(NewsNation) — Considering Tuesday night’s election was the most scrutinized midterm election in modern history, there were relatively few major problems, and most of the losers of both parties graciously conceded.
Of course, you might not know that listening to Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. She lives in a world where anyone who isn’t firmly on her team is out to silence her or steal elections from her, including, apparently, the Republican-run election board in Arizona.
Her race against Katie Hobbs is still too close to call.
Maricopa County has been central to these baseless claims of malfeasance. When Tuesday, there were dozens of tabulation machines that didn’t work properly, because ballots were apparently printed too light. Republican election officials addressed the issue quickly. They promised that each vote would be counted in a bipartisan hand vote that has delayed the final tally.
Now, these sorts of things happen on Election Day. It is never ideal, but there was no evidence of wrongdoing, and they addressed it.
By the way, there were issues that Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto in Nevada, said has hurt her in her tight race. Both sued to keep the polls open longer, both the Democrat in Nevada and the Republicans in Arizona, and both were denied.
But for Kari Lake, this was an opportunity to suggest some grand conspiracy by the Republican election officials to steal the election from her. Now, my hunch is that if she was ahead by 13,000 votes, she would already be declaring victory, as she did before the final results were in when running in the primary against a Republican challenger, Karrin Taylor Robson.
But you knew that whatever Lake said Tuesday night, it would involve either her winning or the election having been stolen from her.
“We had a big day today. And don’t let those cheaters and crooks think anything different. Don’t let them go. Don’t let them put doubt in you,” Lake said.
Of course, she doesn’t identify the “cheaters” and “crooks” because there’s no evidence that they exist. Of course, if she ends up getting the votes, Lake should be the next governor of Arizona, period. Apparently, she seems to believe she has a very powerful and all powerful ally on her side.
“You know, I did a lot of praying to God. I’ve been praying to God every day, all day. And I said to him, you make this victory come whatever way you want. If it comes decisive on Election Day, then bring it to us that way. If we have to fight through the BS and the garbage, then we will fight through the BS in the garbage,” Lake said.
Speaking of BS and garbage, Lake referenced the examples of election equipment not working as evidence of her getting cheated.
“They showed up at the polls early this morning, only to be told the election equipment didn’t work. Two minutes into voting, we had people being told, ‘Well, you’re going have to put your little ballot over here into another box.’ Guys, the fake media back there tried to tell us we were wrong for asking questions about our elections. Guess what? We are going to win this,” Lake said.
Everyone asks questions about elections. Everyone asked a ton of questions post 2020. People had a lot of questions about Maricopa County. That’s why the Republicans who are in charge there came out and explained what had happened. But Lake, of course, was the only one with the definitive answers that of course she won.
“Are you willing for incompetency to play itself out and the victory to come at us? I am willing to wait for that and when we win, and I think it will be within hours. I think it will be within hours. We will declare victory and we will get to work turning this around. No more incompetency and no more corruption in Arizona elections,” Lake said.
Okay, again, incompetency maybe. Evidence of corruption — doesn’t exist. But it is nice to hear talk about waiting for results, as every other candidate must do.
“We will not stop fighting until we have every legal vote counted. So we’re going to be patient, we’re going to be patient, guys,” Lake said.
That’s good to hear. And it’s a nice reprieve from the sort of phony tough talk routine that could explain why she hasn’t fared as well as many expected she would.
When asked if she plans to serve her entire term in Arizona or if she was open to being vice president, Lake replied like this: “Are you new covering this race? Because we talked about this before. We’ve talked about this. I’ve answered these questions. I am going to not only be the governor of Arizona for four years, I’m going to do two terms. I’m going to be your worst freaking nightmare for eight years, and we will reform the media, as well. We’re going to make you guys into journalists again. So get ready. It’s going to be a fun eight years,” Lake said.
You know, the tough talk. Lake may make a perfectly good governor if she wins. But her bootcamp for journalists? It will involve never challenging her, always telling her that she’s right, and of course taking every fact-free allegation she makes at face value. That does sound like fun.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author, and not of NewsNation.