# Election Day \[Week\]\[Month\[s\]\] \[Year\] 2020 follow-along thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 3, 2020, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618 "2020-11-03T05:36:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 413
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8259 "2021-01-01T00:09:53Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > One of the few semi positive things that Trumpists can say about Trump is that he has been one of the few presidents who hasn’t started any foreign military engagements. One could also say that he just hands them victories in place of the war. Backing out of the Iran agreement, victory: Iran. Dignifying the leadership of North Korea, victory: North Korea, Putin, Putin, and Putin, where to begin? Victory, not us. ---
**Author:** ![SingleMalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/singlemalt/32/3961_2.png) [@SingleMalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleMalt)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8260 "2021-01-01T00:09:55Z")
I wonder if this has anything to do with Trump’s sudden return to Washington? ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8261 "2021-01-01T00:24:26Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Does this mean Pence will likely do his duty on January 6? I wouldn’t read too much into this – the Judge required Pence to respond to the suit by today and it looks like his objection is on technical grounds. It was silly of Gohmert et. al. to think that Pence was ever going to go along with a suit against himself. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8262 "2021-01-01T01:36:20Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Ha-ha! Trump’s going to try to fire Pence after Pence fails to overturn the election results! Pence was voted in, not appointed. Does Trump have the power to do that? ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8263 "2021-01-01T01:36:58Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > Pence was voted in, not appointed. Does Trump have the power to do that? No, he does not. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8264 "2021-01-01T01:39:07Z")
> [@SingleMalt](#): > > I wonder if this has anything to do with Trump’s sudden return to Washington? Is Donnie going to take Mikey to the woodshed and have a talk with him? ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8265 "2021-01-01T01:47:44Z")
I don’t disagree; I tried to couch the positives with lots of caveats. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8266 "2021-01-01T01:52:33Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > > [@Biffster](#): > > > > Pence was voted in, not appointed. Does Trump have the power to do that? > > No, he does not. But he can ask Pence for his resignation, and Pence would grant his request - he has no reason to fight Trump on it. So effectively, yes he can “fire” him. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8267 "2021-01-01T01:59:26Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > But he can ask Pence for his resignation, and Pence would grant his request - he has no reason to fight Trump on it. So effectively, yes he can “fire” him. If Pence resigns, then I assume that the President Pro Tem of the Senate would certify the votes. That office is held by Chuck Grassley, who has said he recognizes Biden’s electoral victory. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8268 "2021-01-01T02:02:35Z")
Yeah, Trump asking Pence to resign wouldn’t be with the goal of changing anything; it would be nothing more than petty vindictiveness. In other words, quite likely. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8269 "2021-01-01T02:07:53Z")
No. But he doesn’t know that. Shhh. Let him try. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8270 "2021-01-01T02:51:03Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > Pence was voted in, not appointed. Does Trump have the power to do that? Obviously, Trump doesn’t feel elections mean that much. His opinion is all that matters. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8271 "2021-01-01T02:57:35Z")
Reluctantly and like a bad Disney audio-animatronic, but yes. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8272 "2021-01-01T02:58:15Z")
Yeah, it is hard to get into wars when you surrender before they attack. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8273 "2021-01-01T02:59:14Z")
Wouldnt Pelosi move up a step? ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8274 "2021-01-01T03:19:44Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > But he can ask Pence for his resignation, and Pence would grant his request - he has no reason to fight Trump on it. So effectively, yes he can “fire” him. I guess I don’t see what Pence has to gain by resigning. He doesn’t need to fight Trump on it – he doesn’t even need to respond. He just keeps on being Vice President until January 20 and there’s nothing that Trump can do about it. Trump urged the Republican Governor of Georgia to resign a few days ago, and he just ignored it. The news cycle moved on. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8275 "2021-01-01T03:47:24Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Wouldnt Pelosi move up a step? Who reads the votes doesn’t have anything to do with Presidential succession. [The procedure specifies that the President of the Senate is the presiding officer](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/15) for counting the votes. The Vice President is officially the President of the Senate (one of the few roles of the VP specified in the Constitution). In the absence of the Vice President, the President pro tem of the Senate is the presiding officer. Pelosi is not an officer of the senate, and wouldn’t “move up.” That would be a sideways move in this context. Before the 25th Amendment allowed for filling a vacancy in the Vice Presidency, there were many occasions when the office was vacant for the reading of the electoral votes. The most recent one would have been in 1965, when LBJ was elected in his own right. So there must be precedent for who reads the votes in such a case. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8276 "2021-01-01T03:49:55Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Before the 25th Amendment allowed for filling a vacancy in the Vice Presidency, there were many occasions when the office was vacant for the reading of the electoral votes. The most recent one would have been in 1965, when LBJ was elected in his own right. So there must be precedent for who reads the votes in such a case. In 1968, incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey – who had been defeated by Richard Nixon in that year’s presidential contest – declined to attend the joint session. He was replaced by the Senate President Pro Tem. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8277 "2021-01-01T06:28:14Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > Obviously, Trump doesn’t feel elections mean that much. His opinion is all that matters. Well, that’s pretty self-evident. I’m more concerned with what is he legally able to do. I know Trump appointed Pence to be his running mate, but he was also voted in independently by the Electoral College in states that Trump/Pence won. I’m not sure Trump can actually snap his fingers and make Pence go away. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618/8278 "2021-01-01T06:57:32Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Who reads the votes doesn’t have anything to do with Presidential succession. > > [The procedure specifies that the President of the Senate is the presiding officer](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/15) for counting the votes. The Vice President is officially the President of the Senate (one of the few roles of the VP specified in the Constitution). In the absence of the Vice President, the President pro tem of the Senate is the presiding officer. Pelosi is not an officer of the senate, and wouldn’t “move up.” That would be a sideways move in this context. Well it does, IF Pence resigns. But I am wrong, Pelosi doesnt move up: **Section 2**. _Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress._ I guess if they cant agree in a speedy fashion, the yes the President pro tem of the Senate would step in. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618.md?page=412) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day-week-month-s-year-2020-follow-along-thread/924618.md?page=414)