversy in the days following the election.
The Hammer and Scorecard Conspiracy
The podcast highlights the emergence of the 'hammer and scorecard' conspiracy theory, which claimed that a supercomputer could alter vote counts in favor of Democrats. This theory, originating from discredited software developer Dennis Montgomery, suggested that the Obama administration had used these tools to manipulate election outcomes. Despite the theory's lack of evidence and subsequent debunking, figures like Mike Lindell and Steve Bannon promoted it aggressively in the aftermath of the 2020 election. This unfounded narrative gained traction among many Trump supporters, who believed the election results had been rigged without any factual basis.
Consequences of Election Denialism
The repercussions of the election denialism that emerged post-2020 are significant, as they have fueled ongoing political division and unrest. Many individuals who pushed these conspiracies faced legal and financial consequences, such as defamation suits against figures like Lindell who spread false claims about voting fraud. Meanwhile, a large segment of the Republican base continues to believe in these unfounded narratives, perpetuating distrust in the electoral process. This situation poses a clear and present danger to democracy as Donald Trump and his allies prepare to implement similar strategies leading into the 2024 presidential election.
Donald Trump did not win the 2020 presidential election. But if you watched his speech on election night, you wouldn’t come away with that understanding. ‘Frankly,’ he said ‘We did win this election.’
In the months that followed, the story backing up that claim warped and changed, but at its core was a big lie about a supercomputer called ‘The Hammer’, an imaginary software called ‘Scorecard’, and a man with a long history of fooling the US government.
And now Donald Trump is on the ballot again. Over five episodes, If You’re Listening looks at the transition period after the 2020 election, and what it tells us about the plan in 2024.