As I wrote recently, this effort was “almost certainly doomed” and “essentially a call for destroying American democracy.” I also argued that despite the high-minded rhetoric about what the Founding Fathers would have wanted, it was also “essentially an attempt to steal an election that Trump fairly won.”
No way is this a fair assessment.
First, it is a fact that Hamilton defended the Electoral College as a firewall between a candidate that won based on showmanship, empty rhetoric, or cheating. Or,
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[.] (The Federalist Papers No. 68)
Based on what we've learned of Trump's cabinet, we know that his rhetoric was empty. We know he has no intention of fulfilling the promises he made to his voters.
We also have a high degree of confidence that Trump was aided by a foreign government through espionage and a psy-ops campaign against his opponent.
We know that Trump has a ludicrous number of conflicting interests. He will almost certainly be violating the constitution on his first moment of office. We also know that his conflicts of interest include interests in the country that likely compromised our election.
To say that Trump won fairly despite getting almost 3 million fewer votes than his opponent is to admit he gamed the electoral college. If you admit the electoral college is picking the winner despite the votes, you have to look at the reason for the electoral college.
It might sound pedantic but it's hardly "high-minded." American democracy is a combination of a popular vote and a group of undemocratically chosen electors. Calling on the electors to consider and deliberate on their choice is part of American democracy.
No comments:
Post a Comment