# Electoral College revolt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 11, 2016, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529 "2016-11-11T19:20:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/261 "2016-12-19T21:51:17Z")
Now with Trump about to win the Electoral College vote Democrats who were urging electors to become faithless are [blaming Clinton for the failure of their effort.](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-electoral-college-win-democrats-infighting-232814) > [@](#): > > With Donald Trump poised to win a majority of the Electoral College vote Monday, Democratic leaders of an anti-Trump effort expressed anger and frustration toward Hillary Clinton and her top allies, insisting that their silence had all but doomed the long-shot plan to thwart Trump’s election. > > One Democratic elector with Clinton campaign ties claimed dozens of Democrats on the Electoral College were willing to embrace the unprecedented plan to throw their votes to a consensus Republican candidate — like Mitt Romney — as part of a strategy to coax GOP electors to abandon Trump. All they needed, the elector said, was a signal from Clinton or her top allies. Much as I dislike Hillary I think this is way out of line. The woman had the good sense to know the fight was over. These idiots should have the decency to leave her be. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/262 "2016-12-19T21:52:48Z")
Trump now has 268 electoral votes in the bag. Texas is about to vote in a few minutes. Will Trump get his 270? I am on pins and needles. The tension and the uncertainty is killing me! ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/263 "2016-12-19T22:19:09Z")
Maybe 5 faithless electors in total? ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/264 "2016-12-19T22:29:09Z")
Two more faithless electors from Texas. Kasich and Paul (not sure if it was Ron or Rand)… Trump passes 270. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/265 "2016-12-19T22:35:07Z")
> [@johnboy3434](#): > > So there’s been four actual, recorded faithless electors so far this year (including the first electoral vote ever cast for a Native American). For President. In 1928, Hoover/Custis got 444 electoral votes. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/266 "2016-12-19T22:38:08Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > So there have been 7 faithless electors (counting those replaced or invalidated) but all were Clinton electors. Interesting. Faithless electors are usually electors who were pledged to the candidate who lost. Being as they’re pledged to vote for somebody who’s going to lose, their vote is already effectively meaningless. So they’re more likely to send a symbolic message. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/267 "2016-12-19T23:00:49Z")
So now what? An attempt at preemptive impeachment? Or has the anti-Trump movement shot its last bolt? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/268 "2016-12-19T23:01:21Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > So now what? An attempt at preemptive impeachment? Or has the anti-Trump movement shot its last bolt? Now what? 4-8 years of hysteria. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/269 "2016-12-19T23:10:06Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Now what? 4-8 years of hysteria. Nah, it’ll be a few months before those that elected trump devolve into hysterics when they realize that they were entirely lied to, and that the vote they cast was the worst of all choices. It’ll be a bit longer before those who defend trump devolve, but they will probably be even more upset when that finally happens. ---
**Author:** ![Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pearl_Clutching_Provocateur)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/270 "2016-12-19T23:16:28Z")
Hillary Clinton has four faithless electors to go along with her faithless husband. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/271 "2016-12-19T23:23:11Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Faithless electors are usually electors who were pledged to the candidate who lost. Being as they’re pledged to vote for somebody who’s going to lose, their vote is already effectively meaningless. So they’re more likely to send a symbolic message. Three votes for a Republican ex-general and one for an uppity Sioux – always count on the Democrats to do something downright silly. 🙂 Two faithless electors pledged to the winning candidate appears to be a record, at least since 1808. Yet another mark on Trump’s legacy, and he’s not even POTUS yet. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Nah, it’ll be a few months before those that elected trump devolve into hysterics when they realize that they were entirely lied to, and that the vote they cast was the worst of all choices. > > It’ll be a bit longer before those who defend trump devolve, but they will probably be even more upset when that finally happens. You know as well as I do that they’ll just blame Obama for everything. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/272 "2016-12-19T23:49:41Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > You know as well as I do that they’ll just blame Obama for everything. Established republicans, yes. Most of those defending them on this board, sure. But my hope is that the working class voters who voted for trump out of some kind of desperation will come to realize the error of their maneuver, and come back to the table to work on some real solutions. This process will pretty much require that they go through a phase of extreme disappointment with their choice, probably described by those currently accusing our disappointment with the results of this election cycle as hysterics as, well, hysterics. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/273 "2016-12-19T23:58:22Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > So now what? An attempt at preemptive impeachment? Or has the anti-Trump movement shot its last bolt? Maybe he’ll flub the oath. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![johnboy3434](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/db5fbb/32.png) [@johnboy3434](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnboy3434)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/274 "2016-12-20T00:57:31Z")
Interesting factoids about this presidential election: -The vote for Ron Paul is the first electoral vote for a Libertarian in 44 years. John Hospers got a single vote in 1972, also through a faithless elector. -Faith Spotted Eagle, as far as I’ve been able to research, does not affiliate herself with any party. As such, this makes her the first Independent to receive an electoral vote since _George friggin’ Washington_ in 1796. That’s 220 years. **EDIT:** Except it seems one of Hawaii’s electors voted for Bernie Sanders. So two different Independents got an electoral vote. That’s never happened before. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/275 "2016-12-20T01:05:37Z")
Since it was crystal clear that Hillary was not going to be voted President by the EC, if Democrats actually wanted to diminish EC’s image in preparation for trying to abolish it, they should have convinced their Democratic electors to vote for themselves, for past historical figures, for cartoon/movie characters etc. En masse. THAT would have caused a splash. This was just so ho-hum, it’s pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![johnboy3434](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/db5fbb/32.png) [@johnboy3434](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnboy3434)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/276 "2016-12-20T01:05:44Z")
The final votes are in: We have another faithless elector. An elector from Hawaii voted for Sanders instead of Clinton. That means that the presidential election this year had more faithless electors than any other normal post-12th-Amendment election.\* \*“Normal” in that one of the candidates didn’t die like in 1872. There were 63 faithless electors that year, for obvious reasons. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/277 "2016-12-20T01:20:14Z")
> [@johnboy3434](#): > > The final votes are in: We have another faithless elector. An elector from Hawaii voted for Sanders instead of Clinton. > > That means that the presidential election this year had more faithless electors than any other normal post-12th-Amendment election.\* > > \*“Normal” in that one of the candidates didn’t die like in 1872. There were 63 faithless electors that year, for obvious reasons. Yeah, how dare they not vote for Greeley. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![johnboy3434](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/db5fbb/32.png) [@johnboy3434](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnboy3434)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/278 "2016-12-20T01:38:12Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Yeah, how dare they not vote for Greeley. :mad: The fact that three electors still decided to vote for Greeley, even though he was _dead_, is proof that stupidity in American politics isn’t a new phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/279 "2016-12-20T04:42:00Z")
Honestly, it may have been their best option. Think about it: voting for someone else is potentially going to upset anyone you DIDN’T vote for. Voting for the dead guy who lost just means your votes get tossed, without upsetting anyone in the process. And it probably is kinda cool to brag about getting your vote invalidated by Congress. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529/280 "2016-12-20T05:48:57Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > So now what? An attempt at preemptive impeachment? Or has the anti-Trump movement shot its last bolt? No, I predict the anti-Trump movement is just getting started. Trump’s going to spend the next four years feeding it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electoral-college-revolt/771529.md?page=15)