Breaking: Electoral College Chooses Donald Trump as President

 

donald-trumpThe electors kept the faith:

Electoral College members across the nation voted to affirm President-elect Donald Trump’s victory on Monday, as liberal attempts to sway Republican electors to abandon Trump fizzled.

Republican electors stayed loyal to their candidate, keeping Trump well above the 270 electoral vote threshold needed to secure the nomination.

Texas’ 36 electoral votes for Trump pushed him over the edge at around 4:30 Central Time, even though two rogue electors’ defections deprived Trump of one of those votes. That gave Trump 295 total electoral votes.

The Republican-controlled Congress, a body even more unlikely to be swayed by pressure than the Electoral College, will certify the vote on Jan. 6.

Interesting sidenote:

More Democratic electors are defecting than Republicans in the Electoral College vote so far.

Four Democratic electors in Washington state cast votes for candidates other than Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who carried the state.

Democratic electors in Maine, Minnesota and Colorado have separately tried to cast votes for different candidates, but saw their ballots barred. Clinton carried all three states.

Published in Politics
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  1. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    I am only bitterly disappointed that I must wait another four years for someone to cast a protest vote for me.

    • #31
  2. I Am The Hair Trigger Inactive
    I Am The Hair Trigger
    @Pseudodionysius

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHrn0BN7784

    • #32
  3. I Am The Hair Trigger Inactive
    I Am The Hair Trigger
    @Pseudodionysius

    • #33
  4. Lazy_Millennial Inactive
    Lazy_Millennial
    @LazyMillennial

    Notable folks to get elector votes besides Trump & Clinton include:

    • Colin Powell- 3 votes pledged to Clinton in Washington
    • Faith Spotted Eagle- 1 vote pledged to Clinton in Washington
    • John Kasich- 1 vote pledged to Trump in Texas
    • Ron Paul- 1 voted pledged to Trump in Texas
    • Bernie Sanders- no official votes, but several attempted votes that were declared illegitimate and changed back to Clinton votes

    That last bullet point isn’t a joke, though it is hilarious. It seems like all the celebrity pleas to “vote your conscience” were headed by more Democratic electors than Republicans.

    • #34
  5. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Fred Cole:Yet another institutional failure in 2016.

    The point of all these republican institutions is to prevent tragedies like this. If they’re just going to rubber stamp things, there seems to be little point in having them.

    Gross elitism. It is a testament to how little you think of the little guy, that you would have the elites dictate who is President.

     

    • #35
  6. Fred Cole Inactive
    Fred Cole
    @FredCole

    Knotwise the Poet: I did not think Trump fit for the presidency either (though I still voted for him because Hillary), but I think it very presumptuous to say the electors failed their duty because they chose to keep their pledges instead of valuing your or my judgment of the man’s fitness more than that of the many millions who saw things differently.

    I wasn’t pointing fingers at individual electors, though I could.  My complaint was about the institutions involved in legitimizing these disasters.

    Why bother having convention delegates, and debate commissions, and the Electoral College if they’re all they’re going to do is rubber stamp things?  We have a republic.  All these institutions we have exist to moderate the will of the masses.

    Donald Trump’s elections has been one gigantic slow-motion car wreck.  And every step along the way when people have tried to stop it they’ve been overruled by institutional momentum that favors the car wreck.

    • #36
  7. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Gaius:While I doubt it would have made a difference if they had acted differently, trying to quash the Hamilton elector movement should be remembered as the final and absolute abandonment of the standard by those who previously comprised the #NeverTrump movement. They should be ashamed. American conservatism is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump organization.

    NeverTrump was standing on the side of reality. Trying to sweep away the will of the people at the last moment would prove to the Trump voters that, in fact, the “elites” that Never Trump et. al. claim do not exist, do.

    The reactions to Trump are as much based on his manner as anything else. The fact that anyone would court the chaos that would have followed, says something about them.

    • #37
  8. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Fred Cole:

    Knotwise the Poet: I did not think Trump fit for the presidency either (though I still voted for him because Hillary), but I think it very presumptuous to say the electors failed their duty because they chose to keep their pledges instead of valuing your or my judgment of the man’s fitness more than that of the many millions who saw things differently.

    I wasn’t pointing fingers at individual electors, though I could. My complaint was about the institutions involved in legitimizing these disasters.

