People quote the prince about it being better to be feared than loved but forget how Machevelli continually warned people above all else do not be hated.
We are at 80% of the population saying the country is heading into the wrong direction, we are heading into 20% approval. We have democrats retiring at a near record rate. At this point cheating can only do so much for them because people are starting to dispise the democrats. and they have shown weakness so many times and so often that using force isn't going to work because people smell weakness.
It could work,if they were capable of taking all people who do not comply to gulags.
I even read some conspiracy theory about 800 concentracion camps waiting for dissident and army of mercaneries ready to catch people.
If that was true,then they could win.
P.S i hope,that it is only theory.