Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
 

Alekzander

(479 posts)
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 10:45 AM Dec 2016

Time for a brave Electoral College to avert disaster

If you thought Donald Trump was the face of America’s anti-establishment movement, hold on to your chapeaus: A wild wind is rising.

Want to know what’s more anti-establishment than a president-elect who refuses to play by the rules? How about similarly spirited electors going AWOL and sending someone else to the Oval Office?

Could it happen? Might.

A movement headed by a mostly Democratic group calling itself Hamilton Electors is trying to persuade Republican electors to defect — not to cede the election to Hillary Clinton but to join with Democrats in selecting a compromise candidate, such as Mitt Romney or John Kasich. It wouldn’t be that hard to do.

Mathematically, only 37 of Trump’s 306 electors are needed to bring his number down to 269, one less than the 270 needed to secure the presidency.


http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/syndicated-columnists/article119599013.html

15 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Time for a brave Electoral College to avert disaster (Original Post) Alekzander Dec 2016 OP
As soothing as the idea is, I think we have to face facts that it's not going to happen. :( MANative Dec 2016 #1
And then it would be turned over to the House to decide? SHRED Dec 2016 #2
Yikes! Pacifist Patriot Dec 2016 #3
Wouldn't be hard to do? Ms. Parker must've been drunk when she wrote those words. onenote Dec 2016 #4
Fat chance. DavidDvorkin Dec 2016 #5
We need to contact our electors... Joe941 Dec 2016 #6
It won't happen and not should it taught_me_patience Dec 2016 #7
If he loses it will also be based on the rules. Tiggeroshii Dec 2016 #8
And House then would have to vote to accept those results Amishman Dec 2016 #9
Half the republican congress is being blacklisted for not supporting him. Tiggeroshii Dec 2016 #11
Trump electors SickOfTheOnePct Dec 2016 #10
These jackasses would refuse to hand the election to the popular vote winner. duffyduff Dec 2016 #12
Don't hold your breath. MineralMan Dec 2016 #13
If Hillary gets less than 270 Electoral votes DFW Dec 2016 #14
they may as well vote for Putin Takket Dec 2016 #15

MANative

(4,142 posts)
1. As soothing as the idea is, I think we have to face facts that it's not going to happen. :(
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 10:47 AM
Dec 2016

We're going to be stuck with the f*cker until his cheeseburger habit catches up with him.

Pacifist Patriot

(24,903 posts)
3. Yikes!
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 10:47 AM
Dec 2016

That we've gotten to the point where Mitt Romney or John Kasich would be compromise candidates. My heart and brain are in agony!

onenote

(44,631 posts)
4. Wouldn't be hard to do? Ms. Parker must've been drunk when she wrote those words.
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 12:21 PM
Dec 2016

Gee, all you have to do is persuade 38 (not 37 as is often stated) Trump electors to abandon him and all 232 of Clinton's electors to agree on a common candidate for whom to cast their ballots. Not. Going. To. Happen.

Even the less ambitious plan, where 37 of Trump's electors bolt leaving no one with an EC majority is a pipe dream. It isn't going to happen and if it did, Congress would select the President from amongst the top three EC vote getters -- presumably Trump, Clinton and either Kasich or Romney. Guess what -- the Republican dominated congressional delegations aren't going to dump Trump if he is the top electoral vote getter amongst that group.

Geez. No one I know looks forward to a Trump presidency, but let's try to remain in the realm of reality.

 

Joe941

(2,848 posts)
6. We need to contact our electors...
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 01:09 PM
Dec 2016

does anyone have a list of numbers or emails to tell them how we want them to vote?

 

Tiggeroshii

(11,088 posts)
8. If he loses it will also be based on the rules.
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 01:38 PM
Dec 2016

The electors are well within their constitutional right to choose somebody else.

Amishman

(5,816 posts)
9. And House then would have to vote to accept those results
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 04:26 PM
Dec 2016

Which wouldn't happen. They would declare it invalid and we'd still get Trump.

There is no magic way out of this. It's time to look forward at what we need to do to rebuild our party.

 

Tiggeroshii

(11,088 posts)
11. Half the republican congress is being blacklisted for not supporting him.
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 06:40 PM
Dec 2016

Them and a unified Democratic caucus could give us somebody else.

SickOfTheOnePct

(7,352 posts)
10. Trump electors
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 04:36 PM
Dec 2016

vote for someone other than Trump, and their votes are tossed.

Goes to the House, Trump wins.

 

duffyduff

(3,251 posts)
12. These jackasses would refuse to hand the election to the popular vote winner.
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 07:42 PM
Dec 2016

Fuck these partisan idiots, every last one of them.

DFW

(56,538 posts)
14. If Hillary gets less than 270 Electoral votes
Fri Dec 9, 2016, 08:37 PM
Dec 2016

Then the president is either Trump or another Republican who will appoint equally awful cabinet members and Supreme Court judges.

The outlook is not pretty in any case. Понятно?

Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»2016 Postmortem»Time for a brave Electora...