I don't claim to be the sharpest tack in the box so I really can't figure out who would benefit from delayed voting results via the us mail.


WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE’S NO CLEAR WINNER?

There has been a lot of loose talk from both presidential candidates about rigged or stolen elections of late, and many predict a lengthy legal battle over the presidency.

President Trump warned this week that the outcome could be in dispute for “months and months” or “for years.”

But let’s not get ourselves all knotted up in the claims of our hyper hyperbolic president or his rhetorically sloppy challenger, Joe Biden. Instead, let’s run through the realities of an inconclusive presidential election.

First, let’s remember that it’s Congress, not the courts, that certify the results of a presidential election. Each state chooses its electors and those electors’ votes are transmitted by the state elections boss – usually a secretary of state – to the Senate.

On Jan. 6 a joint session of the next Congress will meet to ratify those findings and declare the candidate that has won a majority of the vote – 270 votes or more – the president.

What the president is suggesting is that there would not be results from all the states by then or, what he and Biden have both suggested, is that the results may be rigged or disputed. And that’s where things could get very interesting.

Courts certainly do have their place in this, but that happens long before Congress acts. State elections officials have to certify their electors before the Monday after the second Wednesday in December, which is Dec. 14 this year. All of the legal jockeying that takes place will have to occur between Election Day and then.

Those who recall the drama around the 2000 election will remember that what was in legal dispute was the power of Florida’s secretary of state to certify the results despite demands from Al Gore’s campaign that recounts continue. The court deferred to state authorities and Florida certified its electors.

Given how long counting has taken in some state primaries this year it’s not unreasonable to think that we could see legal battles rage until the last minute, but one way or the other, by Dec. 14, they’re obliged to convene their electors and transmit the results by certified mail.

But what if some states don’t finish in time or what if secretaries of state certify electors with claims widely in dispute? The Constitution has an answer.

If the disputed or incomplete results don’t prevent a candidate from reaching 270 votes then it’s no big deal. Congress can ignore what’s missing and still pick a president.

But if the number of missing or disputed electors is large enough or the election close enough that the absence prevents either candidate from getting to 270, the House gets to choose. Just as would be the case in a 269-269 tie, the House would select one of the candidates who has won electoral votes.

We have some precedent here. In 1877, the results from three states were in dispute in a race close enough to call the final result in question, so Congress created a bipartisan panel to review the results. The House certified the panel’s findings and awarded the presidency to Rutherford Hayes despite his evident initial defeat. (It went along with some horse trading in which Republicans agreed to end military Reconstruction.)

But however Congress gets there, on Jan. 6 the members will either certify the results or the House will get to work making its choice. Here, the House acts differently than usual. The delegations from each of the 50 states get one vote. California and Montana would be equals.

The current Congress is pretty narrowly divided with 25 Republican-majority delegations, 24 Democrat-majority delegations and one tie, Pennsylvania. We don’t know what the next Congress will look like exactly, but we can assume it won’t be wildly different.

There are currently four states with caucus control decided by one seat: Arizona, Colorado, Florida and Michigan. One imagines there would be a great deal of deal making in such places. It would be hot stuff, indeed.

But however it goes, the House would pick a president before noon on Jan. 20 when the current president’s term expires.

Our Founders and the Constitution contemplated the possibility of contested elections and on three separate occasions it has fallen to Congress to resolve such disputes. If we end up screwing up this election beyond repair or if the participants try to wreck the republic in order to keep or obtain power, it won’t be the end of us.

Instead, it will be a heckuva lesson in civics and politics for us all.


https://www.foxnews.com/politi...eres-no-clear-winner

And if it were to go the wrong way, it could be a big disaster for us all.

flashguy

Yes, things could go wrong and you could get hit by a car next week. You might choke on your dinner. You might get mugged and shot, or have a heart attack, or get cancer, or be sued, or your wife leaves you. Your dog could run away. You might stub your toe on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. A plane could crash into your house. You could fall down some stairs and break a leg. Your gas grill might explode and blind you. A bird might shit on your new suit on your way into a job interview. A man might mistake you for the guy who's banging his wife and stab you in the face with a broken bottle. Pinworms might infest your scrotum. You might drop your favorite gun onto your second favorite gun during cleaning. A wolverine might pounce on you in your garage. Your drone might lose power over the deepest part of a deep lake. You could eat undercooked pork and get trichinosis. A garbage truck might collide with a septic tank-draining truck in front of your house and the whole shebang burns to the axles before emergency services arrives.

