What Happens If Neither Trump nor Biden Wins the Electoral College?

[JimG]

What Happens If Neither Trump nor Biden Wins the Electoral College? | National Review

It’s quite possible, especially given the status of several battleground states, that this year’s election could end up in the House.

www.nationalreview.com

 

[Zzyzx_Road]

Not sure it’s going to go this way.

First, only two candidates capable of winning electoral votes this year. Those elections cited featured four candidates who won electoral votes. That happened a few times in the 19th century, but the last election to feature four candidates splitting the electoral vote was the 1860 election won outright by Lincoln. The last election to feature a third candidate who won any electoral votes was in 1968. There are no credible third party candidates this year and have not been since Ross Perot in 1992.

Second, if the Republicans somehow retain the majority of states’ delegations, the Democrats will use the courts and the Speaker’s power to keep this particular vote from happening.

 

[Peeps]

It’s all spelled out in the Constitution.

If there is a tie for President from the Electoral College, the election goes to the House of Representatives, and they select the winner of the Presidency from the top 3 candidates. (If there is a tie for Vice Pres, the Senate gets to select the Vice Pres.).

IF the House has not selected a President by Inauguration Day in January (20th?), then the elected (either by the Electoral College or by the Senate) Vice President becomes President. IF there is no elected Vice President, then the SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE becomes President until the House selectes a President or the Senate selects a Vice Pres. (who would then become the President). This has not ever happened.

I think it’s possible that the Democrats will attempt to delay the installation of Pres. Trump as President should he win by calling for re-counts of the votes and an investigation of the Electors, or something along those lines. They have been poor losers for the last several elections that they lost. Remember Al Gore? And during the entire Trump Presidency, the Democrats have done everything possible to prove that he shouldn’t be the President. I hope they grow up this time and play by the rules.

 

[F_Marturana]

I think it would be fun if the tie was broken via a spelling bee.

Or a house of cards tournament like on the Brady Bunch.

(Just kidding)

 

[ProVobis]

It’s all spelled out in the Constitution.

That’s true but why did the SC choose their own remedy in 2000?

 

[LeafByNiggle]

They have been poor losers for the last several elections that they lost. Remember Al Gore?

Yes, I do. I remember how he conceded Florida before all his options ran out and while the issue was still being debated in the courts in order to preserve national unity and promote healing. A very good loser.

 

[Dr_Meinheimer]

That’s true but why did the SC choose their own remedy in 2000?

Because the Democrats sued.

The buck was supposed to stop with Katherine Harris, the FL Secretary of State. It was her call when to formally end the vote counting.

She did so.

Her right to do so was challenged in court by the Democratic party, and the FL State Supreme Court ruled in the DNC’s favor. That ruling was challenged by the Bush campaign, and we got Bush vs. Gore at the USSC.

The USSC did not rule on the merits of the recount OR who should be president; they simply ruled that the state already had provisions to deal with this situation, and the power lied with the FL Secretary of State, thus ending the recount.

Let’s not reinvent history. It never would have gotten to the USSC had the Democrats not initially sued (not that I’d blame them. I’d do the same if the stakes were that high, frankly).

 

[pnewton]

They have been poor losers for the last several elections that they lost. Remember Al Gore?

That was one election, and only one state made the difference. I would not put either party past using the courts under the right situation. Trump is more litigious, and there was, as you point out the 2000 election.

 

[Dovekin]

And during the entire Trump Presidency, the Democrats have done everything possible to prove that he shouldn’t be the President. I hope they grow up this time and play by the rules.

Could you give me an example of the Democrats not playing by the rules?

 

[Peeps]

Could you give me an example of the Democrats not playing by the rules?

The “rules” that I am referring to is accepting the winner and working with him/her. EVERYTHING that the Democrats have lobbed at Pres. Trump has come up empty in investigation after investigation. It’s a good thing he only sleeps 3 hours out of 24 hours, or he would never get anything done for dodging the latest stone.

