Michigan to Move Ahead with Presidential Recount

Michigan will become the second state to conduct a recount of ballot casts during the 2016 presidential election.

U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith early Monday morning issued an order for Michigan election officials to begin counting ballots starting at noon. The ruling follows a request from Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein after a razor-thin margin made the state the last to be called in the November election. President-elect Donald Trump ended up winning Michigan's 16 electoral votes by just 0.2 percentage points, or just under 10,000 votes out of over 5.5 million cast.

"It is inexcusable for Stein to put Michigan voters at risk of paying millions and potentially losing their voice in the Electoral College in the process," Schuette said in a statement. It is inexcusable for Stein to put MI votes at risk of paying millions and potentially losing their voice in the Elec College.

— A.G. Bill Schuette (@SchuetteOnDuty) December 2, 2016 Stein has spearheaded a recount effort in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- three battleground states where Donald Trump narrowly defeated Hillary Clinton. Trump supporters in Wisconsin have unsuccessfully tried to stop the recount in progress there. Stein's campaign, who withdrew a recount request in a Pennsylvania state court, this weekend said she would instead file the lawsuit seeking a statewide recount in federal court Monday morning.

That is not what a WI state Senator said. He said if the recount is not completed by the time it has to be certified, the elector vote will not count. Some say this is why they are doing it, if they can sue for a recount and the recount is not “state certified” by the time the electors vote, they will not vote due to the ongoing recount.

If this is true, then the PA, MI nor WI electorate votes will not count and then Trump will be below 270 votes and then is marginalized and not a legal elected POTUS.

Here is a different take on the subject.** According to Freeper LS, the fact that votes go below 270 will not imact the legality of the election.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3500777/posts

But watching the recounts and the handwringing by “concern trolls” here, I wanted to include this update. This is strictly MY understanding of state laws and the U.S. Constitution, but I think most of you share it. If, however, someone has different info, please let me know.

* The recounts really don’t matter. There are never more than a handful of votes flipped. In WI after 1 day, Trump really has about 400 MORE votes than before, as an input error in one of the precincts failed to include a digit in its original transmission, while the recount so far has “found” one additional Cankles vote.

* It is my understanding, based on the precedent of the U.S. Civil War, when several Southern states were declared “in rebellion” and therefore did not send electors to the electoral college (although Louisiana did!), the winner is determined by a majority of those states who send delegates. The only time in peacetime that a delegation did not participate was 1789 when New York’s delegation was late arriving.

* Therefore, it would not matter if one state (WI) or all three (WI, MI, PA) don’t send delegates, Trump would still win a majority of those who did.

* It is further my understanding REGARDLESS, any or all of the state legislatures of WI, PA, MI can at any time select/appoint/name the electors to attend the EC. They do not have to wait for a recount. All three are controlled by Republicans.

* MI’s AG has filed suit to stop the recount, the election board split 2-2, so the AG has appealed to the state Supreme Court. (Does anyone know if it is majority R or D?)

* On the “faithless electors”: You have heard scare-mongering stories of electors who won’t vote for Trump: These are from STATES CANKLES WON. It makes no difference. In most states, it’s a crime not to vote for the winner, and in all states electors are the creme de la creme of rabid Trump supporters. Highly unlikely any of them will flip. But again, the state legislature-—as I understand it-—sends in the electoral delegation and would have final say. Please correct me if I’m wrong on this. The last time there was a “faithless elector” was in 2004, and it was a Dem who wouldn’t vote for Kerry and voted for Silky Pony. You have to go back to 1976 to find just ONE “faithless” GOP elector who refused to vote for Ford because he pardoned Richard E. Nixon.

* I lived in OH and didn’t know that in 2004 OH’s count was protested and there was a recount and the House had to vote on Ohio’s delegation.

* IF IT GOES to the House, the House selects Trump. The Senate votes on a veep. It’s inconceivable that the GOP Senate would choose anyone but Pence.

In other words, for all the concern trolls, nothing will change. Trump is going to be president.

Now for the final concern troll mantra, “Trump will be delegitimized.” No. There is only one person who can “delegitimize” Trump and that’s Donald Trump. He WILL NOT PERMIT HIMSELF to be distracted by the drive-bys. He doesn’t care what they say about him.

No candidate in history, save perhaps Lincoln, has had such a view of the media. They simply cannot threaten, cajole, or scare him. Think of McConnell, Boehner, McCain, Ryan-—how these guys are so terrified of the media. Trump doesn’t care. They still don’t get him. This victory tour is a prime example-—who else does this? Bush certainly never did, and I don’t recall Reagan ever doing so.

So, long and short: President Trump will be sworn in, on time, on schedule. He won’t be “delegitimized.” America will be great again, and we will have a book documenting it out in January!

**For the record, I am not implying that you are a “concern troll.”

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