First Republican 'faithless elector' announces intent to vote against Trump

[Cthulhu 2020]

You do realize that if this happens, the 2nd civil war on American soil would take place. People might be okay with others that might be given the job...but to Elect Clinton after all the election crap and to totally ignore this whole process would destroy the political arena and drive this country into a total shitstorm

Electoral college picks Trump: All is well, you liberals just have to accept our democratic process!

Electoral college decides to pick Clinton instead: OMG CIVIL WAR AWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR WE KNOW TRUMP WON EVEN THOUGH LESS PEOPLE VOTED FOR HIM RABBLE RABBLE

[Dextroden]

Electoral college picks Trump: All is well, you liberals just have to accept our democratic process!

Electoral college decides to pick Clinton instead: OMG CIVIL WAR AWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR WE KNOW TRUMP WON EVEN THOUGH LESS PEOPLE VOTED FOR HIM RABBLE RABBLE

Clinton expected to win: Look at the babies already thinking the got cheated. They just need to accept the results.

Clinton loses: Fuck you! Trump isn't my president and the EC is rigged! Recounts! Nazis!

[Cthulhu 2020]

Clinton expected to win: Look at the babies already thinking the got cheated. They just need to accept the results.

Clinton loses: Fuck you! Trump isn't my president and the EC is rigged! Recounts! Nazis!

The tears are real.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

I will admit that I was wrong about Trump. He's proving himself to be a consummate politician: saying exactly what his followers want to hear, even if it means saying the exact opposite of something he said before.

If you had been paying attention you'd have seen he's been doing that since the moment he announced his candidacy.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Yes the are, since:

1. They've announced who they were going to vote for election night.

2. They, and people like you, wouldn't be grandstanding about saving America from Trump if this wasn't changing votes.

Anyway, let's see if they go through with this and if people will magically approve of the EC now.

And, on the other side, we'll also see if the people that approve of the EC now magically change their opinions.

There are also the other people...the ones that hated the EC before the election and will still hate the EC after, and the ones that supported it before and will continue to support it even if the EC goes faithless.

[Ealyssa]

I didn't say it happens. I said that the Electoral College is meant to prevent it from happening.

With Trump actually wining the presidential ? Isn't that ironic ? The EC acually working against its goal by puting someone with no political experience at the end of the most powerful country in the world ?

Democratic voting would have prevented that. That's what democracy does : leting people choose who they want. Instead of thinking that they don't deserve the right to choose for themselves and that some elites know more about "who should govern".

And how many of those countries you speak of are the size, population and a Republic like the US?

Irrelevant. European Union proved that a population double the size of the US can vote for a "government" (even if the European structure is a failure IMO, doesn't change the simple fact that 500mio people can take part in the same vote)

How does size even matter with how the system is allready built ? The US allready ask to every single citizen who they want. It's just the way each vore are counted that would change.

But hey, I'm a swiss, I'm white, I'm wealthy enough, I'll be fine no matter how the world turns. But I'm also all for true democracy and giving the right to the population. Something that your founding fathers watched with disdain. To each their own. I'm glad to have direct democracy. I just hope that the americans are happy with whatever they have. And it's not like your system will change anytime soon.

[Barnabas]

I can't wait for the moment that will occur in 2 weeks when the #nevertrump movement finally has to accept trump as their president.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Pretty much. It is very, very highly unlikely they'd ever allow Hillary Clinton into office. So the next best (for them) would be Pence. Unfortunately, Pence is arguably worse than Trump.

Well since Hillary is actually a republican if you ignore the "my pussy" part of her program and go by the rest I wouldn't be that surprised.

Anyway, people voting against what voters told them to is kinda strange, as that is literally the job they should be doing. As the EC wasn't bad enough, now some people actually try to turn it into pure absurdity. Well what ever, this farce is bound to be dragged out for the next 4 years it seems.. /sigh.

[Garnier Fructis]

I can't wait for the moment that will occur in 2 weeks when the #nevertrump movement finally has to accept trump as their president.

What makes you think they'll do anything other than wait 4 years for round two?

[oxymoronic]

They may not. Remember that Trump doesn't get along with the establishment.

they wont risk dividing the party. can you imagine the chaos?

[Stormdash]

Congress, probably. At which point they might just vote for Pence, Ryan, or Romney.

The only names in consideration before a vote of the House would be those receiving the most votes in the electoral college, up to three.

Also, the vote in the House is by state delegation, where each state would receive one vote.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

they wont risk dividing the party. can you imagine the chaos?

They've risked it before. After the "Grab em by the pussy" scandal they were so sure he was going down in flames and they wanted to distance themselves from him so he wouldn't drag them down with him. Of course, as soon as it looked like he was going to skate through it... they puckered right up to his ass again. But if they had a bulletproof way of taking him down right now...they'd jump on it.

[Asotcha]

they wont risk dividing the party. can you imagine the chaos?

Technically the party is already divided between real conservatives, brainwashed cultists, and closet nazi's. These lines will not blur and unite together as evidenced by peoples behavior over the campaign (and the last couple of weeks). Genie's not going back into its bottle in this condition, and they have to think about the health/future of the nation and whos less likely to fuck people/their party over.

I'm glad to find an MMO Champ thread on all this, because I've been paying attention to it. Here's some more information I've gotten.