    Why bother having convention delegates, and debate commissions, and the Electoral College if they’re all they’re going to do is rubber stamp things? We have a republic. All these institutions we have exist to moderate the will of the masses.

    Donald Trump’s elections has been one gigantic slow-motion car wreck. And every step along the way when people have tried to stop it they’ve been overruled by institutional momentum that favors the car wreck.

    The institutions involved are designed to promote a peaceful change in the office. They have done their job. If the new man in the office is bad, then they can be used to change it out. That is how it works in our Republic.

    • #38
  9. Fred Cole Inactive
    Fred Cole
    @FredCole

    Umbra Fractus: I was NeverTrump before because of my principles, one of which is a belief that liberal democracy requires both halves to function. If you take the democracy away, the liberalism won’t last long, and vice versa. Contrary to what the anti-anti-Trump crowd asserts, my #1 priority is not, “Beat Trump,” but “Advance classical liberalism,” and allowing the political elites to disregard the rules agreed upon by all parties well in advance hurts that cause.

    That’s fine.  But we have a republic, the whole point of which is supposed to be to put the breaks on the popular will when it means destroying that liberalism that we both hold dear.

    I think of the EC not as a steering wheel to turn the direction of the country, but rather an an emergency break to keep us all from careening off the cliff.

    • #39
  10. Fred Cole Inactive
    Fred Cole
    @FredCole

    Bryan G. Stephens: Gross elitism.

    Yeah, because if there’s one thing that defines Fred Cole as a person, it’s elitism.  It starts with my upper class background.  Its evidenced by the several prestigious colleges I attended and the many high level degrees I’ve earned.  And it continues to this day with the luxurious automobile I drive to my high powered day job where I make untold amounts of money.

    If there’s two words that describe me, it’s “gross elitism.”

    • #40
  11. Umbra Fractus Inactive
    Umbra Fractus
    @UmbraFractus

    Bryan G. Stephens:NeverTrump was standing on the side of reality. Trying to sweep away the will of the people at the last moment would prove to the Trump voters that, in fact, the “elites” that Never Trump et. al. claim do not exist, do.

     

    Yes. Those of us who claimed to oppose Trump on principle would do well to remember not to abandon those principles now that Trump has won.

    • #41
  12. Lazy_Millennial Inactive
    Lazy_Millennial
    @LazyMillennial

    Update: turns out Bernie did get one elector vote, from Hawaii. Congrats to him.

    For Vice President:
    5 Dem faithless electors from WA: 2 Elizabeth Warren, 1 Susan Collins, 1 Maria Cantwell, 1 Winona LaDuke (Green Party)

    1 GOP faithless electors from TX: 1 Carly Fiorina

    1 Dem faithless elector from Hawaii: Warren

    • #42
  13. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    Fred Cole: I think of the EC not as a steering wheel to turn the direction of the country, but rather an an emergency break to keep us all from careening off the cliff.

    So given the current circumstances, whom do you think the EC should have elected instead of Trump?

    • #43
  14. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    Umbra Fractus:

    Bryan G. Stephens:NeverTrump was standing on the side of reality. Trying to sweep away the will of the people at the last moment would prove to the Trump voters that, in fact, the “elites” that Never Trump et. al. claim do not exist, do.

    Yes. Those of us who claimed to oppose Trump on principle would do well to remember not to abandon those principles now that Trump has won.

    One of those principles was adherence to the Constitution.  I do think that under our Constitution electors have the right to vote as they set fit, regardless of the popular vote in their state.

    That said I think it would have been imprudent to reject Trump at this stage.  But I see it as a debate over prudence rather than principles, in principle I agree with Fred that electors are not bound to rubber-stamp the choice of the people.

    • #44
  15. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    Fred Cole:

    Umbra Fractus: I was NeverTrump before because of my principles, one of which is a belief that liberal democracy requires both halves to function. If you take the democracy away, the liberalism won’t last long, and vice versa. Contrary to what the anti-anti-Trump crowd asserts, my #1 priority is not, “Beat Trump,” but “Advance classical liberalism,” and allowing the political elites to disregard the rules agreed upon by all parties well in advance hurts that cause.

    That’s fine. But we have a republic, the whole point of which is supposed to be to put the breaks on the popular will when it means destroying that liberalism that we both hold dear.

