OP;ED Stop the Trump Train Before it Reaches the Station

This election has been anything but normal. So why should that stop now? If this election had been normal, a rich game show host who has spouted nothing but hateful language with no clear policy objectives would not have been elected president. A man who blatantly called on a hostile foreign power to commit cyber espionage against his opponent would not have been elected president. A man who has little to no knowledge of The Constitution and little regard for the truth would not have been elected president. A man who has already reneged on his key campaign promises to his supporters. Not to mention the slew of conflicts of interests he has.

For all these reasons and more, Donald Trump should be denied the presidency on December 19th by the Electoral College.

When we took to the polls on November 8th, it was not to vote for president, but to vote for our state’s either democratic or republican electors who will then meet on December 19th in the state capitals to officially vote for president. The electoral college is a not very well-known constitutional provision put in place by our founders to prevent the rise of people unfit for the presidency from coming to power. A person such as Donald Trump who has demonstrated time and time again that he does not have the restraint, maturity, or necessary knowledge or experience to wield the power of President of the United States.

Historically speaking, the Electoral College has just been what has been described as, “a rubber stamp” to just make official the results of Election Day. However, nothing about this election has been normal, or held to a historical norm. So why should that stop now?

Groups such as the Hamilton Electors, drawing from Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist 68, yes that Alexander Hamilton, to argue that the electors not only have the power but the obligation to stop Trump from ascending to office. Federalist 68 puts forth that “the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications”. And to prevent “foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils. How could they better gratify this, than by raising a creature of their own to the chief magistracy of the Union? But the convention have guarded against all danger of this sort, with the most provident and judicious attention.”

Basically, Hamilton predicted Trump centuries ahead of his time. As Trump has had the help of the Russians in ascending to power by miring Hillary Clinton in scandal and by doing so bolstering his own chances at becoming president. Whether Trump was knowingly or actively complicit in this has not yet been proven, but it is evident that the Russians’ goal was to elect Trump who has shown to be far more Russia-friendly and is willing to lift the various sanctions imposed on the Russian government after their seizure of the Crimea.

The Electoral College was put into our constitution for exactly this reason. To prevent the rise of a leader who is beholden to foreign powers, and does not embody, to any degree, the qualifications necessary for becoming president. This is not that the Electoral College should vote for Hillary Clinton, but to vote their conscience, and with their duty to the American people as Alexander Hamilton laid out, and not install a demagogue in office.

Electors have already come forth from both parties and expressed their willingness to prevent Trump from becoming president by voting for a compromise candidate. A candidate who is anyone but Trump. Only 37 Republican electors need to switch their vote in order for this to happen. Thirty seven. 37 patriotic Americans who should choose country over party, and do what is best for the American people as a whole.