Paul Ryan: It's 'bizarre' and 'strange' that GOP lost so bad in California

Failed House speaker and faux wonk Paul Ryan (R-WI) says he simply cannot understand the complete and utter rejection California voters served his unpopular party in the 2018 midterms.

With Republicans and their policies thoroughly defeated in the state, Ryan, channeling Trump, appears to by trying to cast doubt on California voters.

“The California election system ‘just defies logic to me,'” Ryan said at a recent event, according to the Hill. Ryan went on to say, “There are a lot of races there we should have won.”

Ryan continued to make wild accusations to imply wrongdoing.

“The way the absentee-ballot program used to work, and the way it works now, it seems pretty loosey goose,” Ryan said. “When you have candidates who win the absentee ballot vote and then lose three weeks later because of provisionals, that’s really bizarre. I just think that’s a very, very strange outcome.”

But in California, the laws are written to give as many people as possible the chance to vote. For example, voters in California can mail in their ballot on Election Day. In addition, voters can register to vote and cast a ballot on Election Day, giving more people the opportunity to participate in democracy. Counting and verifying all the votes takes time. These are “bizarre” concepts to Ryan.

It’s possible this seems “strange” to Ryan and Republicans because their party often relies on extreme forms of voter suppression and gerrymandering to win elections (Georgia’s racist new governor, Brian Kemp, is a prime example).

Unlike Republicans, Democrats around the country, including in California, encourage black Americans and other minorities to vote, rather than putting up barriers to participation.

What’s “bizarre” and “very, very strange” to Ryan — the principle of protecting the right to vote, and then counting every vote — is actually a bedrock of democracy.

California’s Secretary of State Alex Padilla simply wants to ensure that “all voices can be heard in the political process,” even if it takes a little longer to count the votes, he told the Hill.

And when all those voices were heard in California, Republicans got fairly well annihilated.

But voters did indeed reject Ryan and his far-right agenda, which is why California’s 14-member Republican delegation was cut in half.

When Congress reconvenes in January, Democrats will control 46 of California’s 53 House seats. Democrats won all seven of the most competitive House races in the state.

There’s nothing strange about this. It’s just democracy at work.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.