    I think of the EC not as a steering wheel to turn the direction of the country, but rather an an emergency break to keep us all from careening off the cliff.

    Obviously the Electors aren’t panicked like you are. Who is the better judge of reality? I think they are quite sane.

    The prudent thing do do is to go with the people’s wishes. You don’t think so. I’m glad you and your ilk are not deciding for us masses what’s in our best interests.

    • #45
  16. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    Lazy_Millennial: Update: turns out Bernie did get one elector vote, from Hawaii. Congrats to him.

    All those stump speeches and months of campaigning for a measly one vote?  Color me unimpressed.  Colin Powell sat at home writing snarky emails and he got 3 times as many votes, now that’s a man who knows how to campaign!

    • #46
  17. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Fred Cole:

    Bryan G. Stephens: Gross elitism.

    Yeah, because if there’s one thing that defines Fred Cole as a person, it’s elitism. It starts with my upper class background. Its evidenced by the several prestigious colleges I attended and the many high level degrees I’ve earned. And it continues to this day with the luxurious automobile I drive to my high powered day job where I make untold amounts of money.

    If there’s two words that describe me, it’s “gross elitism.”

    I know best, therefore my will should be imposed on the people.

    That is what I am hearing and there is nothing more elitist than that. One does not need a pedegree.

    • #47
  18. Umbra Fractus Inactive
    Umbra Fractus
    @UmbraFractus

    Joseph Stanko:

    One of those principles was adherence to the Constitution. I do think that under our Constitution electors have the right to vote as they set fit, regardless of the popular vote in their state.

    That said I think it would have been imprudent to reject Trump at this stage. But I see it as a debate over prudence rather than principles, in principle I agree with Fred that electors are not bound to rubber-stamp the choice of the people.

    That’s a fair point, but if that’s the way it’s going to work then that needs to be made clear before the primaries. As it is both parties made an agreement with the voters that they would abide by their wishes. To make a promise like that and then renege because the elites don’t like the outcome is, as I said before, dictatorial.

    I suspect we’d get a much lower turnout overall if either party said, “Yeah, go ahead and vote. We’ll just ignore it if we don’t like the result.”

    • #48
  19. Fred Cole Inactive
    Fred Cole
    @FredCole

    Bryan G. Stephens: I know best, therefore my will should be imposed on the people.

    Please don’t try to put words in my mouth.  You’re really bad at it.

    • #49
  20. Fred Cole Inactive
    Fred Cole
    @FredCole

    Joseph Stanko:

    Fred Cole: I think of the EC not as a steering wheel to turn the direction of the country, but rather an an emergency break to keep us all from careening off the cliff.

    So given the current circumstances, whom do you think the EC should have elected instead of Trump?

    Someone who isn’t grossly unfit to be president.  The electors could’ve picked half a dozen candidates and the House could’ve sorted it out.

    • #50
  21. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Fred Cole:

    Bryan G. Stephens: I know best, therefore my will should be imposed on the people.

    Please don’t try to put words in my mouth. You’re really bad at it.

    Bryan G. Stephens:I know best, therefore my will should be imposed on the people.

    That is what I am hearing and there is nothing more elitist than that. One does not need a pedegree.

    Nice clipping of the quote to change the context, but let me put the whole thing back so I can comment. As you can see, I followed up with “That is what I am hearing”.

    You are coming across as an elitist. I am not the only one noticing. Clearly, either you don’t care how you come across, or you want to come across that way, and then react when people call you on it, in a negative manner. Or, you just don’t like reality and you want to whine about it. Or, you like being a contrarian just to get people mad.

    Frankly, none of the above is very flattering, but, whatever floats your boat.

    • #51
  22. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Fred Cole:

    Joseph Stanko:

    Fred Cole: I think of the EC not as a steering wheel to turn the direction of the country, but rather an an emergency break to keep us all from careening off the cliff.

    So given the current circumstances, whom do you think the EC should have elected instead of Trump?

    Someone who isn’t grossly unfit to be president. The electors could’ve picked half a dozen candidates and the House could’ve sorted it out.

    The outcome would be to tell nearly half the voters that their votes don’t matter. It would be the ultimate in an elitist outcome. And I am putting words into your mouth? You wanted this outcome. You are calling for this outcome. You want a handful of electors to defy the will of the people who voted in a republican election because Fred Cole does not like the outcome. That is what you are saying.

