HILLARY
CLINTON LOOKS LIKE SHE WILL END
UP WINNING THE POPULAR VOTE IN
THIS ELECTION, AND OF COURSE
LOSING THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE,
SOMETHING THAT SEEMS TO HAPPEN
SUSPICIOUSLY OFTEN TO DEMOCRATS
THIS CENTURY.
SO FOR MANY
AMERICANS WHO ARE HORRIFIED WHAT
THEY KNOW DONALD TRUMP WILL DO
AS PRESIDENT, THE ELECTORAL
COLLEGE IS THEIR LAST PERCEIVED
CHANCE TO STOP THIS THING AND
HOPEFULLY CONVINCE ENOUGH
ELECTORS TO SWITCH THEIR VOTE
FROM DONALD TRUMP TO HILLARY
CLINTON AND MAKE HER PRESIDENT
INSTEAD.
A PETITION HAS BEEN
STARTED TO TRY TO GET THIS TO
HAPPEN ON CHANGE.ORG, THIS WAS
FROM EARLIER TODAY, FOR ALL I
KNOW IT HAS HIT 3 MILLION AT
THIS POINT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS, A
NUMBER OF CELEBRITIES HAVE BEEN
SPREADING THIS MESSAGE, LADY
GAGA, THINGS LIKE THAT, IT'S FOR
A POPULAR.
THIS WOULD RELY ON
WHAT IS CONSIDERED FAITHLESS
ELECTORS, WHO WOULD CAST A VOTE
FOR SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT
THE MAJORITY OR PLURALITY OF
PEOPLE IN THEIR STATE VOTED FOR
IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
IT
IS NOT COMMON --
WANTING TO GET IN ON THAT
TRAIN A COUPLE YEARS EARLY, I
SUPPOSE.
THE PHILOSOPHICAL
ARGUMENT FOR TRYING TO PERSUADE
ELECTORS TO GO FOR SOMETHING
OTHER THAN WHAT THEY ARE
APPARENTLY SUPPOSED TO, PEOPLE
ARE POINTING TO SOME OF THE
FOUNDERS' INITIAL STATEMENTS
DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
THIS
SELECTION FROM ONE OF THE
FEDERALIST PAPERS BY ELDER
HAMILTON, WHO SEEMS POPULAR
THESE DAYS FOR SOME REASON, A
LOT OF PEOPLE ARE POINTING 
TO
THIS --
THAT IS FANCY TALK FOR,
THERE'S A CHANCE THAT ALL OF
THESE PEASANTS WILL GO CRAZY
SOMEDAY AND ELECT TO SOME MANIAC
WHO WILL DESTROY DEMOCRACY,
INSTEAD LET'S GET THE WISE,
LEARNED WHITE MEN TO GET
TOGETHER AND DELIBERATE AND STOP
THE COUNTRY FROM DESCENDING INTO
THE SEVENTH LAYER OF HELL.
THAT
IS WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY.
BEFORE WE JUMP INTO THE
DISCUSSION, THE IDEA THAT YOU
COULD CONVINCE ENOUGH TO DO IT
IS A VERY COMPLICATED ONE, WE
HAVE TO BE WILLING TO ADMIT IT'S
EXTREMELY UNLIKELY FOR A NUMBER
OF DIFFERENT REASONS.
FIRST OF
ALL, MANY OF THE STATES, IF
THERE ELECTORS DECIDED TO BE
FAITHLESS, THERE ARE POSSIBLE
REPERCUSSIONS WHERE THEY COULD
SIMPLY SAID OTHER ELECTORS.
THERE ARE CHANCES WHERE IF NOT
ENOUGH DO IT BUT IT GETS TO A
CERTAIN THRESHOLD WHERE NOBODY
HAS 270, THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES WOULD GO FOR THE
REPUBLICAN.
HILLARY CLINTON HAS
ALREADY CONCEDED, THERE IS NO
INDICATION SHE WOULD GO ALONG
WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AND IF
YOU WERE TO CONVINCE ROUGHLY 30
OR 27 ELECTORS TO DO THIS I
THINK REPUBLICANS NATIONALLY
WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT AND
I HAVE READ RECENTLY THAT THEY
OWN SOMETHING LIKE 250 MILLION
GUNS.
THERE ARE COMPLICATIONS,
LET'S DISCUSS.
