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JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#112751: Feb 21st 2016 at 2:07:03 PM

So my dad brought up an interesting question, if the election goes to the House of Representatives, do they have to pick one of the people running, or could they pick someone else, maybe one of their own. My dad seems to think so, he also thinks the American people would accept such a choice, whereas I think their would be riots in the street if not outright Civl War.

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
Luminosity Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Lovey-Dovey
#112753: Feb 21st 2016 at 2:13:53 PM

[up][up] I highly doubt a Civil War is even possible in today's America. Protests have a hard enough time as it is. Not even Bernie is going to go around starting Black Knights or something like that.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#112754: Feb 21st 2016 at 2:15:36 PM

If the election goes to the House and they don't pick the person who had the most votes then yeah we'll see riots at the least.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#112755: Feb 21st 2016 at 2:16:17 PM

@Luminosity: I don't know why you're thinking the Democrats say or act like that either. Trouble communicating why something is a good idea doesn't mean they're saying "We know what you want better than you" and quite frankly that's a very old accusation that, well, it's old and tiresome. God, I remember hearing that as a kid.

Edit: The question is why would they even pick someone not in the running? Just because they could theoretically do a thing doesn't mean they'll do it. Politicians do, in fact, know what practicality is.

edited 21st Feb '16 2:18:58 PM by AceofSpades

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#112756: Feb 21st 2016 at 2:18:14 PM

According to the 12th Amendment, the top 3 people which have Electors may be voted upon by the House. It's not open to everybody, if I read the dense text there correctly.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#112757: Feb 21st 2016 at 2:29:51 PM

We've already had an election decided by the federal government in recent history when the Supreme Court halted recounts in Florida during the 2000 election, and the only result was a lot of grumbling. I doubt anyone's going to be happy with that sort of outcome, but I doubt it would come to riots in the streets, much less outright civil war.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
#112758: Feb 21st 2016 at 3:12:53 PM

The country was also less politically divided 16 years ago, and I imagine there is now much less faith that "the system" would properly fix itself, especially if it's Congress. So I see the potential for unrest in that scenario, though it's far from guaranteed.

JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#112759: Feb 21st 2016 at 3:49:45 PM

Also their was at least a possibility Bush was legit. The scenario I'm talking about would have the election go to the House, and have them crown one of their own, like Paul Ryan, as President.

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#112760: Feb 21st 2016 at 3:53:37 PM

Why would they do that though? If Ryan wanted to be president he'd be running.

Artificius from about a foot and a half away from a monitor. Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Norwegian Wood
#112761: Feb 21st 2016 at 4:01:51 PM

I think he does want to be president, which ironically for this hypothetical is why he didn't want to be Speaker of the House. They've not been so likely to become president in the past.

"I have no fear, for fear is the little death that kills me over and over. Without fear, I die but once."
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#112762: Feb 21st 2016 at 5:53:42 PM

[up][up][up]Rest assured, that's not an option.

The choices would be between the Democrat, the Republican, and whoever the hell (besides either of them) won a state.

That said, going to the House would require a razor-thin election and a third-party (say, Bloomberg) winning a state or two.

GameGuruGG Vampire Hunter from Castlevania (Before Recorded History)
Vampire Hunter
#112763: Feb 21st 2016 at 5:54:48 PM

If the election went to the House, whoever is chosen would have to be from the top three choices which would be the Republican nominee, the Democratic nominee, and Donald Trump running as an Independent. The issue is mainly that the Democratic nominee would likely win the popular vote and have the most votes in the electoral college since the Republican nominee and Trump would divide the Republican vote, but the Republican nominee would be chosen because the Republican-held House will favor its own party over the actual winner by both popular vote and electoral college vote.

Wizard Needs Food Badly
Cronosonic (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#112764: Feb 21st 2016 at 7:13:03 PM

Frankly, Trump running as an independent would be the best possible thing for the Democrats, especially if Bloomberg, who has the potential to either be utterly superfluous or throw a spanner in the works, throws his hat into the ring as well. Trump and Bloomberg would cancel each other out.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#112765: Feb 21st 2016 at 8:31:47 PM

Bloomberg will only step in if Sanders and Trump get their party's nominations. And since its not clear that Sanders is running away with this race, that puts off his decision to join in until at least Super Tuesday. The longer he waits to enter, the less effective his campaign will be.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
NickTheSwing Since: Aug, 2009
#112766: Feb 21st 2016 at 9:58:30 PM

I see Ted Cruz as a spectacularly insane god-complexed man. He is The Chosen One, his own dad wrote it! And through that, Cruz believes he is Chosen and nobody else except Ted Cruz is important to "the story".

It all fits, with his general attitude toward other people and how he seems to view himself.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#112767: Feb 22nd 2016 at 1:07:35 AM

We've already had an election decided by the federal government in recent history when the Supreme Court halted recounts in Florida during the 2000 election, and the only result was a lot of grumbling. I doubt anyone's going to be happy with that sort of outcome, but I doubt it would come to riots in the streets, much less outright civil war.

That was the Supreame Court favouring the electoral vote over the popular vote, not the House overriding both the popular and electoral votes.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#112768: Feb 22nd 2016 at 5:47:58 AM

The scenario Jack's describing was called The Corrupt Bargain, and it ended John Q Adams' presidency before it even began. He was something like third place in electors, but because of a split election, it went to the house where he promised postings for certain influential members who were then able to get him elected, but doing so he lame-ducked himself immediately because the populace cried foul (the people wanted Jackson), and he spent four years getting hounded by the press until Jackson soundly chucked him out.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#112769: Feb 22nd 2016 at 6:03:11 AM

I'd assume that trying to pull that stunt today would result in a general strike/mass protests.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#112770: Feb 22nd 2016 at 6:22:30 AM

Maybe, maybe not. The degree of apathy towards politics of the general populace is hard to underestimate.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
BonsaiForest Since: Jan, 2001
#112771: Feb 22nd 2016 at 7:18:44 AM

And now we have another mass shooting. He's a random, regular guy. He's not a Muslim or anything else that fits into a comfortable stereotype (well, except a white male as most mass shooters have been). Motive not known. Targeted random people for no known reason.

I'm not sure what narrative his mass shooting fits.

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#112772: Feb 22nd 2016 at 7:24:44 AM

FOX is throwing around the words tragedy and accident and random already.

Oh really when?
JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#112773: Feb 22nd 2016 at 7:26:17 AM

King of the Hill: America's last bipartisan comedy. For better or worse. I have a feeling you guys will say worse.tongue

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
Julep Since: Jul, 2010
#112774: Feb 22nd 2016 at 7:27:49 AM

It would be nice for Fox if he had a black ex-wife so they would have someone to blame for him going crazy.

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#112775: Feb 22nd 2016 at 8:30:17 AM

I agree with that about King of the Hill. At first glance it looks merely like a parody of the small-town South, but then there are times when the show definitely sides with conservative values and portrays liberalism in a negative light, especially in the very first episode with the government worker constantly harassed and referred to as "twig boy" while he tries to have Bobby taken away from the Hills over a misunderstanding, or the later Archaeology professor.

That said and while there are some episodes where i disagree with the Aesop they came to, the characters were well-drawn and the viewpoints were often fairly complex.


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