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comment by b_b
b_b  ·  1231 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: A coup is a coup

The title is bad, but I shared it, because I thought some of the writing was pretty funny. Specifically, the comparisons to the world of 80s WWF seemed apt.





kleinbl00  ·  1231 days ago  ·  link  ·  

And to be fair, I enjoyed the Batkid reference. But which one is it - a coup or a bunch of patronizing republicans humoring a terminal child? Can't be both. Pick one. Are we terrified for democracy or scornful of the other side?

am_Unition  ·  1231 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I think it's a bunch of patronizing republicans humoring a terminal child floating a coup. Fuck the new york times for burying that shit down in a pithily-titled article. That is a headline.

Blows my mind that he thinks he'll get multiple states to pull that shit. I know we talked about how the PA GOP was considering the possibility of sending 20 GOP electors regardless of their popular vote outcome, but good fucking luck with getting another few states on board.

b_b  ·  1231 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I came across an article on Twitter today that was written back in August that imagined just that scenario, with the election then going to the House, which, given its tilt toward the GOP in numbers of state delegations controlled, would vote Trump. However, they proposed a trick Pelosi could pull to counter that move, which is to have Democratic challenges come forward to dispute House races. Apparently, the Speaker (or Senate majority leader) is the final arbiter of a disputed congressional race, which was news to me. It is used so seldomly that no one really knows this. The author of the article had to go back to Mary Landrieu in like 1996 to find the most recent time the Majority Leader sat a member of a disputed election (though it was easy because it was clear she won the vote). So Pelosi could just say, "Fuck you, GOP, John Smith says he won, and I say he did, too." Obviously it won't come to that, but it's fun to learn what doomsday scenarios could await.

am_Unition  ·  1231 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Didn't know some of that, thanks.

It's not clear to me how the results of the SCOTUS ruling on this earlier this year would impact this scenario. Is the PA GOP state legislature planning to use the ruling to say, "See, it's ok that we ordered what we considered to be faithless democrat electors to vote republican!"? Guess we'll find out.

Also, just... I got a new favorite Trump tweet today:

b_b  ·  1228 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Wait, so he both endorsed the conclusion that this was a secure election and also that it was stolen? Even in Trumplogic that doesn't track.

kleinbl00  ·  1231 days ago  ·  link  ·  

PA's electors are not in the slightest bit beholden to the legislature. They are selected by the winning candidate. As the law is currently written, meaning the law as it applies to this election, whoever is certified the winner of the election submits their list of electors to the governor, who is a Democrat, who won by a 17% plurality in 2018.

Everybody wants there to be all this drama but as I understand it, and I've looked it up three times now for panicky liberals on Hubski, PA votes go to the winner of PA's general election and if PA wants different votes it needs to overturn the election.

am_Unition  ·  1231 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Thanks, man. I dunno if I missed the last two times or just didn't process them, sorry.

Edit: What do you think an electoral college vote fetches? Like, money wise? Asking for Rudy Giuliiiii.... just someone I overheard asking a guy on the street about it.

    Everybody wants there to be all this drama

No no no, I'm motivated to put the drama to bed. Shit, I'm motivated by being able to better put myself to bed, but I can understand if the result is indistinguishable.