ON THE ONE HAND YOU GET A
LITTLE EXCITED BECAUSE SHE WON
THE POPULAR VOTE, HOW MANY TIMES
ARE WE GOING TO HAVE SOMEONE WIN
THE POPULAR VOTE AND NOT BECOME
PRESIDENT?
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
IS MEANT TO BE UNDEMOCRATIC A
DIFFERENT WAY, IT SOUND LIKE THE
SUPERDELEGATES WE HAVE IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
YOU SAY
SANDERS, I SAY CLINTON.
AS IT
TURNS OUT BOTH THE
SUPERDELEGATES AND PLEDGED
DELEGATES SAID CLINTON, SO I
DON'T LIKE THAT, THAT SOUNDS
UNDEMOCRATIC THAT THE ELECTORS
COULD DECIDE, NOT INTERESTED IN
YOUR OPINION.
THE FLIPSIDE IS,
THIS WOULD BE THE REVERSE.
WHERE
THEY ARE SAYING, NO, WE ARE
INTERESTED IN HOW YOU VOTED, AND
YOU VOTED FOR HILLARY CLINTON.
WE HAD MORE VOTE FOR HILLARY
CLINTON THAN FOR DONALD TRUMP,
AND IT WOULD BE AN IRONIC ACT OF
DEMOCRACY TO SAY I'M GOING TO
USE THE SUPERDELEGATE-LIKE FOLKS
TO ACTUALLY GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT
THEY VOTED FOR.
WE CAN'T LOSE
TRACK OF THE FACT THAT DONALD
TRUMP DID NOT GET AS MANY VOTES
AS HIS OPPONENT, AND IS GOING TO
BE PRESIDENT ANYWAY.
THAT IS NOT
WHAT THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IS
SUPPOSED TO BRING US.
HAVING
SAID ALL THAT, ONE, IT SOUNDS
SUPER UNDOABLE, I KNOW A LOT OF
GOOD FOLKS ARE BEHIND IT, BUT
YOU ARE GOING TO FLIP ALL THOSE
ELECTORS, REPUBLICANS GO KNOTS,
I WILL FIGHT REPUBLICANS, I
DON'T MIND.
QUITE WHAT IF THEY
SIMPLY REFUSE?
DOES IT GO TO THE
MILITARY?
THE OTHER PART IS, ON
PRINCIPLE, WE DO HAVE THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE, AND IF WE
WERE TO REVERSE THAT I THINK
THEY WOULD BE RIGHTLY AGGRIEVED.
ONE THING THAT OCCURRED TO ME,
OVERALL IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THE
CASE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE I THINK THERE
ARE GOOD REASONS TO GET RID OF
IT, THERE ARE ALSO SOME REASONS
TO KEEP IT.
IT'S AN INTERESTING
DEBATE TO HAVE AND WE HAVEN'T
EVERY FOUR YEARS BECAUSE OF
SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.
BUT I
WOULD SAY IN TERMS OF TRYING TO
OVERTURN WHAT THE ELECTORAL
COLLEGE IS SUPPOSED TO DO, IT
MIGHT SEEM HYPOCRITICAL IF YOU
SUPPORT OVERTURNING IT WHEN IT
WOULD HELP YOUR CANDIDATE AND
NOT WHEN IT WON'T, BUT IF YOU
SAY WE SHOULD GET RID OF IT BUT
START RIGHT NOW BEFORE DONALD
TRUMP IS ABLE TO USE IT TO GET
ONE LAST NOT POPULAR REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE TO BE ELECTED --
WE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL THE DUKES
OF HAZZARD LOSE THE POPULAR VOTE
AND STILL BECOME OUR PRESIDENT.
THERE ARE TWO STATES THAT DON'T
GIVE WINNER TAKE ALL, NEBRASKA
AND MAINE.
I KNOW IT'S HARD TO
GET RID OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
CONSTITUTIONALLY BUT COULDN'T
STATES JUST DECIDE TO GO
PROPORTIONALLY?
10 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA HAVE SIGNED ON TO A
PLAN WHERE IF THE NUMBER OF
ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES THEY ALL
HAVE TOGETHER IS AT LEAST 270,
THEY PLEDGE TO SIMPLY GO WITH
WHOEVER WINS THE POPULAR VOTE
NATIONALLY.
WHICH WOULD MEAN
THAT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WOULD
NOT EXIST ANYMORE, BECAUSE THEY
WERE BE ENOUGH VOTES WHERE IT
WOULD ALWAYS GO FOR THE POPULAR
VOTE.
