Glenden BrownWorst Case Scenario
John Podhoretz:
. . .A McCain victory in the Electoral College with an Obama popular victory of 2 or 3 million votes at a minimum (somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5 percent under this scenario) would provoke a national crisis. . . .
The legitimacy questions that dogged Bush would dog McCain to a far greater extent, especially with a Democratic Senate arguing and acting on the argument that the election results require its members to exercise the advise-and-consent provisions of the Constitution in blocking all McCain appointments that do not represent the more liberal nature of the overall electorate.
A McCain presidency under these conditions would be a model of institutional paralysis. With the exception of the veto, which McCain would of course relish more than any other presidential power, he would be among the weakest chief executives in modern times, if not the weakest. And it would be interesting to see whether the Electoral College itself could survive it.
This scenario is in fact the worst of all worlds. A strong Obama popular vote victory and a weak McCain electoral college victory.
Podhoretz is right - it would provoke a full scale national crisis. The American body politic would be shaken to its very roots.
In such scenario, Obama might very well lead from the Senate - he would possess the moral authority to do so - in a way that would cripple a McCain administration. The paralysis Podhoretz sees is the tip of the iceberg. McCain would be unable to govern as President. Congress would be unable to legislate. The courts would be drawn inexorably into the political trench warfare.
American government would cease to function in anything but the most basic ways.
This scenario is possible but improbable. But it is possible. I hope it won’t happen.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
That is why my vote went to McCain. Let’s hope for a moribund Federal government.
Don’t you think Glendon that there might be a few senior senators that are just about ahead in line of Obama? I can think of one lady in particular.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
John
I agree with you on this one. I hope whoever wins today it is decisive because a Bush/Gore situation this time around will tear this country apart. It will be far worse than 2000.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
That’s a ridiculous scenario. But the general subject is a serious one.
Al Gore won the election in 2000 by more than half a million votes, yet Bush acted as if he alone owned the White House, Washington and the entire country. He ignored the Constitution, plunged America into war on false pretenses, looted the federal budget for the benefit of his rich supporters, doubled the National Debt– do I have to recite the whole list?
Say what you will, Bush was not a weak executive. He was strong and wrong, and no one dared to get in his way. That’s the precedent now. Winner take all, even if the “win” is questionable. I expect President Obama and the rest of the Democrats act accordingly starting tomorrow. Let’s hope they use their power for good.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Ken; Stop being worried, We the People will happily survive a bollacksed 4 year presidency of McCain.
Even if McCain won decisively, do you imagine that will in any way affect the behavior of fringe democrats?
Anything goes really wrong, using the last 8 years as my guide, the democrats will go along with a republican president and follow his lead.
Would you rather have an Obama presidency with a democrat controlled congress?
November 4th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Amen to that, Richard … and, er, uh, to you, too, Ken.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Alan
That is true. Even if it ends up being a blowout for McCain, Democrats will say it is because the United States is a hopelessly racist country when in fact we just don’t want a person in the White House who vows to make our energy bills “skyrocket”, raise our taxes and believes that the Constitution is fatally flawed.
Then again the country may elect Obama anyway. Heaven help our country.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Richard, that Bush thought he owned the presidency is exactly right. This is a winner take all system for better or worse. It has always been a winner take all system. Cooperation is optional for an elected president.
Given the last 8 years of lie down, I don’t expect the democrats to be anything like Bush. Though you never know.
Makes you wonder what Bush eats for breakfast in how he soundly crushed democrat opposition to ANY of his plans. Actually he Tom Sawyered a few issues and had the dummies painting his fence.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
More ridiculousness. Senator Joe Lieberman tells Glenn Beck that America will not survive if the Democrats control 60 Senate seats.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Probably won’t…, not in its old form. Good chance Israel may not, which is why Lieberman is saying it. I figure that is why American Jews living there choose McCain 3 to 1.
Yeah, this is going to be one interesting scenario.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I expect that under an Obama presidency, Israel will take its survival into its own hands. Think Obama can handle it? Most Israelis can’t stand him.
People have to understand the only thing that has kept Israel in check has been the unconditional support of the United States. Any changes to this, and she will act unilaterally.
This is why there will be no change no matter who gets elected with regards to our current open commitments in the Middle East. Sorry folks, don’t see us saving much money in that department, and if we do, it will likely cost more to clean up if there is another Arab-Israeli war.
Never forget, who really has the nukes in the region.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Ken and Alan, if Obama and a Democratic senate and congress are elected, here’s something you can do. Start your own “Sorry Everybody” web site. Maybe Joe Lieberman will help out with some of the costs.
Question for you Ken: If it’s a blowout for Obama, what will the Republicans say?
November 4th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I don’t know what Republicans will say but I know what I would say is that it’s open season on RINOs and some evangelical Christians. I think its a combination of both that has really screwed the GOP. I certainly won’t blame Democrats because they fought harder. Once thing that gives me a glimmer of hope today is there is a massive voter turnout so it may lessen the impact of voter fraud. Neither side should be breathing easy today.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Seriously though Becky, these issues transcend presidents, and if elected will be democrat problems.
Blaming Bush will be a thing of no relevance, though I don’t expect it to stop. If there is difficulty along the way, probably be best not to blame someone else, even if he makes a good villain. Stuff we are taught before we are 6. Or used to be.
How soon do you think we will be entirely out of Iraq Becky? We have built over a dozen billion dollar bases. Will Obama abandon them?…I figure his handlers like Brzezsinki won’t let him go that far. Despite the radically different looks of both parties, these policies are those of empire, and have been decided behind closed doors, in a decidedly undemocratic manner.
Democracy is what is sold after the elites make their minds up about what they are going to do.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Alan– Here’s my suggestion to “keep Israel in check.” Stop writing them checks for $3 billion a year in aid. But the Democrats would never do that.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
NEVER!!FORGEDDABOUTIT!!
As a sidenote, Jewish representation in congress will break a record if all the horses come in.
We are saddled with this obligation, because…if we don’t pay, then for sure its bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran. It’s called blackmail, and both parties are subject to it.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Here’s a JP link to that congressional reality. When survival is introduced into politics, there is no one that isn’t in the same situation, that has any chance of competing. Having a controlling interest in the US congress helps insure Israel’s survival.