Democrats Were More Divided In the End

[DonViejo]

December 20, 2016 By Taegan Goddard

First Read: “In yesterday’s Electoral College tally, it turned out there were seven faithless electors — two Republicans voting for someone else other Donald Trump (John Kasich and Ron Paul), and five Democratic electors voting for someone else other than Hillary Clinton (three for Colin Powell, one for Bernie Sanders, and one for Faith Spotted Eagle). That there were more faithless Bernie Sanders-supporting Democratic electors bucking Hillary Clinton than faithless GOP electors spurning Trump sums up the 2016 contest pretty well. In the very end, despite all of the speculation to the contrary, Democrats were more divided than Republicans.”

“Of course, it’s worth wondering if these faithless Dem electors would have been as faithless if Clinton had won (though two of the Washington state electors had said they weren’t behind Clinton BEFORE the election). But as University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers observes, these seven faithless electors — there had been just nine combined since 1948 — are a troubling sign for future contests. ‘It could easily be enough to flip a future election,’ he tweets.'”

Rick Klein: “Three more electors tried to go rogue but were replaced before their votes were counted. Thus concludes one of the stranger trips through the strangest College that American democracy can conjure.”

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https://politicalwire.com/2016/12/20/democrats-divided-end/

[geek tragedy]

1. Get rid of the caucuses, which drew a bunch of nutcases into the party.

Elector positions are not honors or favors to be handed out, they should go to only the hardest of the hardcore dedicated partisans.

People who became faithless electors should be banned from participating in the party, and those who nominated/suggested them should also face consequences.

[Amishman]

2. They are a coalition of single issue voters, we have broader points of contention

The republican base is heavily single issue voters. They'll complain and stomp their feet, but in the end as long as the pub is slightly closer to their preferred position on an issue, they'll 'come home' every time. This is also why the Republican primaries are so fractured and bitter. Tons of small blocks backing their ideal candidate to the exclusion of all else.

Our divisions are broader and more philosophical. It also makes it harder to stomach 'coming home' and backing someone who doesn't embody your values.

[LisaL]

4. So we end up electing Trump.

Who really done's embody our values.

[Garrett78]

5. I think that's true.

And I think Republicans are united in their white supremacy (both conscious and subconscious, both overt and covert), which drives the opposition to the ACA and Medicaid, the opposition to public education, the opposition to 'certain' immigrants, etc. If the Republican Party did a 180 on matters of race and did away with all dog whistling, while trying to maintain their trickle down economics and bloated military, that party would collapse. Just about the only hangers-on would be some extremely wealthy people and persons of color who have internalized oppression. A new party would attempt to fill the void but it likely wouldn't be terribly successful, especially as the country becomes increasingly diverse.

Bigotry, particularly racism, is the glue that holds the Republican Party together.

[Amishman]

8. Thats not quite what I was going for

When I say they are a coalition of single issue voters, I don't believe their is a single overriding issue that binds them together

the anti-LBGT crowd will vote for whoever will 'stop the gays'
the anti-choice crowd will vote for whoever is the most anti-abortion
the gun crowd will vote guns
the religious right will vote for whoever says Jesus the most
the greedy wealthy will vote for whoever promises the greatest tax cuts
the ag crowd will vote for farm subsidies
and yes, the bigots will vote for whoever they feel will be hardest on minorities

Based on what I see around me (A very red county in PA), there is not too much overlap between these categories. Most seem to fit in one category, two at most. They don't care about much else politically, but they will show up just about every election to vote their key issue. All the republicans have to do is be to be closer on that individual's one or two hot issues, and they get the vote.

[Garrett78]

11. While I think there are far more single issue voters within the Republican ranks...

...I also think bigotry (particularly white supremacy) is something that binds them together.

As for anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice and the Religious Right, I think there's quite a bit of overlap. After all, the Religious Right is anti-choice and anti-LGBTQ. And I suspect most of those folks happen to also be opposed to gun control.

But for some, it really is all about abortion or guns.

[LisaL]

3. This certainly is troubling. If Hillary got 270 votes, five faithless electors would have been

enough to overturn the results of the election.

[FBaggins]

6. Probably not

This entire exercise has really just been a pipe dream. Note that two or three other electors were forced to change their votes (or were outright replaced). This would have occurred on a larger scale had more electors been involved.

[TrekLuver]

7. The lack of party loyalty that I saw being displayed during this election when there was so

very much at stake was disgusting. I don't give a fuck how much you hate Hillary Clinton....any Dem that didn't vote for her is a sell out and has ZERO loyalty. Meanwhile...the Repub's run the sickest fuck in NYC and they all came home to roost anyway. No matter what they are loyal. Really gets me sick.

[hamsterjill]

12. I agree.

I told countless people who insisted on voting for third party candidates that there was simply too much at stake THIS time. Sometimes it doesn't matter, but THIS time it did.

Now...we are all screwed.

[woolldog]

9. The Electoral College has got to go.

Get rid of it. Imagine if the race had been close and we lost because of faithless electors.

[NobodyHere]

10. What was with the Colin Powell voters?

I don't get it.

[Orsino]

13. No, we weren't.

The actions of seven individuals when faced with a foregone conclusion are insignificant next to a Democratic majority united behind Clinton.

Republican presidents win through cheating.