All sorts of things might happen.

I don't trust ANYONE that starts bullshit talk about circumventing the way this nation has voted since its existence, as outlined in the Constitution. Plain and simple. If you can go to the grocery store, then you can put your f---ing mask on and go stand in line to vote at a got damp voting precinct.

quote:

All sorts of things might happen.

And I can face them, but I'm not too sure about those pinworms.

I think what they're driving at is that by law, the term of the President and Vice President both expire on January 20th

if there is no clear winner, the Speaker of the House becomes the President pro-tempore

I think they're full of shit, but I wouldn't put it past the current crop of democrats to try such a stunt

after all, they're an emboldened bunch - they threw a coup and not one person was charged or sent to prison

Stop it, for the love of God, stop it. Quit posting fake news in SF. We get enough of it from the rest of the freaking world.
The lefties are not some super overlords that can control the universe. Proof: Trump is the president.
They know and control air, might I say vapor, that's it.
Can we focus less on their idiocrasy and more on cutting their feet from under them?
Can we start supporting and dare I say fortifying our family in blue states? Let's start encouraging those in California, Oregon, Washington, New York, etc. Berlin airdrop them supplies, send freaking Hallmark cards or flowers, beer or a taco. Call me a GenX but I don't give a fuck what the odds are, once we start supporting each other the opposition doesn't stand a chance.

quote:

Originally posted by owenbright:
Could someone explain what possible strengths they thought this VP pick would bring to the Biden campaign?

You’d have to ask Willie Brown.

^^^^^

Do you guys know how quickly all the blowjob jokes are going to get worn out completely? Oh, wait, we're already there.

This is the Trump Presidency thread. Do not clutter up this thread with jokes that have been told 10,000 times.

erj, as of today, that gif is retired. I don't want to see it again. Repetition creates familiarity. Familiarity kills comedy. You guys can yuck it up in some other thread, but that gif is done.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Do you guys know how quickly all the blowjob jokes are going to get worn out completely?

Going to get? I'd argue they became worn out after about the first two hours of her being tagged by Biden.

Seriously, guys, grow the frack up

Ya know...I was actually going to recommend any conversation related to B and H be posted in the existing Biden thread. Yeah...missed my opportunity to mention that. Can that be written in our Man Law book??

Despite disagreeing with your view on that particular gif, I will (sadly) comply. Typing "HA HA" just doesn't quite convey the sentiment, though. JMHO...

Apologies Boss.

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:
Despite disagreeing with your view on that particular gif, I will (sadly) comply. Typing "HA HA" just doesn't quite convey the sentiment, though. JMHO...

You don't need to do either. This is the Trump Presidency thread. Posts such as laughing gifs, LOL or ha ha and nothing more than that are merely clutter and have no place in this thread. These threads run for hundreds of pages. The last thing such threads need is clutter.

In other world news.

Trump announces 'Historic Peace Agreement' between Israel, UAE

President Trump on Thursday announced what he called a “Historic Peace Agreement” between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, saying they agreed to “full normalization of relations.”

“HUGE breakthrough today! Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates!” Trump tweeted Thursday morning.

The president, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed released a joint statement Thursday, after the three spoke “and agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.” The statement said that the “diplomatic breakthrough” was at “the request of President Trump,” and that Israel will “suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the President’s Vision for Peace and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world.”

Israel and the UAE also said they will continue their efforts to “achieve a just, comprehensive and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

“This historic diplomatic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East region and is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of the three leaders and the courage of the United Arab Emirates and Israel to chart a new path that will unlock the great potential in the region,” the statement read. “All three countries face many common challenges and will mutually benefit from today’s historic achievement.”

Delegations from Israel and the UAE are expected to meet in the coming weeks to “sign bilateral agreements regarding investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare, culture, the environment, the establishment of reciprocal embassies, and other areas of mutual benefit.” “Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East’s most dynamic societies and advanced economies will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation, and forging closer people-to-people relations,” the statement also read.

