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Calista241

(5,584 posts)
Sun Sep 27, 2020, 08:13 PM Sep 2020

Pelosi begins mustering Democrats for possible House decision on presidency

Source: Politico

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has begun mobilizing Democrats for the possibility that neither Joe Biden nor President Donald Trump will win an outright Electoral College victory, a once-in-a-century phenomenon that would send the fate of the presidency to the House of Representatives to decide.

Under that scenario, which hasn’t happened since 1876, every state’s delegation gets a single vote. Who receives that vote is determined by an internal tally of each lawmaker in the delegation. This means the presidency may not be decided by the party that controls the House itself but by the one that controls more state delegations in the chamber. And right now, Republicans control 26 delegations to Democrats’ 22, with Pennsylvania tied and Michigan a 7-6 plurality for Democrats, with a 14th seat held by independent Justin Amash.

A battle inside the House could be brutal, even more politically bare-knuckled than Trump and Senate Republicans pushing through a Supreme Court nominee days before the election. In some states, a single seat could decide the partisan makeup of a delegation. There could be extended legal challenges over declaring victors in House races, as national party leaders and their legal teams dive headlong into the results for individual races at the county or even precinct level.

Pelosi, in a Sunday letter to House Democrats, urged them to consider whether the House might be pulled into deciding who is president when determining where to focus resources on winning seats in November. This could lead to more concerted efforts by Democrats to win in states such as Montana and Alaska — typically Republican turf but where Democrats have been competitive statewide. In these states, Democratic victories could flip an entire delegation with a single upset House victory.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/27/pelosi-mobilizes-democrats-house-decision-on-presidency-422359

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Pelosi begins mustering Democrats for possible House decision on presidency (Original Post) Calista241 Sep 2020 OP
I don't believe this will be necessary. murielm99 Sep 2020 #1
Highly unlikely unless extra-legal chicanery prevails. Nt Fiendish Thingy Sep 2020 #10
Too bad it wasn't Polybius Sep 2020 #17
She needs to be ready pandr32 Sep 2020 #2
I'm glad that I can trust M. Pelosi is on top of this. forgotmylogin Sep 2020 #13
We better win at the polls. Hoyt Sep 2020 #3
I think she's ready. BlueWavePsych Sep 2020 #4
Love this toon :-) nt iluvtennis Sep 2020 #15
I would love it if they paid more attention to Montana. 2naSalit Sep 2020 #5
Me too. Scruffy1 Sep 2020 #16
If it turns into too much of a mess I would settle for President Pelosi while the courts argue yaesu Sep 2020 #6
I was hoping for a contingency that would put Pelosi in the presidency... CTyankee Sep 2020 #19
Message auto-removed Name removed Sep 2020 #7
Message auto-removed Name removed Sep 2020 #8
Geez fightvision81 Sep 2020 #9
300 E.V for Biden with 7 million plus victory in the popular vote. sarcasmo Sep 2020 #11
If all else fails, the decision of the presidency will be settled by a duel. LastLiberal in PalmSprings Sep 2020 #12
Unless an asteroid hits the Capitol rotunda. klook Sep 2020 #14
Holy crap. Well, it's good to know we're preparing and not just ecstatic Sep 2020 #18
Biden will win on election night. oldsoftie Sep 2020 #20

murielm99

(30,656 posts)
1. I don't believe this will be necessary.
Sun Sep 27, 2020, 08:16 PM
Sep 2020

People are voting in droves. Trump will lose decisively.

On edit: This was speculated in 1968. It was already a bad enough year with the assassinations. George Wallace won five states. Some people thought the election would be thrown into the House. It was not.

pandr32

(11,446 posts)
2. She needs to be ready
Sun Sep 27, 2020, 08:16 PM
Sep 2020

We have to be better prepared than Trump's goons. That is something we have all over them: smarter people.

2naSalit

(86,048 posts)
5. I would love it if they paid more attention to Montana.
Sun Sep 27, 2020, 08:29 PM
Sep 2020

The one House seat we have could make the state look and vote blue with just one candidate. She's a great legislator and should be there to represent us.

Scruffy1

(3,239 posts)
16. Me too.
Sun Sep 27, 2020, 11:34 PM
Sep 2020

The pollsters seem to care only about the big population states. We get bumkes about the Montana senate race.

yaesu

(8,020 posts)
6. If it turns into too much of a mess I would settle for President Pelosi while the courts argue
Sun Sep 27, 2020, 08:33 PM
Sep 2020

about it for years.

CTyankee

(63,769 posts)
19. I was hoping for a contingency that would put Pelosi in the presidency...
Mon Sep 28, 2020, 01:34 AM
Sep 2020

I had given that up but lookee here! Maybe, just maybe...

Response to Calista241 (Original post)

Response to Calista241 (Original post)

12. If all else fails, the decision of the presidency will be settled by a duel.
Sun Sep 27, 2020, 10:24 PM
Sep 2020

If they keep finding more arcane ways to get around the popular vote, then let's settle it like men. Think of the television ratings it will get!

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