    Own it if you dare. Not holding my breath.

    • #52
  23. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    Fred Cole:

    Joseph Stanko:

    So given the current circumstances, whom do you think the EC should have elected instead of Trump?

    Someone who isn’t grossly unfit to be president. The electors could’ve picked half a dozen candidates and the House could’ve sorted it out.

    That’s precisely why the NeverTrump movement failed during the primaries — those of us who opposed Trump were unable to unite around a single alternate candidate.

    I think your stance would be more credible if you named a specific candidate you think the EC should have chosen in place of Trump.

     

    • #53
  24. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    Umbra Fractus: That’s a fair point, but if that’s the way it’s going to work then that needs to be made clear before the primaries.

    Made clear by whom?  The way the Electoral College works ought to be perfectly clear to anyone who has read the Constitution, and is the sort of thing we should be teaching in high school civics.

     

    • #54
  25. Umbra Fractus Inactive
    Umbra Fractus
    @UmbraFractus

    Joseph Stanko:

    Umbra Fractus: That’s a fair point, but if that’s the way it’s going to work then that needs to be made clear before the primaries.

    Made clear by whom? The way the Electoral College works ought to be perfectly clear to anyone who has read the Constitution, and is the sort of thing we should be teaching in high school civics.

    Sorry, but that’s just an excuse. Both parties sold their candidates to the people under the premise that they would honor their decision. It may be constitutionally valid, but it’s still dishonest and elitist.

    • #55
  26. Fred Cole Inactive
    Fred Cole
    @FredCole

    Bryan G. Stephens: You want a handful of electors to defy the will of the people who voted in a republican election because Fred Cole does not like the outcome.

    No.  It’s not because I don’t like the outcome.  I didn’t like the outcome in 2012 either.

    It’s because the outcome this time will be a disaster.

    • #56
  27. The Question Inactive
    The Question
    @TheQuestion

    Fred Cole:Yet another institutional failure in 2016.

    The point of all these republican institutions is to prevent tragedies like this. If they’re just going to rubber stamp things, there seems to be little point in having them.

    Very much not a Trump fan, but if we didn’t use the Electoral College to stop Obama, it makes no sense to use it to stop Trump.  The electorate wanted Obama in 2012, and they want Trump now.   Trump appealed to voters in Wisconsin, Michigan, etc. that were ignored by Hillary, and he won the support he needed to win fair and square.  Did those Midwestern voters make a good decision?  We’ll find out.

    I voted for Evan McMullin, partly figuring that if Trump really flamed out before the Electoral College vote, McMullin could be a backup.  Trump hasn’t flamed out.  If it were up to me to appoint the President, I’d pick Ted Cruz, but it’s not up to me.

    • #57
  28. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    Umbra Fractus: Both parties sold their candidates to the people under the premise that they would honor their decision.

    Of course they did, it was the political parties that invented the whole system of pledged delegates in the first place and thereby subverted the original intent of the Electoral College as a deliberative body.

    The Republican Party is on the brink of gaining control of Congress, the White House, and if their luck holds the Supreme Court as well.  Of course the electors voted for Trump, it’s very much in their party interests to do so, and I’m surprised that anyone seriously thought they might not.

     

     

    • #58
  29. Gaius Inactive
    Gaius
    @Gaius

    Trump won, in large part by winning over those who viewed both candidates unfavorably. Both he and Clinton were massively unpopular at the time of the election. Would replacing Trump with Pence have taken us farther from the popular will or closer to it? When the general electorate has two unfit choices forced upon it by the two primary electorates it stands to reason that the electors should give more credence to the policies rather than the persons elevated by the 51 state electorates. If Clinton had won I would be making the same argument for Kaine.

    Don’t get me wrong, republicanism can involve ignoring the people’s choice when necessary to preserve liberal institutions. In this instance though that was not necessary.

    • #59
  30. Joseph Stanko Coolidge
    Joseph Stanko
    @JosephStanko

    The Question: Very much not a Trump fan, but if we didn’t use the Electoral College to stop Obama, it makes no sense to use it to stop Trump.

    If by “we” you mean Republicans or conservatives, “we” were powerless to use the EC to stop Obama.  The Democrats won the majority of electors, so it was entirely up to them.  It would basically require a revolt within a candidate’s own party.

    • #60
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