THE PROBLEM IS RIGHT NOW
THAT ONLY AMOUNTS TO 106 FIVE,
THERE IS STILL A GOOD WAY TO GO.
ONE OTHER BAD SIGN IS THAT ONLY
DEMOCRATIC LEANING STATES HAVE
SIGNED ON SO FAR, REPUBLICAN
STATES WHICH TEND TO BE THE
SMALLER ONES WHICH RECEIVE A
DISPROPORTIONATE BENEFIT FROM
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE HAVE NOT
GONE FOR IT.
MUCH WE KNOW HOW WE
WOULD GET RID OF IT, IF THE
REPUBLICANS EVER LOST THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND WON THE
POPULAR VOTE IT WOULD BE GONE
WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
AND AS WE SAID, THEY WOULD
HAVE A CASE.
THIS ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN,
AND WHAT HAMILTON SAID ABOUT THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE MAKES SENSE,
BUT BASICALLY THEY WERE SAYING
IF THE PEOPLE PICK AN IDIOT, WE
CAN'T HAVE AN IDIOT FOR
PRESIDENT.
THAT'S WHY I THINK THERE
SHOULD BE LIKE A TEST TO BE
PRESIDENT, THEY TALK ABOUT
TESTS FOR VOTING, NAME 50
STATES, NAME THREE BRANCHES OF
GOVERNMENT, ANY OF THOSE
WOULD ELIMINATE TRUMP RIGHT
AWAY.
SPELL POTATO.
RIGHT.
BUT THEY WON'T DO THAT.
THIS IS ALL TALK, THIS IS LIKE
THE BASEBALL OF FAME AND PETE
ROSE.
EVERYONE KNOWS PETE ROSE
SHOULD BE IN THE HALL OF FAME,
BUT NOBODY WILL DO IT AND WE
DON'T REALLY KNOW WHO IS VOTING
AND WHICH WAY TO GO.
THIS
ELECTORAL COLLEGE, WE DON'T KNOW
WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE, THEY DON'T
HAVE TO ANSWER TO ANYONE
PUBLICLY.
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO
CHANGE IT.
MY PROBLEM WITH THIS,
AND JUST WHAT YOU SAID, IF IT
WAS REVERSED REPUBLICANS WOULD
FIGHT IT -- THE TIME TO FIGHT
THIS IS TWO YEARS FROM NOW.
YOU
CAN'T FIGHT IT THIS WEEK.
YOU
HAVE TO FIGHT IT IN BETWEEN.
LET'S LOOK AT THESE ELECTIONS
AND THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE,
JIMMY, MAYBE WHAT YOU SAID WHERE
IT IS NOT WINNER TAKE ALL.
WE
HAVE COMPUTERS, WE CAN COUNT
NOW, SO DOING IT PROPORTIONALLY
WHEN THEY SAY IT IS DIFFICULT --
NO IT'S NOT.
THEY COULD FIGURE
THAT OUT.
BUT AS YOU SAID, CENK,
UNTIL IT AFFECTS THE REPUBLICANS
IT WON'T BE DONE.
I HAVE AN IDEA ON HOW TO MAKE
THIS PRACTICAL.
AT WOLF-PAC.COM
WE WANT TO GET MONEY OUT OF
POLITICS, BUT IT'S NOT JUST
ABOUT THAT.
WE WANT TO CALL FOR
A CONVENTION, WHICH HAMILTON AND
THE OTHER FOUNDING FATHERS WERE
IN FAVOR OF.
THEY SAID OVER AND
OVER AGAIN, YOU SHOULD AMEND AND
ALTER YOUR CONSTITUTION
THROUGHOUT TIME.
SO THEY PUT IN
TWO PLACE TO DO IT, ONE THROUGH
CONGRESS AND ANOTHER THROUGH A
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
IT'S
NOT ABOUT JUST OUR PROPOSAL FOR
THE CONVENTION, MY PROPOSAL
WOULD BE TO END UNLIMITED
SPENDING THAT CORPORATIONS AND
RICH FOLKS CAN DO, GIVING THEM A
DISPROPORTIONATE VOICE, ETC.
I
COULD GO INTO A LOT OF MY IDEAS.
BUT CONSERVATIVES WOULD ALSO BE
AT THAT CONVENTION, AND
INDEPENDENTS AND LIBERTARIANS
AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN, IT
WOULD BE FOR ALL AMERICANS.
