In the days since Donald Trump amassed sufficient electoral votes, though losing the popular vote, to secure the title "President Elect", much has been made about "faithless" electors. These are, by current definition, electors who fail to abide by the vote they are bound to by 29 states. A binding which, incidentally, is not addressed in the 12th Amendment to the Constitution which states "The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for
President and Vice-President". Allow me to suggest an alternate definition.
In the Federalist Papers #68, Alexander Hamilton discussed the Electoral College and its purpose which is two-fold. The first is to ensure that "the sense of the people should operate in the choice of the person to whom so important a trust (as POTUS)was to be confided". In this case, the majority of voters who voted for Hillary Clinton.
Secondly, the Electoral College is intended to prevent "the desire in foreign powers (Russia in the case of this election?) to gain an improper ascendant in our councils" and prevent ascension to the presidency on anyone "who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite
qualifications" and whose "Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of
popularity" may secure them the office of President of the United States. A better, more polite description of Donald Trump I simply cannot find words for.
This election has us on the brink of thrusting a man so preeminently unqualified by training or temperament that he poses an existential threat to the Republic. The "faithless electors" are those who would put loyalty to party and ideology above the good of the country and cast their votes for a septuagenarian degenerate whose disdain for key pillars of the Republic...freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, the rule of law...have been repeatedly and forcefully expressed throughout his campaign for the Presidency. And let's not forget his running mate, Mike Pence, a man for whom homophobia and misogyny come as naturally and easily as breathing, as does the expression of his particularly intolerant brand religious right wing-nuttery.
No, the "faithless electors" are not those who would vote contrary to the manner in which they have been bound by their state. They are those who would, without thought, install a man who poses a clear and present danger to the Republic and. potentially, the world as President of the United States.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Monday, November 14, 2016
The Face of Things to Come
There are those who still think that Donald Trump and the GOP are going to play nice and respect the rules and honor the gentleman's agreements that have smoothed the paths of power over the years. You should disabuse yourselves of that silly notion. Trump's campaign rhetoric has been divisive, insulting to just about everyone, and dismissive of the foundations of our government. He incited violence at his rallies...even promising to pay the legal fees for those arrested for injuring protesters. The Trump campaign was supported by neo-nazis, white nationalists and white supremacists. Support which neither he nor the GOP never repudiated. And he has selected Steve Bannon, formerly executive chairman of the alt-right noise machine and mouth piece for America's neo-nazi and white nationalist/supremacist movement, "Breitbart".
As for the GOP, they have been sharpening their knives since 2008 when Obama first won the presidency. Mitch McConnell famously stated, "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." in 2010. Failing at that, the GOP obstructed the Obama administration at every turn throughout his presidency.
It is readily apparent from the statements of Trump surrogates and people like Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, and others, that their preference ios for a scorched earth policy with regards to the political opposition. If you want to see how GOP control of the Executive and Legislative branches is going to work, look no further than Michigan. It has been the GOP test-bed for fascism in America. From freezing out all opposition from the Democratic party to stripping citizens of their rights to self-governance through the use and abuse of the "emergency manager" law.
Now, for those of you who think, well gosh, we need to unite behind Trump to ensure the success of his presidency...No, we don't. The success of Trump's presidency will mean the wave of hate crimes sweeping the nation since his election will become endemic. It will mean that women won't be able to get birth control, let alone a safe, legal abortion. Minorities across the board, will be scapegoated and the hard fought gains of the civil rights era in this country will be lost. Environmental and workplace safety regulations will be but fond memories. Social Security and Medicare will be gutted and millions will lose insurance coverage as Republicans trash the ACA...more on the consequences of this later. We will see the gains made in securing the fundamental rights guaranteed all Americans for the LGBT community lost to the rabid homophobia of Mike Pence and his fellow travelers.
Now, back to healthcare. With Trump's, and the GOP's, promise to gut the ACA...with absolutely no plan to replace it...we will see 20million people tossed back into the ranks of the uninsured. As a result, we will see more and more people using hospital emergency departments for primary care. This will force hospitals to pass the costs of this care on to patients with insurance. As a result we will see higher premiums, higher deductibles and higher co-pays, thus forcing more people into the ranks of the uninsured. This vicious cycle will lead to hospitals closing their doors in unprecedented numbers as they can no longer absorb the costs of providing care to the uninsured. Thus only the wealthy will be able to afford healthcare.
The Supreme Court will be stacked with right wing ideologues who will validate the autocratic and authoritarian policies of Trump's and the GOP's fascism for generations. This may well have been the last election in America.
Trump and the GOP have but one over-riding goal now...securing power at all costs. Like authoritarian movements throughout history, they will not hesitate in using force to quell any opposition, no matter how peaceful. For these reasons, and so many more, the Trump administration MUST fail. It's success will be the death of the Republic.
As for the GOP, they have been sharpening their knives since 2008 when Obama first won the presidency. Mitch McConnell famously stated, "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." in 2010. Failing at that, the GOP obstructed the Obama administration at every turn throughout his presidency.
It is readily apparent from the statements of Trump surrogates and people like Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, and others, that their preference ios for a scorched earth policy with regards to the political opposition. If you want to see how GOP control of the Executive and Legislative branches is going to work, look no further than Michigan. It has been the GOP test-bed for fascism in America. From freezing out all opposition from the Democratic party to stripping citizens of their rights to self-governance through the use and abuse of the "emergency manager" law.
Now, for those of you who think, well gosh, we need to unite behind Trump to ensure the success of his presidency...No, we don't. The success of Trump's presidency will mean the wave of hate crimes sweeping the nation since his election will become endemic. It will mean that women won't be able to get birth control, let alone a safe, legal abortion. Minorities across the board, will be scapegoated and the hard fought gains of the civil rights era in this country will be lost. Environmental and workplace safety regulations will be but fond memories. Social Security and Medicare will be gutted and millions will lose insurance coverage as Republicans trash the ACA...more on the consequences of this later. We will see the gains made in securing the fundamental rights guaranteed all Americans for the LGBT community lost to the rabid homophobia of Mike Pence and his fellow travelers.
Now, back to healthcare. With Trump's, and the GOP's, promise to gut the ACA...with absolutely no plan to replace it...we will see 20million people tossed back into the ranks of the uninsured. As a result, we will see more and more people using hospital emergency departments for primary care. This will force hospitals to pass the costs of this care on to patients with insurance. As a result we will see higher premiums, higher deductibles and higher co-pays, thus forcing more people into the ranks of the uninsured. This vicious cycle will lead to hospitals closing their doors in unprecedented numbers as they can no longer absorb the costs of providing care to the uninsured. Thus only the wealthy will be able to afford healthcare.
The Supreme Court will be stacked with right wing ideologues who will validate the autocratic and authoritarian policies of Trump's and the GOP's fascism for generations. This may well have been the last election in America.
Trump and the GOP have but one over-riding goal now...securing power at all costs. Like authoritarian movements throughout history, they will not hesitate in using force to quell any opposition, no matter how peaceful. For these reasons, and so many more, the Trump administration MUST fail. It's success will be the death of the Republic.