The Daily Valet. - 11/6/20, Friday

✔️ Here Come the Final Counts

November 06, 2020

Friday, November 6th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

How is it Friday already?

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Ballot Counting Is Winding Down ...

Biden prepares for a win and Trump prepares for a legal fight

With his re-election chances fading as more ballots are counted in a handful of battleground states, President Donald Trump launched an extraordinary assault on the country’s democratic process from the White House on Thursday, falsely claiming the election was being “stolen” from him, reports Reuters.

Judges in Georgia and Michigan quickly dismissed the first rounds of Trump campaign lawsuits, undercutting a campaign legal strategy to attack the integrity of the voting process. That didn’t slow them down. According to ABC News, the campaign filed a lawsuit in Nevada late Thursday night that includes complaints they’ve already put before the courts and that were unsuccessful.

This was after the president launched into a litany of claims about how Democrats were trying to unfairly deprive him of a second term. “But we think there’ll be a lot of litigation because we can’t have an election stolen like this,” he said from the White House briefing room.

Trump didn’t provide any proof or explain the difference between the counting in Pennsylvania (where he’s losing ground) and Arizona (where he’s gaining votes). The accusations drew unusually swift criticism from several Republicans on Thursday evening, reports the Wall Street Journal. But not all. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Lindsey Graham, told Fox News he will donate $500,000 to the Trump campaign’s legal efforts.

The reality is these lawsuits states highlight that the Trump campaign is confronting a political map in which it might have to persuade courts in multiple states to set aside enough votes to overturn the results, reports the Associated Press. That’s a much different scenario than Bush/Gore in 2000—which eventually was settled by the Supreme Court—when the entire fight was over Florida’s electoral votes and involved a recount as opposed to trying to halt balloting.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden and his campaign are preparing for the possibility he may claim victory as early as today when multiple states says the vote counts will be ready. Early this morning, he took the lead in Georgia with 99% of the state vote count reported. And according to the Washington Post, the Secret Service is sending reinforcements to Wilmington, Delaware today to ramp up his security.

↦ Dig Deeper: The Heritage Foundation studied elections for nearly four decades and could only find 1,285 cases of potential voter fraud out of nearly two billion votes cast. That amounts to a rate of .0000007%—not exactly a threat to free and fair elections.

Could a Recount Flip a Battleground State?

History says don't count on it

Not long after the Associated Press and other news outlets declared Wednesday that Joe Biden had won Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes, the Trump campaign vowed to “immediately request a recount” in the state.

But according to NBC News, a recount won't make much of a difference in the results of a statewide election. In the last half century, few recounts have led to changes in the winners. And in the handful of still-uncalled battleground states, there hasn't been a flip following a recount in at least the last two decades.

The amount of suspected votes a recount would likely pick up is in the hundreds, at best. And in Wisconsin, President Trump trails Biden by over 20,000 votes. Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, tweeted that the votes would be “a high hurdle,” but he said the president should press ahead.

Should the Trump campaign follow through on its promise to call for a recount, it will be on the hook to pay for it. According to CBS News, when Jill Stein requested a recount in the state in 2016, it did little to change the outcome—it simply added 131 votes to Trump's margin of victory over Hillary Clinton. And it cost Stein $3.5 million.

↦ Dig Deeper: Swing states Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada and North Carolina all allow a recount to be requested. Slate looks into how the process differs.

Xbox Is Ready for a Netflix World

The Series X is a 4K beast in need of games

On November 10, you’ll be able to buy a new pair of Xbox consoles that could, if successful, fundamentally change the way video games are played and made from the ground up.

According to Vulture, the new Xbox Series X and its budget-friendly sibling, the Xbox Series S, are designed to be hubs in a Netflix-style ecosystem where, for a monthly fee, you can play just about anything, anywhere—for better or for worse.

Engadget calls it Microsoft’s ultimate gaming console, with the ability to deliver 4K games at 60 fps and beyond. It’s everything we’d want in a next-generation system. The only problem is that it’s launching without many compelling games.

↦ Specs: According to The Verge, there are two USB ports at the rear alongside an Ethernet port, a storage expansion slot, and HDMI 2.1 out.

The Soothing Star of Election Week

Why everyone seems to be tracking MSNBC's Steve Kornacki

As Election Day stretched into days, anxiety and uncertainty started peeling away at people's patience. But one thing seems to be helping (or at least for NBC/MSNBC viewers): Steve Kornacki's tireless, county-by-county forecasts.

After three days of continuous coverage, Kornacki pulled another all-nighter last night. So it's no wonder why he's receiving praise on social media for his ongoing air-time and consistent updates, sharing his election analysis in the soothing, reassuring way that only a well-mannered numbers guy can.

Famous fans like Chrissy Teigen and Billy Eichner marveled at his stamina. People wondered how they were going to bed listening to him explain the vote counts and woke up to him still there, making sense of things. “Like Tony Hawk or Keith Emerson, the guy's the King of the Board,” declared Vulture.

Kornacki's MSNBC colleague Joy Ann Reid joked: “He is not allowed to leave the building otherwise he might come unplugged.” And he's not slowing down yet ... but hopefully soon. As #TrackingKornacki trended Thursday, CBD supplier Columbia Care also made him an offer for a year's supply of CBD to help him relax once the dust settles on Decision 2020.

↦ FYI: Where does he get those khakis? The Strategist did a little digging to find them and a bonus, they're affordable too.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

‘Moonbase 8’

These pre-fab home offices

Tesla making tequila

Do You Need a New Face Mask?

Chances are ... you do.

The Valet. team and I have been scouring the market to find the best new masks to wear because it's been a few months, and we're all due for an upgrade.

Swap out your mask for one that fits better, won't fog up your glasses or allows you to workout with a buddy without the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19.

Because if you think that's something you shouldn't be concerned with, think again. Fatigue is setting in with most Americans and it's leading to a frightening spread throughout the country.

The United States reported 116,707 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, as 20 states saw their highest daily counts yet and the number of fatalities nationwide exceeded 1,000 for the third consecutive day. Mask up and do your part to stop the spread.

↦ Buy: Our round-up of the best masks available to buy right now.

What We’re Buying

Abercrombie & Fitch Stretch Cotton Blazer

In a world where offices and conference rooms are still vacant, a proper blazer may seem out of place. But who says you can't embody the look good/feel good mantra when working form home? The lightweight blazer is made from stretch cotton and meant to layer over whatever casual option you're wearing. It's the perfect way to upgrade your wardrobe for a fraction of the cost.

↦ Get It $124 / $48 at Abercrombie & Fitch