Al Schmidt, a Philadelphia city election commissioner, talked to 60 Minutes' Bill Whitaker last night about what it's like getting death threats and facing armed attempts to shot up the election office for doing nothing more than counting the ballots. As a Republican, he's baffled as to why his party's leaders are ginning up their "stolen election" conspiracy theories. Via Mediaite:
“From the inside looking out, it feels all very deranged,” said an incredulous Schmidt. “At the end of the day, we are counting eligible votes cast by voters. The controversy surrounding it is something I don’t understand. It’s people making accusations that we wouldn’t count those votes, or people are adding fraudulent votes or just, coming up with, just, all sorts of crazy stuff.”
Whitaker asked him if they were being accused of cheating or manipulating the vote, which he confirmed. Schmidt continued, saying that they were getting “calls to our offices reminding us that ‘This is what the Second Amendment is for,’ people like us.”
“That’s — a not so veiled death threat,” said Whitaker.
“Yes, for counting votes in a democracy,” replied Schmidt.
Meanwhile, as they waited for Philadelphia to put Biden over the top, the Count Every Vote rally turned into a 48-hour dance party in the streets, celebrating their apparent historic part in overturning yet another tyrant. The celebration was no accident:
Philadelphia: Booting tyrants since 1776. You're welcome, America.
