I will to the best of my ability, be brief. I do not claim that I will name every reason, nor counter every argument, but I would like to put forth an idea for us to consider as a nation.
In my thinking, we who voted have a duty to let the Electoral College representatives know that we expect more from them than simply to cast a vote and congratulate themselves for ‘showing up’. The fortunate centuries of successful democracy have allowed a vital part of our government to gather dust and to be forgotten by the populace until they periodically stumble over it. The Electoral College is largely misunderstood or only partially understood by the ‘man on the street’. But, at this moment in time, when our democracy has been colluded against and evidence continues to mount that chicanery was involved in the election the unknown and little understood Electoral College may be our salvation.
This is the time for the Electoral College to ACT as it was intended as a safety for our republic. The Electoral College allows for only a certain type of person to be elected president, preventing individuals who are unfit for a variety of reasons to be in the position of chief executive of the country. The Electoral College was put in place as Hamilton described because “Nothing was more to be desired than that every practicable obstacle should be opposed to cabal, intrigue, and corruption.” (Fed Paper #68) It also protects against those who are engaged in demagoguery, corruption, or who are under the influence of foreign nations or leaders
This duty must be upper most in the mind of every elector. And then each and every elector should very carefully weigh that statement of intention with an open mind against the actions of President-Elect Trump. All electors must ask these questions, soberly, clearly and with the weight of all our futures. In kind, the electors, all of them, must consider, to the bottom of their hearts, and with all the faculties of their reason what is best for this nation.
This is the moment that the Electoral College was created to protect against. And it must be used, boldly, bravely and with the deliberation due the moment.
They, our electors, our representatives, need, no must, agitate for ALL members of the Electoral College to stand up. Our electors must be instructed or reminded of A. Hamilton’s arguments in the Federalist Papers. They must come to this event with solemnity and no preconceived notions. They cannot blindly follow passively. They must consider. They must act.
Or else, the framers of our nation, our Constitution and all the protections that have been put in place amount to nothing. Not because of a flaw in their creation, but instead from cowardice to defend the republic. Or worse, an apathy and an ignorance that has robbed us of the ability to preserve our nation.