The three stages of progressivism always follow a specific pattern. First, there is the 'it's not happening' phase. This is generally where leftists will call anyone who notices their policies a conspiracy theorist. After a while, this phase gives way to the 'it is happening, and it's good that it's happening.' The final phase, of course, is where the left will make mandatory the very thing they denied taking place in phase one.
As conservative Christopher Rufo has noted, these stages are obvious in critical race theory and gender ideology, but the phases are also evident in other issues like banning natural gas stoves.
Occasionally, however, the left likes to insert an additional phase, between one and two. This is the 'it might be happening, but only a little bit, so why do you care?' This is generally where the legacy media steps in to help out. We can usually recognize this phase by its more familiar media moniker: 'Republicans POUNCE!'
The progression of these phases is known colloquially as goalpost moving. This morning, Politico did its apparatchik best to rip those goalposts out of the ground and firmly plant them in phase two regarding the issue of illegals voting in elections.
Noncitizen voting is rare. So why is Washington so focused on it? https://t.co/1VrZJo9eeA
— POLITICO (@politico) February 17, 2026
There we have it. Phase two propaganda published.
We'd say it's like clockwork, but even clocks aren't as reliable as the legacy media to carry the left's water at every opportunity.
While Hill Republicans and members of the Trump administration have framed these bills [ the SAVE America Act and the Make Elections Great Again Act] as much-needed reform for pressing election security issues, data collected by state election offices suggests that the threat being targeted is largely overblown.
Noncitizen voting in the U.S. is extremely rare, and state election offices conduct regular assessments of their voter rolls to curb risks of voter fraud. A recent report from the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research found that many claims of noncitizen voting stem from 'misunderstandings, mischaracterizations, or outright fabrications about complex voter data.'
'When you actually look at the data, there is not a problem that needs to be solved here,' said Eliza Sweren-Becker, deputy director of the voting rights and election team at the Brennan Center for Justice.
Recommended
See? A 'nonpartisan' organization said so!
What Politico fails to mention is that CEIR is led by David Becker, a pretty hardcore leftist advocate who once ran the People for the American Way, which also tried to pretend that voter fraud didn't happen. As for the Brennan Center and Sweren-Becker, they don't make them any further left than that.
But that kind of honest reporting is alien to Politico. All they care about is moving the goalposts to wherever the Democrat Party tells them they need to be.
Moving the goal posts.
— Andrea Katherine (@AndreaKatSTL) February 17, 2026
At first it was, noncitizens don't vote.
Now they do vote BUT it's "rare".
NEXT:
Noncitizens vote in large numbers but it's actually good for America. pic.twitter.com/D14beD8656
☐ Its not happening
— Yuri Bezmenov's Ghost (@Ne_pas_couvrir) February 17, 2026
✅ Ok, its happening, but its (rare, not impactful, etc)
☐ It’s happening, and it’s a good thing! https://t.co/GIeJiSwB04
Yep. Politico did its job.
If the left has its way, making noncitizen voting mandatory will follow close behind.
So in other words it does happen.
— Leftism (@LeftismForU) February 17, 2026
Got it. https://t.co/5tvSutnvLN
But we're supposed to pretend that the left didn't claim for years that it didn't happen at all.
Someone should hack Dana Nickel’s bank account a couple times. Take every penny.
— Queen Velvet (@TMIWITW) February 17, 2026
When she complains, insist it happens rarely so it’s ok. https://t.co/nmz5cOKu20
We can also accuse her of 'pouncing and seizing' if she does complain.
"Sexual assault is rare. So why are the police focused on it?"
— Ty the Typo Affishianado🏴☠️ (@Ty_in_TX) February 17, 2026
That's how you sound.
Murder is rare, so we shouldn't prosecute it.
— Dr. History by the ,5 Liter Ehrenbiertrinker (@historybythpint) February 17, 2026
Somehow, we don't think 'rarity' is much consolation to the victims or their families.
Here we go: So it's okay to let election fraud happen, so long as it's easier for Democrats to win (aka cheat)
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) February 17, 2026
Rare is too often you clown
— The Dank Knight 🦇 (@capeandcowell) February 17, 2026
Politico also leaves out any proof that it's rare (surprise, surprise). Their evidence consists of a few states that found only a small number of illegals registered to vote.
Which, of course, does not mean that they aren't voting.
If we don’t actually check voter ID, how do we know that?
— Dan Gainor (@dangainor) February 17, 2026
Shhh! We're not supposed to ask follow-up questions.
Nor are we supposed to pay attention to investigative reporters like Nick Shirley, who has exposed some pretty extreme cases of voter fraud.
🚨 California is the breeding ground for voter fraud in America, as millions of people vote with no ID, month-long election processes, inaccurate voter rolls, dead people caught voting, even a dog successfully registered to vote, and voter verification is all based on your… pic.twitter.com/7nOIZe5x9D
— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) February 16, 2026
Yikes.
We can't help but notice that California was not included in Politico's recitation of 'evidence' that noncitizens voting is rare.
Wrong. Checking and verifying that only citizens are voting is rare and therefore catching noncitizens voting is rare.
— David Venters (@dgventers) February 17, 2026
Checking voter ID is not 'rare' in California; it is outright banned.
Does every vote count? Yes or no?
— Mary The Grateful (@MaryTracy1101) February 17, 2026
Hey! We said no follow-up questions!
"Noncitizen voting is rare" is excusing noncitizen voting. There should be NO noncitizens voting. https://t.co/B91VAe15WF
— Morning Answer (@MorningAnswer) February 17, 2026
The correct amount on non-citizen voting should be ZERO. Any other number requires we investigate, eliminate and prosecute where necessary.
— Non Compliant Huckleberry (@thepocketgeek) February 17, 2026
GTFOHWTBS
Politico knows exactly what it was trying to do here. The bad news for them is that no one buys their agitprop anymore.
— Mike Kanin🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@KaninMike) February 17, 2026
Probably a mix of pastels, like a trans flag.
— Wonko the Sane (@Amuk31) February 17, 2026
The only good news out of this article was how badly Politoco got ratioed for posting it on X.
They even received the ultimate brand of disgrace:
— Enguerrand VII de Coucy (@ingelramdecoucy) February 17, 2026
Well done, Frog. We couldn't think of a more worthy recipient.
Politico won't beel shame, though. They will try to keep moving those goalposts to prevent the SAVE Act from passing.
Which is all we need to know to understand that it must become law.
============================================
Related:
Eric Swalwell Gives Us Three Words We NEVER Wanted to Hear: Secret ... Erotic ... Poetry
Whoopsie! The Democrats' President's Day Postcard Is Conspicuously Missing Someone
Climate Cultist Bill Maher Falls Flat on His Smug Face Trying to Dunk on Doug Burgum
Marco Rubio Shows AOC How It's Done With Inspiring Speech In Munich
Calm Down, Unknown AWFL: Sarah Spain 'Vomited' Seeing the 'Demon' JD Vance at the Olympics