Highly Unlikely Scenario:
Yesterday, I asked what may happen if the recounts show very different results than the computer count.
I didn't really get any stories.
Here's one, highly unlikely:
The Stein-Clinton team funds recounts in three states, each of which show irregularities. These irregularities are enough to sway the election, and show tens of thousands of Trump votes with no paper trail. Nate Silver is quoted as saying "fuck".
Obama -- who is still the President -- orders the Department of Justice to recount all votes across all states. The Trump team sues to prevent this action, claiming it is a clear violation of the rights of States to handle their own elections. The Supreme Court takes the case, claiming original jurisdiction.
From the bench, Clarence Thomas breaks silence and precedent by saying "count the damn votes". The court agrees 8-0 that we should "count the damn votes".
Riots break out across the rust belt, as white americans decry the Supreme Court overruling their votes.
What happens next?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The riots are pretty bad, the public shoot a few people, but the rioters are white so the police just kind of put some limits on them and wait for them to tire themselves out.
ReplyDeleteThe recount happens, by electorial college votes Trump still wins.
Nothing changes.
No one's happy.
Then, the Democrats are taken over by Sanders, Ellison, Warren, and just for fun, Zephyr Teachout.
ReplyDeleteThey lose 2020 by a larger margin than McGovern in 1968.
Then in 2021, the entire world marketplace collapses, and roving bands of mercenaries start slaughtering mobs of 'losers' who are left with nothing but attacking the underground bunkers of the oligarchy.
In order for there to be so many ghost voters, it would have to be a massive election fraud effort - plausibly by Russia. Or who knows? Maybe a fat guy in his mother's basement.
ReplyDeleteNo, but seriously, this would be a huge crisis. You'd have half the country which will deny reality and love Putin (why? mysterious). The electoral college meets and the Trump supporters simply dig in their heels and elect Trump.
The riots continue, and because obviously riots aren't done by white people, President Trump uses them as an excuse to crack down on the rioters (not the white people actually rioting, of course, but the various folks the white rioters hate). That's the biggest danger of the reality denial bubble Trump lives in - he'll probably honestly think the bizarro conspiracy theories the alt-right white nationalists spout. And they have already started with the fake news stories that the actual hate crime wave is a wave against Trump supporters by evil liberals.
Given that level of reality denial, the victims are going to be the ones who President Trump violently cracks down on.
Right, this would be a constitutional crisis, leading at least temporarily to a total breakdown in the peaceful transfer of power that is one of the main strengths of a republic as a form of government. I think any outcome that overturned the widely publicized election results would lead to a civil war, in all seriousness. I'm not sure that even a non-overturning outcome would strengthen the legitimacy of Trump's win, because HE delegitimized his own win by claiming voter fraud on a scale of millions.
ReplyDeleteIt's such a universal thought now as to be trite, but I'm 35 and I've never been scared for the future of the republic as I am since 9 November.
With the President-Elect saying there were millions of illegal votes, we're already in crisis territory. We're just (mostly) pretending its not happening.
ReplyDeleteAs I always suggest, have a look at Russia if you want to see how a modern, technologically enabled dictatorship thrives.
ReplyDeleteI just hope somebody in the White House is paying attention to the loyalties of our armed services officers.
ReplyDeleteThe problem in our military is we've never come to terms with what a domestic enemy is regarding the oath.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just the military you have to worry about, there's a substantial and militarised police force too. Still, as long as they aren't controversially eager to shoot people I'm sure it'll all be fine.
ReplyDeleteBrian Ashford My gut says that no matter how much military gear a given police force has, they'll still cave when confronted with an actual military force. But that may be wishful thinking.
ReplyDelete