The “trial” that Justice Kavenaugh was subjected to was nothing short of monstrous, and it all came ot nothing, and thankfully, one courageous and right-minded Democrat saved his nomination. So there is a miniscule iota of “goodness” in the Democrat ranks–but it would take oil-power on a microscope to find it.

The Kavanaugh installation was just one example of the Democrats trying to discredit Pres. Trump. So far, Vice Pres. Biden has said very little about what HE would have done concerning COVID, but instead, he has attacked pretty much everything that Pres. Trump has done and said. Oh, wait, there are plenty of tapes of what Vice Pres. Biden said about COVID back in February–and if we had followed HIS suggestions, many more of us would be DEAD by now.

I actually hope that Vice Pres. Biden wins so that we can watch him struggle with a virus that has as many “scientific” theories as Dunkin has donut flavors.

 

[Dovekin]

Yes Democrats followed the rules to accuse the President and his cronies of crimes. The jury, or the court, is still out on whether Trump played by the rules in denying investigators access to relevant documents and testimony.

So I will ask again, can you give an example of Democrats not following the rules?

 

[Peeps]

the rules

I am not referring to “laws.” I’m referring to conventions, understandings, and systems that have been established over the years in politics.

President Trump won the Presidency fair and square, but throughout his Presidency, the Democrats have attempted to prove that he DID not win the Presidency. They have challenged the Electoral College as unfair, in spite of its constitutionality, its logical way to deal with a federation of sovereign states rather than the “democracy” (which the U.S. is NOT), and the number of times it has determined that Democrats were elected! They have accused him over and over again of various acts and words, they attack his frequent communications with the American people (if he DIDN’T do this, they would probably attack him for being uncommunicative with the American people), they attack everything he says and does, they attack his WIFE, and at one point, even made disparaging comments about his young son!!! And of course, EVERY POLICY he enacts is “wrong, dangerous, racist, white supremacist, anti-women, homophobic, etc.”

And the media is in on the feeding frenzy. This morning, we had yet ANOTHER “disturbing” story and video where a cop was punching out a black man, and the family was bewailing the systemic racism and the need to defund the cops–but what was the REST OF THE STORY!!! WHY were they punching the man? E.g., if he was high on PCP, he would be extremely violent and dangerous to the public, and the cops have a duty to protect the public from him. Note–this is just my surmising, and it’s certainly possible that the man was a perfectly innocent black man and the cop was a known racist and KKK member who was delighting in torturing him–but we will never find out from the current crop of journalists who use every incident to link it to Pres. Trump and prove that he incited the incident and is not fit for office!

Certainly, they are within their legal rights to continue to pick up on every little things that Pres. Trump did, does, and says, and challenge it . But what a waste of time and energy and taxpayer money! And they have “proved” nothing, other than that Pres. Trump doesn’t give two hoots about what they say and think of him, and he appears to have an iron constitution that doesn’t back away or wimp out or cry (at least in public).

I think that his Presidency will go down in history as “what could have happened” if the Democrats had stopped jumping out and yelling “Gotcha!” at him very other minute.

The list of accusations and trials and hearings and investigations and Congressional committees is public record, and I’m sure you’ve read/heard it, too. But apparently you consider it appropriate action by the Democrats. I do not. Difference of opinion. Not likely to come together on this.

 

[F_Marturana]

I guess this will be a controversial post.

The impeachment hearing was necessary due to the illegal actions of president Trump in his treatment of Ukraine by withholding aid unless they did a political favor for him.

His call was not “perfect.”

The senate was supposed to di impartial justice.

They didn’t want to.

Trump has never had the character to be president. His multiple, multiple Tweets insulting and demeaning others is evidence. Further evidence is that he’s refused to curtail them. Further evidence is his recorded statements that he knew that Covid was easily transmissible, with a high fatality rate yet told us it was under control and 15 cases soon would be 0.

Further evidence is him referring to his opponents as lowlifes and scum of the earth.

I could go on.

I’ll be answered that all this doesn’t matter because he’s the most pro-life president ever.

I see no evidence of that.

