What Will You Do To Save The Republic?

if you've ever wondered what you would be willing to do to save our country in its greatest need, wonder no longer. It is what you are doing right now.

The current President makes it very clear. You can hear his thoughts and plans on television in real time. This is a quote straight from the President's mouth.

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We'll want to have - get rid of the ballots, you’ll have a very transfer — we’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There’ll be a continuation.

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Dirty Tricks

You can no longer say he was joking. You can no longer think he would never actually try to steal the election. He is already doing it in battleground states by suing to stop the vote count. This is not voter suppression; this is vote stealing. In every other election in modern history there has been a period of time AFTER the election when absentee and mail-in votes were allowed to be counted before a final winner was - or could be - announced. The television announcements of the winners late on election night were always statistical estimates. If you don't believe me, look it up. And for God's sake look it up somewhere besides a conservative think tank or an internet entry that can be altered in the time it takes a may-fly to hit your windshield. Try an in-print encyclopedia or an old civics text book.

Rigging the Electoral College

It is simple logic. Why do you think it takes until mid-December (first Monday after the second Wednesday) for the electoral college to cast their votes? The popular vote has to be counted first and the electors chosen on that basis. The slate of electors for each state has to be ready for submission by a safe harbor date; this year the date is December 8th.

The problem is, it turns out that there is no Constitutional guarantee set in stone that the popular vote will be honored. If there is not an overwhelming, convincing majority, if lawsuits and conflicts abound, or if for some other reason the electors haven't been certified by the safe harbor date, state legislatures can set aside the popular vote and choose the electors instead. Just so you don't misunderstand, that would be the state legislatures currently in office, not the ones elected in November, so the current will of the majority would be ignored.

Now, how can that happen? Like I said, by stopping the count in those battleground states, where mail-in voting has been happening for decades, and allowing ballots to be received after the in-person election day in accordance with the various state laws. The President's campaign has lawyers trying to stop the count as of November 3rd. They are also trying to stop states from pre-counting where it is legal. By trying, I mean using lawsuits in the federal courts that President Trump and the Republican Senate have packed with judges that owe their jobs to the the party in power. We can pray that these federal judges will follow the law in an unbiased manner, but I would rather not have the fate of the Republic depend on it.

Here's the Math

1. Given that the national polls have been strongly in favor of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and the Democratic party,

2. Given that Republicans are more likely to vote in person,

3. Given that Democrats are thought to be more likely to vote by mail (because it may be safer due to COVID19),

4. Given that the President has interfered in the efficiency of the Post Office making it harder for ballots to arrive before November 3rd, and that the President has enabled the virus killing hundreds of thousands of Americans,

5. Therefore: The President's campaign figures that the fewer mail-in ballots that are counted the more likely he will be to win.

What Are You Going to Do?

So, what are you going to do between now and November? What can you do?

• You can vote early IN PERSON. Those are votes that can't go uncounted. And it can be done safely. Don't forget there is curbside voting. You don't even have to get out of your car. Voting early will be less crowded so even if you walk inside, it will be safer and more convenient.

• You can vote in person even if you asked for a mail-in ballot, if you take your ballot with you. The WHOLE THING. I wouldn't even open it. The Presiding Judge cancels it and sends it in with the votes cast that day, so your in-person vote can be certified. (I know this is true in TEXAS because I work those elections for Harris County. For other states or other counties, check with your election office to be sure of the procedure.) This is true for early voting or on the day of the General Election.

• You can support the effort to GET OUT THE VOTE for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot. Drive others to the polls. Volunteer to send post cards to get out the vote.

What am I Going to Do?

I am old, 68 years old. I am in the endangered group. I have diabetes, one of the endangered preconditions, but here is what I am going to do.

I am going to vote early and in person.

I will be washing my hands before and after I vote.

I will wear nitrile gloves.

I will mask up to protect others, and wear a face shield to protect myself.

I will support others who want to vote in person.

I will work the election.

"Get rid of the ballots."

My God.