Tag: electoral college

Background Briefing: December 14, 2020

 

Will Trump Give up the Election Contestation Grift of Donations That Go Into his Pocket?

We begin with the Electoral College vote today which should clear the air and stop the divisive and delusional behavior of President Trump’s continuous efforts to claim he won an election in which he was soundly defeated in both the popular vote and the Electoral College vote. But Trump being Trump, he may not want to give up on the grift he has underway and stop the gravy train of donations that end up in his pocket as he contests the election to shake down his supporters. Akhil Amar, a Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University whose work has been cited by the Supreme Court who regularly testifies to Congress and is the author of America’s Unwritten Constitution, joins us to discuss the possibility that today’s Electoral College vote will change the resistance to reality among Republicans. Perhaps now some senators will be free to acknowledge Biden’s victory and resist efforts by House Republicans to contest the results on January 6 when VP Mike Pence will certify the Electoral College votes and announce Biden’s presidency.  

 

What Today’s Early Voting in Georgia Reveals

Then we speak with Dr. Michael McDonald, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida who is the Director of the United States Election Project. With early voting starting today in Georgia for the two runoff elections that will determine who controls the senate, we assess the turnout and examine the numbers of requests for absentee ballots now at 1.2 million compared to 1.78 million requested in the November election.

 

After Unequal Covid Treatment, Will the Vaccine be Fairly Distributed?

Then finally as frontline healthcare workers get the first jabs of the new Pfizer Covid vaccine today, we investigate the possibility of a continuation of the unfairness and inequality of Trump, Giuliani, Carson and Christie getting the latest treatment for Covid while 300,000 less fortunate Americans who did not get the monoclonal antibody therapy ended up dying. Julia Lynch, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania who studies the politics of public health and is on the advisory board of the Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics and an expert advisor to the World Health Organization, joins us to discuss today’s light at the end of a dark tunnel, since the head of the CDC has predicted we have 9/11 death counts every day for the next 90 days until hopefully 70% of the country is vaccinated.