President Strom Thrumond?

by JRoyale

2000-10-30 11:14:22

Crazy But True

Man, doesn't that phrase give you the willies.

But, according to the National Journal, (not linked here because it is a pay per view site), given how close this year's race is not only for President, but for control of the House and the Senate, it is convincible that Strom, a 97 year old, ultra-conservative Senator from South Carolina, could become the 43th President of the United States.

You can blame the obsolete (and utterly ridiculous) Electoral College for this possibility.

Fortunately, the odds of Strom moving into the White House are long. First, Bore and Dubbya have to split the Electoral College, with 269 votes a piece. If that happens, selection of the president goes to the House of Representative. In the unlikely event that the House is unable to decide a winner between Jan 4th and Jan 20th, the Senate gets to elect a vice president. If the Democrats pick up 5 seats, (again, highly unlikely) and there is a tie vote in the Senate, the Speaker of House becomes president. If the House is split down the middle and unable to choose a Speaker, then the president pro tempore gets the job. That's Strom.

I can't think of a better poster child for reforming the Electoral College and I call on Congress to immediately pass an amendment changing the selection of President of the United States to the person that wins the popular vote.

The SF Comical has a decent write up of this nightmare scenario.

Check it out yourself

laredo@pigdog.org