Post Election Scenario...

[bill grasso]

Consider this scenario..

Kerry wins popular vote by several million, prevails in electoral college (but not carrying Florida, of course)..

Repug howls of protest fill the air.. numerous challenges filed, some close states hesitate to certify Kerry as winner..

Roughly one week into these challenges, as their lack of merit become more and more apparent, a TERRORIST "ATTACK" OCCURS ON AMERICAN SOIL (probably in a red state), the details of which are somewhat sketchy.. there's explosions, smoke, some governmental or industrial facility (a chemical plant or port) "damaged," and some loss of life, although exact number of casualties is unclear.. media goes into 24 hour fear mongering mode, color code elevated to red.. troops seal off area, only media access is when "imbedded" with troops..

Faced with this "imminent danger," martial law is declared in the US, and the Constitution suspended. Any additional legislative justification needed to accomplish this is, after brief and intense Democratic protest in Senate, passed. Bush remains president indefinately..

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?? HOW WIDESPREAD AND VIOLENT WILL THE ANTI-BUSH DEMONSTRATIONS BE?? HOW HARD WILL THE MEDIA DISPARAGE THESE "UNAMERICAN" PROTESTS WHICH "SUPPORT THE TERRORIST?" WILL US TROOPS ONCE AGAIN FIRE ON AMERICAN PROTESTERS??

..OR DO WE DEPEND ON THE IDIOCY OF ANTONIN SCALIA AND HIS ILK FOR JUSTICE??

[SheilaT]

1. Personally I wouldn't be

the least bit surprised if something along these lines happens.

[Goldmund]

2. Doubt it.

If they're going to do something like that, it would behoove them much more to do it when they're either ahead or the race is tied, rather than when it's apparent they've already lost.

In other words, if they have the will and the power to do something like this, it'll happen during the next two weeks.

[bill grasso]

3. gotta disagree..

they crave the possibility of electoral "mandate".. failing that, we get the above scenario.

[Bok_Tukalo]

4. We will have an election

If Kerry wins, there will be a peaceful transfer of power and the opposition (now Republican) will spend the next four years opposing.

We are a mature democracy, and while I agree that the US has become decadent, we are not so far gone that we would stand for anything even resembling a martial crackdown.

[unblock]

5. they will STILL have too much power to need to do this

it's not like we're winning back the presidency AND the house AND the senate AND the supreme court AND the media AND key state legislatures.

if THAT was what was at stake, then yeah, i might be worried that they'd do something crazy as you describe.

but even after kerry wins, they will STILL control the house, probably the senate, the supreme court, the media and key state legislatures.

they don't NEED to do something drastic to retain genuine power. with control of congress, they can dictate the legislative agenda. with control of the senate, they can prevent a liberal justice from replacing o'connor. with their control of the media, they can derail any kerry agenda and replace it with non-step investigations into idiotic and petty fabricated scandals.

[bill grasso]

6. this implies Repugs are willing to give up power..

..that just doesn't fit with what we've witnessed the last 4 years.. would we have believed a devastating attack on American soil, imperialistic wars, total corporate control of government, elimination of taxation fairness, etc, after the 2000 "election?"

It's nice that you trust the American Ideals.. they don't..

[unblock]

8. no, i'm implying that they're NOT giving up power

i'm stating that they STILL will have power. losing the presidency does not equal losing power. it just shifts the playing field. the media will marginalize kerry, focus attention on congress, congress will block and investigate kerry, and so on.

the republicans will still be in control.

[oldhippie]

7. I don't think it could happen......

There is no provision in the Federal Constitution giving the feds the power to declare martial law or suspend the Constitution. It would take a Constitutional Amendment to do that. That won't happen anytime soon. So, even if * does declare martial law, or some such, whose gonna listen to him? The military? Nope. Military officers are sworn to protect the Constitution, not allegence to any particular administration.

Any scenario that envisions Federal martial law is flawed.

Now, the States, however, have more options.............