Beyond desperation, beyond reason or logic, and beyond belief, a group of "academics" and election law lawyers have created a study that purports to show that the vote in three swing states was stolen – perhaps with the help of Russia.

The "analysis" reveals that Clinton received 7% fewer votes in areas where electronic voting machines were used as compared to those areas where paper ballots were employed.  The stunningly stupid conclusion?  The electronic machines were hacked – maybe by Russia – and the vote count was "manipulated."

New York Magazine:

Hillary Clinton is being urged by a group of prominent computer scientists and election lawyers to call for a recount in three swing states won by Donald Trump, New York has learned. The group, which includes voting-rights attorney John Bonifaz and J. Alex Halderman, the director of the University of Michigan Center for Computer Security and Society, believes they’ve found persuasive evidence that results in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania may have been manipulated or hacked. The group is so far not speaking on the record about their findings and is focused on lobbying the Clinton team in private.

Last Thursday, the activists held a conference call with Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and campaign general counsel Marc Elias to make their case, according to a source briefed on the call. The academics presented findings showing that in Wisconsin, Clinton received 7 percent fewer votes in counties that relied on electronic-voting machines compared with counties that used optical scanners and paper ballots. Based on this statistical analysis, Clinton may have been denied as many as 30,000 votes; she lost Wisconsin by 27,000. While it’s important to note the group has not found proof of hacking or manipulation, they are arguing to the campaign that the suspicious pattern merits an independent review — especially in light of the fact that the Obama White House has accused the Russian government of hacking the Democratic National Committee.

According to current tallies, Trump has won 290 Electoral College votes to Clinton’s 232, with Michigan’s 16 votes not apportioned because the race there is still too close to call. It would take overturning the results in both Wisconsin (10 Electoral College votes) and Pennsylvania (20 votes), in addition to winning Michigan’s 16, for Clinton to win the Electoral College. There is also the complicating factor of “faithless electors,” or members of the Electoral College who do not vote according to the popular vote in their states. At least six electoral voters have said they would not vote for Trump, despite the fact that he won their states.

Generally speaking, electronic machines can usually be found in urban areas, while paper ballots are used predominantly in rural areas.  The significance of that is so obvious you have to wonder about the I.Q. of these computer "scientists."  Trump did better than Romney in urban areas, drawing white voters away from Hillary Clinton.  Even if that doesn't explain the entire discrepancy, reduced turnout could account for the rest.

Bottom line: It is more than a leap of faith to accept the conclusions in the report – it is a flight of fantasy.  The entire scenario depends on proving that the voting machines were hacked – a forensic audit that the Justice Department will almost certainly refuse to do.

Hillary supporters were fond of portraying Trump and his supporters as wallowing in conspiracy theories.  The "Russia hacked the voting machines" theory is getting close to birther territory.  But this is only one of several Hail Mary passes by Clinton supporters, who are also interested in overturning the election results in the Electoral College.

Good luck with that one, guys.