The Electoral College should vote tomorrow for a
conservative Republican who is fit, who is not a demagogue or who is not the
beneficiary of foreign interference on behalf of his candidacy, instead of
voting for Donald J. Trump for President of the United States, who is does not
meet any of these standards intended by the Framers of the Constitution.
As I have
explained in earlier posts, because the Framers created a representative
republic, not a democracy, the Electoral College was created as a
representative body, as the presidential election was not conceived as a
popular exercise. Like any
representatives, the presidential and vice presidential Electors are supposed
to exercise their best judgment in good conscience in representing the people
and the States. See my posts from last
month, The Presidential Electors Are Supposed to Be Representative of the
States and the People, http://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2016/11/presidential-electors-are-supposed-to.html
and Cinfici’s Latest Piece at the Federalist Re: the Representative Role of the
Electoral College, http://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2016/11/cinficis-latest-piece-at-federalist-re.html,
and my article at The Federalist: http://thefederalist.com/2016/11/08/dont-actually-vote-president-curious-facts-electoral-college/.
In these posts, I explain briefly the
origin, purpose and early history of the Electoral College and note how the
popular vote is for the Electors, not the President and Vice President.
As more
Republican Electors were elected, assuming their elections were not the result
of foreign interference, then the Electoral College should be expected to elect
a Republican or possibly an independent conservative, not the liberal Democratic
nominee, even though her Electors received more votes collectively. Electors are not bound, despite some state
laws to the contrary, to vote for their party’s nominees, against their
conscience. There are grounds for which
they should vote their conscience and vote for someone other than Trump,
according to the intent of the Framers, as explained by Alexander Hamilton in Federalist #68. The Framers, who created the presidency
around George Washington, who was fit, selfless, prudent and patriotic,
established the Electoral College as a check to prevent someone unfit,
demagogic or advanced by foreign interference from being elected
President. All three concerns are raised
in regard to Trump.
A lengthy
post could be written on Trump’s unfitness, but I shall summarize briefly the
concerns about how morally and intellectually unfit he is. He is vulgar, narcissistic, insulting, bigoted,
misogynistic, dishonest and credulous in conspiracy theories. Trump has cheated his wives, business
partners and contractors, and has violated the law in numerous ways. The supposedly “pro-life” Republican nominee
has stated his desire to commit war crimes and has repeatedly praised dictators
for war crimes, crimes against humanity and human rights abuses. Accordingly, Trump’s campaign was based upon
deception and intimidation, as he misrepresented himself as a successful
businessman and spread false information and caused, directly himself or indirectly
through his supporters, every opponent or critic to be afraid of him. In addition, he had failed to disclose all of
his business interests sufficiently to eliminate the appearance of any conflict
of interests. Although it is known that
he would be receiving an emolument from the United States, which would violate
the Constitution if Congress does not grant him permission, Trump’s emoluments
from foreign states are of most concern, while his non-disclosure of federal
personal income tax returns and business interests mean he could be bribed and
the American people would never know by whom or by how much. One’s character is an indication of how one
might serve in office. Having served in
public life, I can confidently declare that character is of foremost importance
to public service. And the highest
standard is necessary with the greatest responsibility of the highest office.
In addition to his moral unfitness,
Trump is extraordinarily ignorant of the Constitution and its principles and of
the scope of the presidency. He seldom
mentions liberty or freedom or expresses any reverence for the Founding Fathers
and does not believe in American exceptionalism. Instead, he admires authoritarians and has
demonstrated authoritarian tendencies himself, such as in regard to the
Separation of Powers and independence of the judiciary, the freedom of the
press.
Trump’s
demagoguery was exemplified by his protectionism and nativism, which, if not
the product of his own bigotry, were recognized as such by his enthusiastic
“white nationalist” fascist supporters, as they call themselves, including Ku
Klux Klansmen and Nazi sympathizers. His
populist anti-establishment political revolution was based in part on the
misleading belief that the Republican-led Congress had acquiesced to the
policies of liberal Democratic President Barack Obama and that no experienced
politician could be trusted, only Trump, who alone could solve problems. His demagoguery, like the way he has conducted
his campaign, are typical of the many democratically-elected leaders who became
authoritarians.
The level
of foreign interference in the American presidential election, particularly
from a hostile power, although the full extent of it is not yet completely
known, can already be recognized as unprecedented. Trump benefited not only from hacking and leaking
of American political parties and candidates by the Communist Russian
Federation, but by its propaganda and disinformation in support of his
candidacy, which augmented his own deception and that of his supporters. He welcomed and encouraged the interference
by the Russians, whose authoritarian leader Trump has praised. I note among the business interests Trump is
believed to have are some with Russians.
Trump’s
deception and intimidation, as well as the foreign interference on his behalf,
have tainted both his Republican nomination and the election of the Republican
Trump-Pence Electors, which means that Congress may object to the votes of the
Electors on the grounds they were not duly elected when it certifies the
election on January 6. A compromise vote
for a fit Republican by the Electoral College would be a reasonable solution to
avert any potential constitutional crisis.
There have
been other times when the Electoral College should have been a check on the
people and was not, but never have there been as abundant reasons for the
Electors to vote their consciences to fulfill their duties under the
Constitution they will swear an oath to defend by not voting for their party’s
presidential nominee. The Republican
Electors must not vote for Trump, but instead for a fit Republican who is not a
demagogue or foreign intelligence asset.
Conservatives and Republicans should urge the Electors patriotically to
fulfill the purpose the Framers intended the Electoral College to be.
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