W. Virginia Elector Might Leave Bush

[Khephra]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- If President Bush wins West Virginia, one of the state's five Republican electors says he might not vote for Bush to protest the president's economic and foreign policies.

South Charleston Mayor Richie Robb said based on his research, an elector has "qualified discretion" when it comes to casting a vote.

"There is an implied duty to vote for your party's candidate. But I don't think it's an explicit duty or responsibility," said Robb, a moderate Republican who has a reputation of being a maverick in the state party.

Still, Robb calls it "highly unlikely" that he would cast a vote for Democrat John Kerry. He said he might cast his vote for Vice President Dick Cheney or another Republican instead as a protest against Bush, meaning the president would lose out on one electoral vote.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-disgruntled-elector,0,3530272.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Gregorian]

1. :)

:)

[cjbuchanan]

2. Happened to Gore in 2000

One elector that was allocated for Gore did not vote for him. I don't know for whom he or she did vote, but I know it was not for Bush.

That said, I'm sure if the election came down to Mr. Robb's one vote, he would go for Bush. So the best way to deal with this is to make sure W. Va. goes to Kerry.

Kerry in a landslide!!

[4_Legs_Good]

4. I'm 90% sure it was a she and she voted for Lloyd Bensten

unless I'm quite mistaken. I believe to protest the electoral college

david

[cjbuchanan]

7. I know that happened in 1988

An elector voted for Bentsen for President and Dukakis for VP as a protest. Maybe it was the same person in 2000.

[deadmessengers]

8. '88

It was an elector from WV in 1988 who voted for Bentsen rather than Dukakis as a protest. One DC elector refused to vote at all for Gore in 2000 as a protest.

[Ediacara]

10. She didn't vote for anyone

She was a DC elector and didn't vote to protest DC's lack of congressional representation.

[Mojambo]

3. Dangerous stuff

IMO, the electors should vote for who they're pledged to vote for.

I know if it happened to Kerry in my state I'd be irate!

[Shakespeare]

5. Don't miss the most important part of this story - it's not about Bush

It's his statement that he's "highly unlikely" to vote for Kerry. Someone needs to ask him point-blank if he'll vote for Kerry if Kerry wins the state.

[Alexander]

9. That's not how the electors work.

Each state appoints two slates - the Democratic and the Republican electors. If the Democrat wins, the Democratic electors vote. If the Republican wins, only the Republican electors vote.

If Kerry won the state, this guy's Democratic counterpart would vote for Kerry, not him.

So this is only good news for us - Bush is -1 electoral vote, with whatever his end tally is.

I'm sure the right wing will go absolutely ape if this guy decides the election in a 269-269 tie, though.

[dolstein]

6. There is NO WAY that this guy will vote for someone else

if the electoral college is deadlocked 269-269.

[bmbmd]

11. Perhaps this is a trial balloon-

send it up, see if anyone notices. Then, seduce some of Kerry's electors.