# W wins popular vote . . Al wins College- Could we have a civil war? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 1, 2000, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-wins-popular-vote-al-wins-college-could-we-have-a-civil-war/39276 "2000-11-01T18:20:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-wins-popular-vote-al-wins-college-could-we-have-a-civil-war/39276/41 "2000-11-03T06:30:39Z")
> [@](#): > > In fact, I didn’t see your post, just Freedom’s response to it. My fault for not paying closer attention; I’m sorry I implicated you in the crossfire My point still stands. I didn’t base anything in my post on the Kennedy/Nixon controversy. I think tht if we didn’t have the EC, we would see NYC, NWK, LA, and other major cities having a vote turn out around 80%, while the rest of the country strangely couldn’t break 55%. I think there is currently a lot of vote fraud, and I think there would be even more if we eliminated the EC. ---
**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-wins-popular-vote-al-wins-college-could-we-have-a-civil-war/39276/42 "2000-11-03T06:32:06Z")
> [@](#): > > By all means. Any state that can execute an average of one person every two weeks is not a state I want to keep. You’ll have to forgive them for being so slow, they are still working through the backlog. (ducking and running) ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-wins-popular-vote-al-wins-college-could-we-have-a-civil-war/39276/43 "2000-11-03T06:42:47Z")
Kunilou, Thanks for the correction about the Powell case. I had obviously misremembered it. I don’t think it would apply in a potential Carnahan situation. The Supreme Court could decide if it is legal for Mel Carnahan to be the elected senator. The statute in Missouri seems pretty straightforward about this. ---
**Author:** ![Danielinthewolvesden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-wins-popular-vote-al-wins-college-could-we-have-a-civil-war/39276/44 "2000-11-03T07:32:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by k2dave \* > \*\*Funny thing about Texas, IIRC it is the only state that can succede, granted to it by the Fed as a condition of statehood. \*\* Umm, there was that little thing called the Civil war- Texas tried to succede, and got whupped? That is when they lost any right they might have had. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-wins-popular-vote-al-wins-college-could-we-have-a-civil-war/39276/45 "2000-11-03T07:53:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Freedom2 \* > I think there is currently a lot of vote fraud, and I think there would be even more if we eliminated the EC. Why do you think there is a lot of vote fraud? Is there a basis to this suspicion? Frankly, working much of the time overseas and getting to witness real live vote fraud I have a hard time believing vote fraud occurs in the US on a massive scale. ---
**Author:** ![Beruang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@Beruang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beruang)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2000, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-wins-popular-vote-al-wins-college-could-we-have-a-civil-war/39276/46 "2000-11-04T06:20:22Z")
The Discover article, “Math Against Tyranny” (Nov. 96), cited in many of these Electoral College threads – argues that the EC actually _prevents_ civil war in the event of a candidate winning the popular vote but losing the EC vote. ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2000, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-wins-popular-vote-al-wins-college-could-we-have-a-civil-war/39276/47 "2000-11-06T18:11:39Z")
The most frightening scenario (which is an extreme long-shot, but possible nonetheless) is as follows: neither Bush nor Gore gets a majority in the EC. The House delegations break down so that neither Bush nor Gore can get a majority in the House (I think the current Congress has 25 delegations with a majority either Republican or Democrat and the other 25 are evenly split). The House membership also shakes out so that a Speaker can’t be selected. Finally, the Senate is deadlocked on VP. This, my friends, would result in STROM THURMOND as President. It’s not going to happen, but the possibility is, technically, there… ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2000, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-wins-popular-vote-al-wins-college-could-we-have-a-civil-war/39276/48 "2000-11-07T12:45:35Z")
Oh, for pete’s sake. We can’t even get people to VOTE. You’re suggesting they’d be motivated enough to put down their remotes and try and topple the government? Clearly, if this happens the solution would be a mud wrestling contest between Jerry Falwell and Ted Kennedy. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2000, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-wins-popular-vote-al-wins-college-could-we-have-a-civil-war/39276/49 "2000-11-07T12:55:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KSO \* > \*\*The most frightening scenario (which is an extreme long-shot, … This, my friends, would result in STROM THURMOND as President. It’s not going to happen, but the possibility is, technically, there… \*\* Ewwwww. I have a strange theory. Strom Thurmond is actually a member of the living dead. Watch him closely. Despite the makeup, we all should recognize he’s part of the first wave. ---
**Author:** ![Winkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/41988e/32.png) [@Winkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winkie)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2000, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-wins-popular-vote-al-wins-college-could-we-have-a-civil-war/39276/50 "2000-11-07T13:20:09Z")
What an appropriate thread as I get ready to go cast my vote … My feeling is if one candidate wins the popular vote but the other wins the EC, civil war is probably out. Dang – what an opportunity for a new reality-based TV show! But, I bet we see a huge push for change in the system before the next election. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-wins-popular-vote-al-wins-college-could-we-have-a-civil-war/39276.md?page=2)