Trump has told us how he and the Republicans plan to steal this election: can we stop him and save our republic?

Thom plus logo Donald Trump became president by exploiting a loophole called the Electoral College. The majority of Americans did not want him or vote for him as president, but he's there anyway.

Now he's planning on using a different loophole, the 12th Amendment, to hang onto power.

Back in the election of 1876, the Democrat, Samuel Tilden, won both the Electoral College and the national popular vote. But four states claimed that occupying union troops were engaging in voter fraud, so they submitted electoral college slates for both candidates. With these competing Electoral College slates, neither candidate won the majority needed to take the Electoral College and become president.

As a result, the election got thrown to the State legislatures via the House of Representatives, and they chose the Republican who had lost the election, Rutherford B Hayes, as president.

Donald Trump proclaimed, during a rally a few days ago, that he and the Republican Party are planning a very similar strategy, as I wrote about back in March of this year.

All nine swing states have Republican-controlled state legislatures, and the Constitution gives state legislatures the final say in what their Electoral College vote is. They have the ability to completely ignore how the election turned out, and simply choose any presidential candidate they want.

It's pretty clear now that the Republicans in those states are planning to do what Republicans did in 1876, and have their state legislatures direct their electoral vote for Donald Trump, even though Joe Biden may have won more votes in their states.

When this happens, Democrats will claim that Republicans are trying to steal the election, but Republicans will say they're simply doing what the law allows, just like happened in 1876 when Rutherford B Hayes lost the election but still ended up in the White House.

Democrats will then sue the Republicans, and the election will end up before the Supreme Court. Thus Trump, at another rally, said that he needs one last vote on the Court who is loyal to him, who was appointed by him.

This is why Republicans are pushing so hard to get a Supreme Court nominee on the bench before November 3.

This election is now in our hands.

If we push hard enough on our senators, we may be able to stall or slow down Trump's plan to line up the Supreme Court to help him steal the election.

If we show up in large enough numbers to vote, particularly in-person voting and particularly in those nine swing states, and our vote is so overwhelming that nobody can deny that Trump lost, we will have a better defense in the court of public opinion against Trump's attempted theft.

It's come down to us. We are the last bulwark of democracy in America. The fascists, neo-Nazis, and shills for right wing billionaires and foreign oligarchs are planning a full-scale theft of the American presidency.

We must stop them.

Go to IWillVote.com and make sure that Republicans have not removed your name from the voting rolls. Plan now to make sure your vote is counted.

This election may be the last chance to prevent America from sliding irretrievably into fascism. We must do everything we can to save our republic.

-Thom

Comments

deepspace's picture
deepspace 2 years 36 weeks ago
#1

Book report:

I'm about halfway through Michael Cohen's book "Disloyal." His rendering is part personal biography and part mea culpa confessional, but more relevantly, it's a fairly well-written inside account of what it was like for a decade witnessing up close and personal Trump's many deep-seated psychoses -- a baseline pattern of crude immorality, corruption, and criminality on a daily basis. The "Boss" is simply incorrigible in all his dirty dealings, including as "president" (in name only).

Although somewhat egocentric (lots of "I, me, my, mine"), which is understandable given that it's a first-person narrative, Cohen, the ruthless fixer, does effectively put you in the moment. Unfortunately, he portrays himself not only as a key co-conspirator but as a victim also (well, I suppose, as are all Trump's acquaintances, including his own family), which is a little galling given that he was a willing participant in Trump's mob-like tactics and numerous, disgusting crimes. For an extremely ambitious New York lawyer, it was all about the lust for power and blind ambition -- an intoxicating brew hard to resist.

However, this sleazy lawyer's sense of victimhood is mitigated a bit by his rude awakening, genuine-seeming contrition, and brutal honesty about being a total bad guy and asshole on Trump's behalf. Of course, he didn't arrive at that great epiphany until circumstances forced it upon him; nonetheless, he still does a fairly good job, in my opinion, explaining his thought processes at the time, allowing readers to make their own judgments. So far, it rings true.

That Cohen's conduct was so blatantly low-life, in a New York street-wise kind of way, belies the fact he came from a good Jewish family and an upscale neighborhood and had led a fairly responsible life otherwise, until he came under the evil spell of Trumpism. He did run with some sketchy characters, though, as an older teen. He also rubbed elbows with several mob figures and their families when he worked at his uncle's establishment (bar, restaurant, gym), which catered to the criminal element so ubiquitous at the time. He was enthralled and inspired by these flashy wise guys, but there is no evidence that he participated in any of their crimes.

Later on, after finishing his law degree, Cohen thrived as a legitimate personal injury lawyer, and his business acumen in the rough and tumble, big-city taxi medallion and real estate markets allowed him to become quite wealthy in his own right, notwithstanding some associated legal troubles, to which he later pled guilty, I think, after he began cooperating with prosecutors. But for the most part, he was doing quite well for himself and his family and didn't need Trump in his life. Alas, the allure of power and influence in the rarified atmosphere of New York's elite business world was just too enticing and led to his downfall.

Conclusion:

I would recommend "Disloyal" as an important piece of the puzzle, which should inform voters more fully about just who this great white savior of the Republican party actually is in real life. It's a page-turner, like rubbernecking a car wreck that's hard to ignore.

A glutton for punishment, it's on to Mary Trump's "Too Much and Not Enough" next and then to Bob Woodward's "Rage, which just arrived in the mail. Fck Bolton's book! His testimony should have been given at the impeachment trial first. I wouldn't send one nickel his way.