There is a growing subset of electors that are calling themselves Hamilton Electors. These comprise of people on both sides who are interested in voting in a republican who isn't Trump as a kind of compromise. Thus far, 8 democrats have commited to this, and while there have been signals from some republicans that they are interested, these are being kept very quiet as people very outspoken have already received death threats from both sides (though one more then the other). For the interested, here is a recent article about them on Politico http://www.politico.com/story/2016/1...clinton-232195

For those who don't want to click, the article also states that Clinton has been completely quiet about these developments; they're organic within the EC and one of the electors even muses that it makes it easier for them to try to talk to other republicans about coming over to their side. They're edging toward Kasich so far (and I think he's their best bet since hes pretty much the only one left from the primaries that hasn't snuggled up to Trump in some way). He also has good approval ratings in his own state, and beat Trump in the Ohio primary.

I also gotta mention this petition which has more then 4.7 mil votes (making it the biggest petition in the history of the site). The focus of the petition is to lobby the EC to vote for Clinton, but I think even if you support the Hamilton Electors' efforts more, then its worthy to help it along. The vote happens pretty soon, so anything to spread awareness of this and also to let the electors know people are watching this is a worthwhile thing. https://www.change.org/p/electoral-c...9-53cee2a095a8

This whole thing is a hail-mary pass, but there's no reason not to at least try. Trumpkins love to say its impossible because they don't want people to notice.




As for my own views on the college since a lot of people are talking about it for future reference-- Since it gave us Bush in 00' and the raw math is trying to give us Trump today, that alone makes me not too keen on it, though if it can really do its job now and demonstrate that it has a use in stopping an unfit man from office, then I'll be more inclined to think that it should stay. If it can't perform a smell-test against this big old orange slice of racist cheese trying to nudge its way into office, then it will have failed one of its fundamental roles. The world will say that our system failed us, but our children will say that we failed our system.

[Magicpot]

While it is indeed illegal to be a faithless elector in a great number of states, apparently the actual penalty for doing so in most of them is essentially a slap on the wrist.

Fine of like 1000$. Peanuts, essentially.

I wonder what'll happen if none of the candidates reach 270 and then congress picks some other right wing guy. Trump supporter riot?

[derpkitteh]

hopefully they all break ranks and vote in someone else entirely, like sanders or something.

the electoral college has the constitutional power to vote however the fuck they want in over half of the states.

[Deleted]

Very interesting.

I wonder. Purely hypothetical HOWEVER, what happens if neither of them gets 270?

I think your electoral system needs major reform. Just like ours in the uk.

I am no fan of trump but surely these officials should vote the way the people wanted?

[Baneth]

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/1...clinton-232195.

Thanks for the link and input. I'll add the link to the op!

[Asotcha]

I think your electoral system needs major reform. Just like ours in the uk.

I am no fan of trump but surely these officials should vote the way the people wanted?

Well thats the idea, but they're allowed to change their vote in case this specific case comes up. Back in the 1700's when news traveled slowly, there was a thought that a popular guy could sweep up votes before the voters knew vital information about him that could have changed things. One aspect of the college was so a room full of informed, educated people could make the final judgement call on whether that had happened.

There were 157 other times an elector changed their vote for personal/political reasons, but its never been a concerted effort and never came close to overturning a result; except for once in the 1800s when votes were split crazily between 3 candidates. It was 1 vote away.

I did hear that our President Obama was thinking about taking up work where the districts could be re-drawn to have a better chance to come out as either result. I can't quite remember if it was an interview he did, but remarks were made that some right-leaning men in high places shifted some boundary lines years ago and 'did too good of a job'. If that is true, then maybe it would help, unless they tinker with it some other way.

This map isn't being shared much, usually Trumpkins like to show the stark mostly-red maps of which areas the republicans won, but this map is best because it shows more intricate details.





(Here are some things Alexander Hamilton said about the EC--this is why people are mentioning him so much lately. I got this from the petition's letter I linked a couple posts ago.

"In Federalist No. 68, Hamilton explains that the "sense of the people", must be expressed in the outcome. But, "Men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice," should make the final decision.

Hamilton pointed out that, "Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors in a single State; but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union, or of so considerable a portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States".)

[Kaleredar]

Hamilton pointed out that, "Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors in a single State; but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union, or of so considerable a portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States".)

Which should basically disqualify Trump.

I'm not holding my breath. But it's a nice show that at least the electoral college members know that Trump is a pathetic excuse for a candidate, just like the majority of the voting public, and that they wont blindly swallow his snake oil.


Though if the EC votes in Hillary, it will be the single most hilarious thing I have ever witnessed in my life. The Trump supporters who vehemently support the EC for putting their candidate into power with a minority vote having to eat their words when the EC agrees that he's an idiot?

Even the prospect of that warms the cockles of my heart.

[Asotcha]

Thanks for the link and input. I'll add the link to the op!

Awesome Thanks!! <3

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Which should basically disqualify Trump.

I'm not holding my breath. But it's a nice show that at least the electoral college members know that Trump is a pathetic excuse for a candidate, just like the majority of the voting public, and that they wont blindly swallow his snake oil.


Though if the EC votes in Hillary, it will be the single most hilarious thing I have ever witnessed in my life. The Trump supporters who vehemently support the EC for putting their candidate into power with a minority vote having to eat their words when the EC agrees that he's an idiot?

Even the prospect of that warms the cockles of my heart.

Lol mine too! It would completely redeem all the rest of 2016 and we'd ring in the new year on a wave of relief and laughter