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Politico: 20 Trump electors could flip says law professor
- Thread starter Tom Nook Sawyer
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EatinOlives
Member
I wish people would stop giving this fantasy attention. This isn't what we should be focusing on, we need to focus on ways to make Trump's presidency a living hell for him.
echoshifting
Banned
I feel like all of the important stuff in the last paragraph of your excerpt didn't get bolded. Like that he can't provide a shred of evidence to support his claim.
Tom Nook Sawyer
Member
Crazier things have happened...like Trump winning the election
He might be requested to keep the meetings confidential. Can you imagine how big a target the individual electors would be if their names were released? If he's just taking calls, what evidence would he even have?
TheWasTheJoke
Member
It is imperative that Democracy is done, you may say the cost this time is too high, until the system is flipped and your candidate loses. Trump will likely be awful but if he is not elected then I really fear for America
Poor GRIMES
Banned
Yup.
While I like to entertain the thought of this happening, I don't realistically see it unfolding this way. Then again, I also thought that Trump had no chance in hell to become President-Elect, so what do I know?
Bobby Roberts
Banned
This bullshit is doomed to fail if they're trying to enact that Hamilton Electors plan.
I mean, it's likely doomed to fail regardless, but the Hamilton Electors flavor of GOP appeasement is just fucking stupid.
I mean, it's likely doomed to fail regardless, but the Hamilton Electors flavor of GOP appeasement is just fucking stupid.
-Plasma Reus-
Service guarantees member status
Keep hammering the Russian link.
Thats the only thing that can make them flip.
Thats the only thing that can make them flip.
Lil'DigiOp
Member
On one side, this is the point of the EC. On the other side, this is the complete undermining of our government system. I don't think this would have ever been done before
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
If the electors don't pick Trump, the system would be working as intended. If we aren't going to allow the electors to do their job and prevent an unqualified candidate with a mountain of conflicts of interest from taking office, the electoral college should not exist in the first place.
It's not like a Democrat is going to take office or Obama is declaring martial law to remain in office. 37 defectors would send the election to the House, which would select a Republican alternative to Trump (or Trump himself, but Dems would unanimously join the moderate anti-Trump Republicans).
If Democracy was done he wouldn't be elected. The US system is not a Democracy.
Electors doing their damn job to stop demagogues is also part of the US system, btw.
Why not both? I doubt we'll actually see anything come of it and we shouldn't get our hopes up, but it's nice to see. Honestly pretty fascinating at the very least since there are so few examples of the EC having any effect on the vote.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
I like how people act like this bullshit is somehow distracting Democrats anywhere from doing anything. They ain't doing shit at all. So might as well pay attention to the longshot when it makes a little noise.
It's better than trying to listen to the sound of a group of legislators sitting on their fucking thumbs.
It's better than trying to listen to the sound of a group of legislators sitting on their fucking thumbs.
DragonSworne
Banned
Remember everyone, we are beings that share a common global hive conscience. If we just brush this off then there will be no way it will ever become reality
Orbis Tabula
Member
The fact that this guy is listing as many electors as he thinks maybe could switch, and still only makes about half the number needed shows that this plan isn't likely to work.
Tom Nook Sawyer
Member
And the people spoke louder for Clinton...
20 is only the amount he claims to have heard from, which is already a remarkable number
Dylan Sexbang
Banned
Do it. It's not going to happen, it won't happen, but do it anyway. Not going to hold my breath.
TatteredHat
Member
Well, if the electors have been given this power through law then it is within the US's system of democracy to have them elect whoever they choose. I doubt it'll happen though.
Already Torn
Banned
The worst possible thing that could happen is that Trump becomes Preisdent, makes a Russian stooge our Secretary of State, accelerates the end of the world with environmental policies so short sighted they make Kim Jong Un raise an eyebrow in disbelief, and starts a trade war with China for no reason at all.
Having the electors do their job and not vote for a man who can do all this despite not even winning the popular vote doesn't seem so bad in comparison. Their whole purpose is to protect us from domestic terrorists becoming President. The people have spoken my ass.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
It is the system. It's not undermining it to actually consider its employment. It wouldn't have been done before because, no matter how shitty some presidents have been previously, they've never been this world-threatening in their sheer incompetency, ineptitude, and ill-will.