AndreaDkns's picture
AndreaDkns 2 years 36 weeks ago
#2

Maybe showing everyone the actual certification dates of presidential elections in the past would help inoculate us against Republican pressure to declare a winner early? https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results_certification_dates,_2016 https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results_certification_dates,_2020

Thank you for your show, Thom. We appreciate you!

alis volat's picture
alis volat 2 years 36 weeks ago
#3

Well, it's any port in a loophole-shit-storm. At least Republicans have made known what they think their options might be. Dems have also been clear they have small army of lawyers ready to get to work.

I wonder how many generations we are away from election reform, or if it will ever be possible. Generation Z save yourselves, and show us what you got during this election!

stopgap's picture
stopgap 2 years 36 weeks ago
#4

What good is an army of lawyers if Republicans own the courts? Sending out an army of lawyers is like sending out an army of ants to fight a giant anteater.

What good are the courts? Trump has lost about every court case, yet the Trump bulldozer continues to steamroll over the Constitution with only minor setbacks.

We are on the verge of completely losing our democracy because a mob of shithead, asshole, Trump supporters feel a need to strut their bigotry. What a bunch of fucking fools!!!

whatabout's picture
whatabout 2 years 36 weeks ago
#5

What is really terrifying here is that the radical progressives and their ilk can’t see the forest for the trees. They are promoting and feeding directly into the dangerous and false Election Day narratives being weaved by once great newspapers that now have become nothing more than fodder for the checkout lanes at a grocery store like the WaPo and NYT, far left wing radio jaw flappers, and other self-important media figures on cable TV that play the fear card 24/7 just for the sake of ratings, all because after four years later they still have not accepted the results of the last presidential election.

It was “her” turn goddamnit!

"We must stop them",

I know, “let's stack the Supreme Court until we have seated enough lefties, pay the fines of hand selected black and Hispanic registered voters in key states, abolish the Electoral College, promote the shit out of mail-in voting, lower the voting age to 16, and add a couple of States to the union but only if they are democrat strongholds”.

If there is any post-election day violence, it will most assuredly be plotted and coordinated by some of the same repugnant slugs on the radical left who have orchestrated what has played out in cities like Portland, and Seattle, and the people we can blame for at inspiring the violence will be none other than spineless soy latte drinking gender neutral mayors, governors, and Soros planted DA’s that have permitted and in fact, joined some of these “peaceful protests”.

Rock on man you are committing slow suicide by your own stupidity.

rostasi 2 years 36 weeks ago
#6

These robots are the wordiest.
Amazing how irritating this technology has become.

Bruce Roberts's picture
Bruce Roberts 2 years 36 weeks ago
#7

I'm telling you. Progressives who ideological purists such as what I hear on progressive outlets (like TYT) are going to hand Trump what he wants.

You really should be joining and working with the Lincoln Project. They just presented a campaign add supporting the efforts of protesting and BLM. Let's just get Trump out!

I don't see TYT talking to Miles Taylor. I know you would.

Taylor basically shook his head and said in so many words- you can't make this shit up.

Thank you

Bruce Roberts's picture
Bruce Roberts 2 years 36 weeks ago
#8

I agree with you. Cohen is no hero. But that doesn't mean to not take his words seriously. But he has tried to make amends. You can do only so much. You either accept him or you don't.

I haven't read the book but listened to his podcast on Spotify. Hearing his voice is vastly different.

deepspace's picture
deepspace 2 years 36 weeks ago
#9

I'm sorry to point this out, but the content of whatabout's innermost musings in the post above comes across as a trolling, rambling incoherence mess all over the board, much like what I imagine a Fux News segment must sound like to normal people not in the cult: all spit and fury, no substance.

Where is any sourcing worth a damn, any underpinning in outside reality that is not the mirror opposite (psychological projection on steroids?) of what's really going on in America, which is a rapid slide toward authoritarian fascism under Republican rule disguised as populism.

Their fantastical twisted version of unreality, a dystopian nightmare that puts George Orwell to shame, is what lies in our future if this dying democracy can't figure out how to elect politicians to the Executive branch and to the Senate who can garner majority support from the people they are supposed to represent.

Really, wingers should get down on their knees and thank their winger gods for the outdated Electoral College, which installed two Republican presidents who couldn't win the popular vote, and for the Senate, an inherently undemocratic institution that gives outsized leverage to rural states, when, for instance, in the 2018 midterms, 18 million more Americans voted for Democratic Senators, yet Republicans still hold the Senate. WTF! So, Republicans represent mostly empty land while Democrats represent real live voters by millions more.

At least this time, whatabout somehow avoided linking to deadly disinformation about the COVID pandemic that encourages people to disregard safety precautions, as he did in the previous thread.

gizawd's picture
gizawd 2 years 36 weeks ago
#10

I 👍

DQM 2 years 36 weeks ago
#11

All of you--politicains, media heads, authors--who predict whether Trump will or won't step down if he loses, are failing to grasp what is apparent. Trump has already told us he cannot lose a fair election and he means it.

Obviously, he is full-throttle-every-way-conceivable trying to bribe, lie, cheat, and suppress votes to steal the election. But, more to the point, Trump's pre-eminent strategy is casting doubt on the election process and its results. He doesn't need a majority of votes, only semblance of doubt. He has already seeded fields of doubt and is vigorously nurturing them as we progress toward Nov. 3. Assurances there will be a peaceful transistion of power IF HE LOSES are pointless. Please, Mr. Biden, stop pacifying us with that line of reasoning. Enough doubt has already been sown that even uttering the words "Trump loss" are buying in to his strategy.

So, wake up Democrats. The "he will/won't, if he loses" debate is a red herring. His ilk cannot (and, unfortunately, need not) accept losing as a possibilty.

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