Trump on Thursday said he had a call with Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The president told reporters Israel and the UAE will “begin cooperation across the board,” along with exchanging embassies and ambassadors. The president said he expected other countries to follow the UAE’s lead on this effort to cooperate with Israel going forward.

The president said the action would be known as the “Abraham Accord,” named for the “father of all three great faiths.”

“No person better symbolizes the potential for unity of these three great faiths,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said from the Oval Office Thursday.

The president went on to joke that he “wanted to call it the Donald J. Trump accord,” which received laughs in the room.

“I didn’t do that,” Trump added, again touting the historic importance of the agreement.

“We are already discussing this with other nations,” Trump said. “So, you will probably see others of these.”

The president went on to cheer his senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner for his efforts in securing the agreement.

“The president, like with all things, urged us to take an untraditional approach,” Kushner said Thursday. “You can’t solve problems that have gone unsolved the way people have done before you and failed.”

Kushner said the president “tries to unite people focusing on common interest as opposed to common grievances.”

“We were able to achieve results others could not achieve,” Kushner said. “This will advance the region and advance the world.”

Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer tweeted shortly after the agreement was announced saying: “A great day for peace! Israel commends the courage of MBZ for the historic decision of the UAE to join Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994) in making peace with Israel. Israel deeply appreciates all. @POTUS Trump has done to make this breakthrough possible. More to come!”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo touted the “vigorous diplomatic outreach” by the president, Israel and the UAE.

“The United States congratulates Israel and the Emirates for this remarkable achievement, which is a significant step forward for peace in the Middle East. Blessed are the peacemakers. Mabruk and Mazal Tov,” Pompeo tweeted.

https://www.foxnews.com/politi...-uae-peace-agreement

Some encouragement. (read the comments too)




This guys is half Korean and has 1/2 million subscribers.

Tony.

Any bet takers out there that, during the presidential debates, the microphones with be attached to the podium thereby preventing Trump from walking around with the mike in his hand?

This is fantastic news for democracy in Asia. Trump is playing China hard by defending those that defy China, despite their best efforts. I have family in Taiwan and they are genuinely worried China will eventually try to take Taiwan by force. They are already breaking the HK agreement leave them quasi-independent until 2047.

https://thehill.com/opinion/in...hile-xi-awaits-biden


The Trump administration has taken the next step in responding to Communist China’s assault against the people of Hong Kong and their democratic aspirations. Last week, it imposed sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and several other Hong Kong and Chinese officials. It has not yet exercised the full range of punitive options available under the Hong Kong Democracy and Human Rights Act that Congress passed and President Trump signed this year.

But Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s expanding focus on Hong Kong and other human rights outrages by Beijing, and his call for other countries to join the effort, continue to provide hope to the multiple victims of Chinese communism that the free world has not forgotten them.

The Trump administration is also shoring up Taiwan’s international status to deter any similar aggression by Beijing against that democratic society.

Health and Human Services Director Alex Azar is visiting Taipei this week to discuss with Taiwan officials its exemplary record of preparing for and coping with the coronavirus pandemic. The highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Taiwan since 1979, Azar symbolizes the Trump administration’s commitment to closer U.S.-Taiwan relations despite Beijing’s threats. The visit faithfully implements Congress’s intent when it passed the Taiwan Travel Act (TTA) that became law last year.

The TTA and other bipartisan congressional actions approved by the president demonstrate in both symbolic and concrete ways America’s commitment to the democratic security of Taiwan. The administration’s approval of weapons sales long held back by the Obama administration will enhance Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities as required by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.

In addition, the Trump national security team has lifted some restrictions on Taiwan’s forward defense activities, as evidenced by its deployment of 200 Taiwanese marines to the Pratas Islands in the South China Sea. Commenting on expanded U.S. cooperation with Taiwan under the Trump administration, Wang Ting-yu, from the legislature’s foreign affairs and national defense committee, noted, “The U.S. used to condemn Taiwan if we posted the military on the Pratas and Taiping” but concurred with the deployment this time.

All these self-defense enhancement measures are certainly essential. By themselves, however, they can only incrementally strengthen Taiwan’s ability to defend against a full-fledged attack from the vastly larger naval, air and missile forces of the People’s Liberation Army.

The only way Beijing can be indefinitely deterred from military adventurism against Taiwan is by the certainty of American intervention. China needs to be convinced that war against Taiwan would mean war against the United States, which would destroy the economic development China has built over decades.