I see 200,000 dead and he goes to play golf weekly at his resorts making money by charging the secret service for rooms.

History will show that this was the most corrupt and incompetent presidency ever. Thankfully the incompetence is greater than the corruption by a bit, and his lack of focus is even greater.

I can’t wait until it’s over.

 

[LeafByNiggle]

I am not referring to “laws.” I’m referring to conventions, understandings, and systems that have been established over the years in politics.

Many of which Trump has thrown out the window. So appealing to those conventions now is not very convincing.

President Trump won the Presidency fair and square, but throughout his Presidency, the Democrats have attempted to prove that he DID not win the Presidency.

Exaggeration.

They have challenged the Electoral College as unfair, in spite of its constitutionality

Constitutionality and fairness are separate issues.

they attack his frequent communications with the American people (if he DIDN’T do this, they would probably attack him for being uncommunicative with the American people)

Speculation of what they “probably” would say before they say it.

the “democracy” (which the U.S. is NOT)

The word “democracy” has many nuanced meanings. You refer here to the strictest meaning of a pure Democracy. But the term is used more generally to refer to any government in which the people, either directly or indirectly, determine government policy. That is the sense of the word that is used when we say “foster the spread of democracy around the world.” We don’t mean one narrow kind of pure democracy. We mean forms of government where people have an effective means of determining the policies adopted by their government.

Certainly, they are within their legal rights to continue to pick up on every little things that Pres. Trump did, does, and says, and challenge it . But what a waste of time and energy and taxpayer money!

Uh, private media is not funded by taxpayer money.

if the Democrats had stopped jumping out and yelling “Gotcha!” at him very other minute.

This has been going on since the founding of our nation.

The list of accusations and trials and hearings and investigations and Congressional committees is public record,

Some would say the trials are justified by the number of convictions.

 

[Dovekin]

President Trump won the Presidency fair and square, but throughout his Presidency, the Democrats have attempted to prove that he DID not win the Presidency.

This has not been established. The Democrats have tried to prove he did not win the Presidency illegally, but Trump has stymied them constantly. Because of his obstruction, we still do not know if he was involved with the Russians to sway the election. We do know that campaign managers and operative have been convicted of related illegal acts.

Keep in mind, this is a President who campaigned on vigorous enforcement of political misdeeds. (Lock her up) He should not be surprised that he is under scrutiny.

And they have “proved” nothing, other than that Pres. Trump doesn’t give two hoots about what they say and think of him, and he appears to have an iron constitution that doesn’t back away or wimp out or cry (at least in public).

The courts have mostly not ruled on his obstructions, so it is truer to say nothing has been proven because most of it is still in process. He argues to delay, claiming one thing in one court and the opposite in another. It would be better if he followed “the rules”, but he does not. Delay and dissemble is his style. He has set the tone; it is surprising Democrats have not treated him the same way.

 

[ProVobis]

Oh, wait, there are plenty of tapes of what Vice Pres. Biden said about COVID back in February–and if we had followed HIS suggestions, many more of us would be DEAD by now.

So if they find a disease inside you you would prefer they say nothing so you don’t panic?

 

[ProVobis]

So there is a miniscule iota of “goodness” in the Democrat ranks–but it would take oil-power on a microscope to find it.

One can use the same argument for Romney as even Fox News polls showed the majority of Americans wanting Trump immediately ousted.

 

[Dr_Meinheimer]

Then surely he will lose by the same majority. Surely. Please.

 

[Peeps]

But what a waste of time and energy and taxpayer money!

I’m not talking about the media. I’m talking about the politicians and their aides who ARE on the taxpayer’s dime, and who are wasting their time trying to take down the President instead of hammering out policies, working on compromises, and passing laws.

 

[Peeps]

So if they find a disease inside you you would prefer they say nothing so you don’t panic?

I would rather they tell me in phrases that make heavy use of optimism and positive thinking and assurances that I will be fine and will fully recover…which is what Pres. Trump did and still does when it comes to COVID-19.