There's no precedent. Doesn't mean there's no necessity.
This is the only mild positive that could come from the EC getting close to flipping the 37 votes - Republicans, in a retaliatory move, finally begin to seriously entertain overhauling or junking the EC. But even then I don't buy that it'd actually happen, or that it would end up being overhauled in any other way but one that almost permanently favors the Republican Party's chances of winning, exclusively.
Metalingus5150
Member
If they don't give it to Trump. I'd support it.
DontBeThatGuy
Member
Yeah, it's a reason why electors exist in the first place, as a potential safeguard to protect the country from a demagogue who conned the masses.
nah worst possible thing would be the people taking over government with force.
Stealing the election would start a war.
Orbis Tabula
Member
"I think if we allow the car to deploy it's airbags, it would really undermine the effectiveness of the anti-lock breaks."
EatinOlives
Member
Why do you keep ignoring that this is literally written in the constitution?
Not that this has anything higher than a 0% chance of happening, mind you.
I doubt they EC will flip the vote
But I can only imagine the insanity that will follow if they do
Trump and his staunch supporters will go N U T S
NoblesseOblige
Banned
It's only 5 days ain't it? Let people have it until they're forced to come to closure. Not like you're going to produce anything serious in 5 days.
Already Torn
Banned
Do you know what the electoral college is? By force has nothing to do with it.
Again, even in the worst case scenario where civil unrest breaks out across the country, that's the better of the two outcomes. President Trump is going to be that bad.
Chezzymann
Member
There's no way this is happening. It will be just a few at most. Trump will be over 300 electoral votes still no matter what.
NEVER GIVE UP HOPE.
EatinOlives
Member
In 5 days they'll move on to the next fantasy. I wish people would stop fantasizing already and accept the reality and do something about the reality.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
Hasn't so far, and it's now happened TWICE in less than 20 years.
I guess it matters who you steal the election from.
NoblesseOblige
Banned
In that case it's futile for you to say what people should be doing.
what election was stolen?
i dont doubt they could do it in some states. it just a terrible idea. I dont care for trump either but this is just nut job crazy.
Jacking up the number of faithless electors sounds like a great way to help undermine his presidency before it even begins.
"We have to delicately dance around the irrational feelings and emotions felt by the most volatile and well-armed sect of the population" is the sentiment I keep hearing
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
There's not really much that can be "focused on" right now unless you count spamming Trump with mail asking him not to hire his chief of staff that he's already hired and isn't going to fire, and the point of the faithless Republican electors isn't to flip the election to a different President, it's to send a very loud and public vote of non-confidence about Trump's basic qualification for the job (even though he's going to be President) and also a warning shot from the GOP more generally that he needs them to continue being able to work without friction.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
Why do people keep saying "stealing" the election. It would not be "stealing" it, and a Democrat would not be put in office. Republicans control the House so they would get a Republican president, and Democrats would side with the more reasonable non-Trump option (probably Kasich, who has plenty of his own flaws, but is much better than Trump). So only a small portion of House Republicans would have to side against Trump to get someone else in.
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
As much as it is fantasy, the closer we can make it a reality the more likely people in this country actually have a real conversation about abolishing the Electoral College, which should have happened ages ago.
Interestingly, I read today that more than 40 electors are asking to be briefed about the Russian hacking stuff.
It doesn't really matter, because unless all those faithless electors change their vote to Clinton, you'll just wind up with no winner, which goes to the House, who would almost certainly just choose Trump for fear of backlash.
It doesn't really matter, because unless all those faithless electors change their vote to Clinton, you'll just wind up with no winner, which goes to the House, who would almost certainly just choose Trump for fear of backlash.
Already Torn
Banned
Look pal, Trump won. I don't need to know anything before I say anything and it don't matter if what I said was true or not.
Needless to say, stealing the election through force would be a disaster.
"Hope is a mistake. If you can fix what's broken, you'll go insane."
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