So far, China’s leaders and military planners are not certain they would have to face that suicidal outcome, which is why they continue preparations to attack Taiwan and to deter Washington’s intervention. If shooting does start, China’s planning is based on the expectation that Washington will blink first and rush to one of its strategic off-ramps to prevent the situation from escalating. Beijing’s default position in the past has been that the U.S., as the mature, responsible party, can be relied on to make concessions to deescalate a crisis.

The conviction of Chinese leaders that in the end the United States will not come to Taiwan’s defense was made clear again by a statement about the Azar visit in the Global Times, a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda outlet: “The mainland has many cards, including the military card. More importantly, it is much more determined to play the cards than Washington.”

That is Beijing’s thinking in a nutshell: convince U.S. leaders and the American public that China is more committed to taking Taiwan than Washington is to defending it. It’s the message about “core interests,” “red lines” and “Chinese sovereignty” that the CCP has been repeating for seven decades until it becomes accepted in the West and in China as holy writ — and theoretically, leaves no room for Beijing to back down from its extreme positions. Yet, in conversations with Americans, many Chinese indicate they do not share that view, instead seeing Taiwan as a democratic model to be emulated, not an enemy to be crushed.

Under prior administrations, China’s political and military leaders perceived a dwindling U.S. commitment to come to Taiwan’s defense. While continuing to push the envelope with provocative rhetoric and actions, they held back from an outright military attack. But they have never stopped building the capacity that they expect will tip the psychological balance against U.S. intervention and enable a relatively low-risk aggressive move.

The Trump administration seems to have given Xi Jinping and his colleagues some pause on the advisability of moving too close to kinetic action. America’s anti-China mood has intensified with China’s reckless spread of the coronavirus pandemic to the world. The president himself, after giving Xi a pass on his deceptive handling of the virus, has repeatedly stressed its China origin and reportedly said in April that he was “getting tired of China.”

Actually, Xi already had concluded he was done with Trump once he realized Trump was serious about forcing the structural changes in China’s economy needed to comply with the trade deal. We may never know whether the pandemic’s devastation of Western economies was a fortuitous coincidence for China or something more sinister. But the intelligence community confirmed this week what has been clear for months — that Beijing would like to see the “unpredictable” Trump gone and would be pleased to deal instead with Joe Biden as president.

Hong Kong media tycoon says arrest was meant to intimidate
China's Confucius Institute designated as a foreign mission of Beijing
Deng Xiaoping famously told his generation of Chinese leaders that while China was building its economic and military power it was prudent to keep a low profile to conceal their true intentions: “Hide your capabilities, bide your time.”

Xi has passed the point of coyness about what China believes it can do to the U.S. Navy if it intervenes in a cross-Strait conflict. But, given the strong pushback from the Trump administration on Taiwan and a range of issues, he apparently has decided China should bide its time a little longer and wait for Biden.

quote:

Originally posted by 2012BOSS302:
The president, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed released a joint statement Thursday, after the three spoke “and agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. ” The statement said that the “diplomatic breakthrough” was at “the request of President Trump,”

And of course Shotgun Joe has to lie and make his ass look as if he had something to do with this.

quote:

WILMINGTON, Delaware — Joe Biden is calling the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates “a historic step to bridge the deep divides of the Middle East.”

The former vice president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee issued a statement on Thursday, calling the agreement that the UAE publicly recognize Israel “a welcome, brave, and badly-needed act of statesmanship” and a “critical recognition that Israel is a vibrant, integral part of the Middle East that is here to stay.”

Biden also said that West Bank annexation by Israel “would be a body blow to the cause of peace, which is why I oppose it now and would oppose it as president” if he’s elected when the U.S. votes in November. He said that as president, he’d seek to foster a two-state solution in the Middle East.

Biden also said the accord shows “the role American democracy can play” and “builds on efforts of multiple administrations,” including President Barack Obama’s. But he did not mention the Trump White House by name.

Biden said he’d spent time with UAE leaders as vice president and “I am gratified by today’s announcement.”

What a lying dog-faced pony soldier.

https://abcnews.go.com/Interna...ties-israel-72351436

Trump should selectively quote him and thank him for the recognition of the hard work Trump put in to this.