BUT THE GREEN PARTY WOULD NOT
BE ALLOWED ON STAGE.
BUT
YOU CAN MAKE ALL THESE PROPOSALS
JUST FOR ELECTION REFORM.
THERE ARE INTERESTING IDEAS
CONSERVATIVES HAVE ON
ELECTION REFORM.
LIKE MAINE'S RANKED CHOICE
VOTING.
I BET IF YOU HAD A CONVENTION
AND HE WENT TO REPUBLICANS AND
SAID THIS IS A CONVENTION WHERE
IT IS NOT YOUR STANDARD
POLITICIANS, THE REASON THEY
HAVEN'T GOT IT PASSED IN ANY OF
THE RED STATES IS BECAUSE THEY
THINK SO FAR THE ELECTORAL
COLLEGE HAS HELPED US AND NOT
YOU GUYS.
THERE IS ANOTHER REASON, WHICH
I CAN DESCRIBE IF YOU'D LIKE.
I
HATE TO BE THE WET BLANKET, FOR
SOME REASON I ALWAYS AM, IT'S
BECAUSE I RESPECT YOU ENOUGH TO
KNOW THAT YOU CAN ACCEPT THAT
INFORMATION.
SOMETIMES LIKE WITH
WOLF-PAC.COM WE KNOW SENATORS
WON'T WANT IT BECAUSE THEY LOVE
HAVING SHOWERS OF MONEY ON THEM,
BUT THE STATE LEVEL POLITICIANS
DON'T BENEFIT AS MUCH SO YOU CAN
CONVINCE THEM.
THE PROBLEM WITH
THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSED
AMENDMENT IS THAT IN BOTH THE
SENATE AND THE STATES THEY
BENEFIT, THERE ARE ENOUGH
REPUBLICANS WHO BENEFIT.
THIS IS
A SECTION FROM THE FRAMERS' COUP
--
THE SMALLER STATES ALSO
BENEFIT FROM THE
MALAPPORTIONMENT.
SO THERE'S A
SENSE THAT THE SMALLER STATES,
YOU HAVE TO VISIT THEM, YOU
CAN'T JUST GO TO THE BIG CITIES,
BUT THEY RECEIVE MORE VOTES.
SMALL STATES HAVE A BIGGER SAY
WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE.
YOU
COULD THEORETICALLY CONVINCE
THEM TO NULLIFY THAT ADVANTAGE
BUT THAT IS A HARD SELL.
ALL THOSE POINTS ARE VALID BUT
ON THE OTHER HAND THEY ALWAYS
SAY AN AMENDMENT IS IMPOSSIBLE,
YET WE'VE HAD 27 OF THEM.
ALL I WANT TO DO IS DEMORALIZE
PEOPLE.
IT IS NOT TO DISMISS JOHN'S
POINT, THAT IS A REAL ISSUE, BUT
WHEN YOU GET TO ACTUAL VOTERS,
AND DEPENDING ON HOW THE MAKEUP
OF THE CONVENTION WOULD BE, YOU
COULD HAVE REAL HUMAN BEINGS IN
THERE INSTEAD OF CORPORATE
ROBOTS, AND IF YOU HAD REAL
HUMAN BEINGS, IF YOU TALK TO
ANYONE INCLUDING REPUBLICANS,
DOES THIS ELECTORAL COLLEGE MAKE
SENSE?
YOU KNOW IT DOESN'T, THEY
KNOW IT DOESN'T. I DON'T KNOW
WHAT WOULD COME OUT OF THAT
CONVENTION, BUT I DO KNOW THAT
ALL MOST EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY
THINKS WE SHOULD HAVE SOME SORT
OF ELECTORAL FIX.
THEY KNOW
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE
SYSTEM, THAT'S HOW TRUMP WON, HE
SAID IT'S RIGGED -- REPUBLICANS
SAID YES IT IS, PROGRESSIVE SAID
YES IT IS.
THERE ARE
DISAGREEMENTS ON WHAT IT MEANS
TO BE RIGGED, ETC.
BUT AT A
CONVENTION EVERYONE CAN PROPOSE
THEIR FIXED JUST ON ELECTION
ISSUES, NOT ANYTHING ELSE, LET'S
SORT IT OUT.
BECAUSE THE ALTERNATIVE IS
NO FIX, THAT'S AN ON
ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE BECAUSE
WE HAVE A HEAP OF PROBLEMS.
