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MineralMan

(150,983 posts)
17. I have no information about what President Obama is doing or thinking.
Sun Dec 11, 2016, 12:49 PM
Dec 2016

I don't think any of us do. This is a very, very difficult situation we find ourselves in. There's no simple answer at all. There is no magic way to undo a presidential election. The Electoral College is about the only safeguard that exists. Whether it will act on this is unknown at this point. There is, however, no other real legal resource that can be used in the remaining time to block Trump from taking office. The Electoral College could refuse to give him the 270 votes required. That's the best strategy for activism, as far as I can tell. Minnesota's electors will vote for Hillary, and I know nobody outside of Minnesota who is an elector.

Convincing electors to refuse to vote for Trump will have to be done by people in the states they represent. They will pay no attention to people outside of their own states, I'm certain. Contacting your state's electors, as well as your state's congressional members and Senators, along with Republican Party leaders is probably the best bet. If you live in a state where Trump won, then I suggest you start working hard on your own state's electors and on those who might influence them. That will be the most effective thing you can do.

Trump could be shamed into refusing to be inaugurated, I suppose. He could be arrested for some terrible crime, but I'm not sure there is a definite crime that he could be charged with, and that recourse will end after he is inaugurated. He could be impeached after taking office, but that seems very unlikely, given the Republican majority in the House. I know of no other legal way to prevent him from taking office on January 20.

Recommendations

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What makes you think he is not working on this? MineralMan Dec 2016 #1
Is he going to do anything to prevent trump from taking office? NightWatcher Dec 2016 #2
What do you suggest? Crepuscular Dec 2016 #4
There's nothing he can do to prevent this. Kotya Dec 2016 #5
There is really nothing in his power that would let him do that. MineralMan Dec 2016 #6
Oh well, the Russians stole the election, let's just lay down and give it to them. NightWatcher Dec 2016 #10
Too many here think we are or want us to be. libtodeath Dec 2016 #11
Not at all. None of us are doing that. MineralMan Dec 2016 #13
Him not saying anything when he learned of it makes me think he is not 'working' on it aikoaiko Dec 2016 #14
I have no information about what President Obama is doing or thinking. MineralMan Dec 2016 #17
He is doing something Crepuscular Dec 2016 #3
To be followed by a sternly worded letter, no doubt. chimpymustgo Dec 2016 #9
No Crepuscular Dec 2016 #12
And might appear to be partisan Dream Girl Dec 2016 #19
The timeline indicates ? RoccoR2 Dec 2016 #7
Time to take a stand for America Achilleaze Dec 2016 #8
I believe Obama and family have been threatened. maveric Dec 2016 #15
Obama orders review of Russian election-related hacking oberliner Dec 2016 #16
Lock people up? suspend due process? Are you joking? bettyellen Dec 2016 #18
Sounds like tRumps way of doing things. Lady Freedom Returns Dec 2016 #20
I'm seeing tons of anti-obama authoritarian crap here, smells like JPR crap bettyellen Dec 2016 #21
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