West Virginia's Faithless Elector

[Bill McBlueState]

On Unfiltered this morning, they were discussing Richie Robb, the mayor of South Charleston, WV. He's a Bush elector who has said that if he gets to cast a vote, he won't vote for Bush. Instead, he's going to vote for Cheney or abstain -- he won't vote for Kerry, either. He wants to protest Bush's poor jobs record.

Everyone's looking at this guy as some kind of hero who could turn the tide in a close election. But here's the problem: say it's a close enough vote that a single elector's vote could sway it. In other words, Bush has a majority with Robb's vote, but no majority without it.

All that would happen if Robb withheld his vote is that neither candidate would have a majority, and the election would go to the House, where each state has a single vote. Bush would clearly win in that case. (Some democracy this is, where a one state = one vote arrangement could decide our chief executive.)

I think this Richie Robb is just an attention seeker.

[sui generis]

1. I think that if his actions lead to an electoral

arrangement that contravenes the constitutional arrangement and intent of the electoral college he should be sued for interfering with a presidential election.

[Bill McBlueState]

2. wouldn't be the first time

There have been ten faithless electors in the history of presidential elections. (Most recently someone from DC withheld her vote from Gore.)

The ability of an elector to ignore the popular vote and vote however he or she wants is a pretty serious flaw in the system. It's another reason to get rid of the EC.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. 1988 WV elector for Bentsen instead of Dukakis