Congress is going to pick the next President

[livinitup]

Wouldn't that be wild?

So, watching coverage of the potential third party run of Michael Bloomberg - I heard this possibility.

If Bloomberg enters the race (or any 3rd party candidate) and pulls enough votes, it could prevent any candidate from getting to 270 electoral votes. If no candidate gets 270 electoral votes, then the House of Representatives decides.

The republican controlled Congress.

Which means - Trump is our next President.

[boxertdog]

"Each state delegation gets one vote". Not each rep. So the state's reps of different parties would have to agree on one candidate for each state's vote. Could go any way at that point.

[isabel]

I really can't believe that even congress would pick Trump.

[honeychai]

No.

Please.

No.

[bronxgirl]

I know that's what could happen if there is a tie. I know this because I am a congressional scholar. Actually, b/c that's the current cliffhanger on Veep. Who says TV isn't educational?

[panicfoot]

Jesus. I am a political idiot as far as how the system works so sorry if this is a stupid question. If this happened, would they have to pick someone on the ballot? Or could they pick someone else? I don't trust either. Ahhhhhh this can't happen.

[underwaterrhymes]

Wild is not the word I would use to describe this.

[Deleted]

Have you been watching fox news too?

[frkls]

I'd bet most of the R's inzx congress would pick Bloomberg over Trump

[daisyn]

Except the republican nomination hasn't been decided yet

[Vespasia]

I can't imagine that the Republicans in Congress would put Trump in the White House. There would be way too much backlash against the party when he started screwing everything up. They'd be guaranteed to lose seats in the next round of elections.

[Jalapeñomel]

Do we think Trump is going to win the nomination?

[daisyn]

Jan 24, 2016 14:34:39 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Do we think Trump is going to win the nomination?

No, isn't voter turnout for primaries like 10% ish?  I don't think that Trump's supporters are people that would vote in a primary.

[underwaterrhymes]

Jan 24, 2016 14:35:45 GMT -5 daisyn said:

Jan 24, 2016 14:34:39 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Do we think Trump is going to win the nomination?

No, isn't voter turnout for primaries like 10% ish?  I don't think that Trump's supporters are people that would vote in a primary.

It's either going to be Trump or Cruz and they both scare the shit out of me.

[bronxgirl]

Jan 24, 2016 14:37:20 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Jan 24, 2016 14:35:45 GMT -5 daisyn said:

No, isn't voter turnout for primaries like 10% ish?  I don't think that Trump's supporters are people that would vote in a primary.

It's either going to be Trump or Cruz and they both scare the shit out of me.

Yes, I feel the same way and it really is scary. I'm looking forward to the primaries actually starting b/c maybe we'll have a better picture of what will actually happen, rather than conjecture. OTOH, it might be a pretty scary outlook.

[swank]

I think Trump's lead right now and coverage in the media may dupe his supporters into staying home on primary day because they feel they aren't needed. That's at least what I dream.

[iamlaila]

Jan 24, 2016 12:38:59 GMT -5 panicfoot said:

Jesus. I am a political idiot as far as how the system works so sorry if this is a stupid question. If this happened, would they have to pick someone on the ballot? Or could they pick someone else? I don't trust either. Ahhhhhh this can't happen.

It has happened twice (Jefferson was elected and Adams was elected).  Yes, they must have been on the ballot.

[BirdGirl]

Jan 24, 2016 12:38:59 GMT -5 panicfoot said:

Jesus. I am a political idiot as far as how the system works so sorry if this is a stupid question. If this happened, would they have to pick someone on the ballot? Or could they pick someone else? I don't trust either. Ahhhhhh this can't happen.

The top 3 electoral college vote getters.

[cville]

NO THEY ARE NOT. SHUT IT.

[whiskeytails]

From most every interview I've heard from people who've worked with Trump (celebs, insiders), they think he's doing this for votes--doesn't actually believe any of it and will be completely different in office (Democratic roots).

I'm still not voting for him, but makes me sleep better at night.

[cville]

Jan 24, 2016 15:46:23 GMT -5 whiskeytails said:

From most every interview I've heard from people who've worked with Trump (celebs, insiders), they think he's doing this for votes--doesn't actually believe any of it and will be completely different in office (Democratic roots).

I'm still not voting for him, but makes me sleep better at night.

No, dude. I don't give half a rat's ass what his barber's sister thinks he'll do in office. Trump is an underinformed, egomaniacal blowhard who acts and speaks almost exclusively without thinking. This isn't some mild right pandering for primary purposes that will be followed by a typical move to the middle. No.

He would be an abject nightmare as president, which is why we all need to do whatever we can to make it not happen.

[Jalapeñomel]

Jan 24, 2016 15:50:38 GMT -5 cville said:

Jan 24, 2016 15:46:23 GMT -5 whiskeytails said:

From most every interview I've heard from people who've worked with Trump (celebs, insiders), they think he's doing this for votes--doesn't actually believe any of it and will be completely different in office (Democratic roots).

I'm still not voting for him, but makes me sleep better at night.

No, dude. I don't give half a rat's ass what his barber's sister thinks he'll do in office. Trump is an underinformed, egomaniacal blowhard who acts and speaks almost exclusively without thinking. This isn't some mild right pandering for primary purposes that will be followed by a typical move to the middle. No.

He would be an abject nightmare as president, which is why we all need to do whatever we can to make it not happen.

On top of that, I don't think he actually wants to be president, he just wants the publicity.

[Deleted]

Jan 24, 2016 15:52:37 GMT -5 kooshball said:

I'll take trump over cruz. Plus the whole natural born citizen thing with cruz is concerning.

Seriously??? A new "birther" conspiracy?

[Deleted]

If Trump gets the GOP nomination and God forbid somehow wins this thing, the U.S. Will be the laughing stock of the entire world.

[Deleted]

Jan 24, 2016 16:15:14 GMT -5 kooshball said:

Jan 24, 2016 16:13:10 GMT -5 @javalover said:

Seriously??? A new "birther" conspiracy?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born-citizen_clause#Ted_Cruz

I know what the "debate" is...and I don't care about it. It's another "birther" conspiracy. I'm no Cruz supporter - I think both he and Trump are clowns - but please, not Wiki and no more birther conspiracy stuff.

[cville]

Jan 24, 2016 16:21:11 GMT -5 @javalover said:

Jan 24, 2016 16:15:14 GMT -5 kooshball said:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born-citizen_clause#Ted_Cruz

I know what the "debate" is...and I don't care about it. It's another "birther" conspiracy. I'm no Cruz supporter - I think both he and Trump are clowns - but please, not Wiki and no more birther conspiracy stuff.

This isn't the same. TRUMP, let's recall, and others didn't object to Obama because he wasn't born in America but was the child of an American (the Cruz objection). They objected because they insisted that he was LYING ABOUT WHERE HE WAS BORN and who his parents were. One is an arguably archaic discussion of constitutional nuance. The other is racist xenophobia.

[whiskeytails]

Jan 24, 2016 15:50:38 GMT -5 cville said:

Jan 24, 2016 15:46:23 GMT -5 whiskeytails said:

From most every interview I've heard from people who've worked with Trump (celebs, insiders), they think he's doing this for votes--doesn't actually believe any of it and will be completely different in office (Democratic roots).

I'm still not voting for him, but makes me sleep better at night.

No, dude. I don't give half a rat's ass what his barber's sister thinks he'll do in office. Trump is an underinformed, egomaniacal blowhard who acts and speaks almost exclusively without thinking. This isn't some mild right pandering for primary purposes that will be followed by a typical move to the middle. No.

He would be an abject nightmare as president, which is why we all need to do whatever we can to make it not happen.

I disagree. Everything he says is calculated and he knows exactly what will appeal to the white trash of 'Murica. 

I completely agree that he is underinformed and egomaniacal blowhard. I believe what he says is careless and short-minded as he is a representative of the US to foreign countries.

I don't think he would create a Muslim registry or a wall along the Mexican border--but his words will have consequences.

[dowagercountess]

I have an extension on Chrome that turns trump into You-Know-Who. It's making this post fun to read.

[livinitup]

Jan 24, 2016 18:55:13 GMT -5 whiskeytails said:

Jan 24, 2016 15:50:38 GMT -5 cville said:

No, dude. I don't give half a rat's ass what his barber's sister thinks he'll do in office. Trump is an underinformed, egomaniacal blowhard who acts and speaks almost exclusively without thinking. This isn't some mild right pandering for primary purposes that will be followed by a typical move to the middle. No.

He would be an abject nightmare as president, which is why we all need to do whatever we can to make it not happen.

I disagree. Everything he says is calculated and he knows exactly what will appeal to the white trash of 'Murica. 

I completely agree that he is underinformed and egomaniacal blowhard. I believe what he says is careless and short-minded as he is a representative of the US to foreign countries.

I don't think he would create a Muslim registry or a wall along the Mexican border--but his words will have consequences.

I think he'll do a lot of damage in office ... yeah know, the most powerf office in the world. He'll do MAJOR damage.

[sonrisa]

That is highly unlikely. It isn't just if a third party candidate "got enough votes." The third party candidate would have to take whole states for this to be an issue. Most states award their electoral votes as "winner takes all." In 1992 Perot got 19% of the votes. 19% to Clinton's 43% and Dole's 40%. That is a hell of a lot of votes. But he carried zero states so he got no electoral votes.