Republicans look to manipulate Electoral College for Trump ahead of election

MSNBC

19 Sept 202405:11

Summary

TLDRSouth Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham is advocating for a winner-take-all electoral vote system in Nebraska, potentially benefiting Donald Trump. This move comes as the 2024 election is expected to be decided by a slim margin. Graham's efforts are seen as an attempt to change the rules late in the game, as Maine, which also splits its electoral votes, cannot respond in time due to a 90-day law implementation deadline.

Takeaways

🏢 Senator Lindsey Graham traveled to Nebraska to discuss changes to the electoral vote allocation.
🗳️ The majority of states use a 'winner-takes-all' system for electoral votes, but Maine and Nebraska split them.
🔄 In 2020, Donald Trump won most of Nebraska but Joe Biden still received one electoral vote.
🏆 The 2024 election is predicted to be very close, with single electoral votes potentially deciding the outcome.
📊 If a candidate holds Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, they can reach the required 270 electoral votes.
🚩 Senator Graham is advocating for Nebraska to adopt a 'winner-takes-all' system, which could benefit Donald Trump.
📅 Maine's electoral vote allocation cannot be changed now as it's past the 90-day deadline before the electoral vote certification.
🤝 Graham's actions are seen as an attempt to change the rules to favor Trump, without giving Democrats a chance to respond.
📞 In 2020, Graham was also involved in a call pressuring Georgia's Secretary of State to discard mail-in ballots.
🗣️ Lindsey Graham is accused of trying to manipulate elections rather than convincing people to vote for Trump.

Q & A

What is the 'winner take all' system in the context of electoral votes?
-The 'winner take all' system refers to the method used by almost every state in the U.S. to allocate electoral votes, where the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state receives all of that state's electoral votes.
Why did South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham visit Nebraska?
-Senator Lindsey Graham visited Nebraska to drum up support to change the way the state allocates its electoral college votes, potentially shifting to a 'winner take all' system.
How does Maine and Nebraska differ from other states in terms of electoral vote allocation?
-Maine and Nebraska are exceptions to the 'winner take all' system; they split their electoral votes by congressional district, allowing for a distribution that reflects the popular vote within each district.
What was the significance of the date mentioned in the script, 90 days before December 17?
-The date is significant because it is the deadline for any changes to the electoral vote allocation method in Maine. A bill becomes law 90 days after it passes, and since the electoral votes are locked in on December 17, any changes must be made by this date.
What is the strategic reason behind changing Nebraska to a 'winner take all' state?
-The strategic reason is to potentially give an edge to Donald Trump in the electoral college by ensuring that all of Nebraska's electoral votes would go to the Republican candidate.
Why is it too late for Maine to respond to changes in Nebraska's electoral vote allocation?
-It is too late for Maine to respond because the deadline for changing electoral vote allocation methods has passed, and the state's electoral votes will be certified 90 days later.
What does the script suggest about Senator Lindsey Graham's actions in 2020?
-The script suggests that Senator Lindsey Graham was previously involved in efforts to influence election outcomes, such as by calling the Georgia Secretary of State to discard mail-in ballots that could have given Trump an edge.
How does the script characterize Senator Lindsey Graham's current efforts?
-The script characterizes Senator Lindsey Graham's efforts as attempts to change electoral vote allocation rules to benefit Trump, and to disenfranchise voters by making elections less democratic.
What is the implication if Nebraska becomes a 'winner take all' state for the 2024 election?
-The implication is that it could significantly impact the electoral college vote count, potentially giving Trump an advantage by securing all of Nebraska's electoral votes.
What historical balance is mentioned in the script between Maine and Nebraska?
-The script mentions a historical balance where Maine, a reliably blue state, and Nebraska, a reliably red state, have balanced each other out by each giving one electoral vote to the opposing party's candidate.
What is the script's view on the necessity of changing people's minds through说服 rather than changing election rules?
-The script implies that instead of trying to convince people to vote for Trump, Senator Lindsey Graham is focusing on changing election rules, which the script views as an attempt to disenfranchise voters.

Outlines

00:00

🗳️ Electoral College Vote Allocation Controversy

The script discusses South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham's visit to Nebraska to advocate for a change in the way electoral college votes are allocated. Currently, most states follow a 'winner takes all' system, but Maine and Nebraska split their electoral votes. In 2020, this system allowed Joe Biden to secure one electoral vote from Nebraska despite losing the majority to Trump. As the 2024 election approaches, these split votes could be pivotal. Graham's efforts aim to make Nebraska adopt a 'winner takes all' system, which, if successful, would favor Trump. However, similar changes in Maine are not feasible due to legislative deadlines, effectively making it a one-sided change.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Winner-take-all

The winner-take-all system refers to the method used by most U.S. states to allocate electoral votes, where the candidate who wins the popular vote in the state receives all of its electoral votes. This concept is central to the video’s discussion of election strategy, as Lindsey Graham is trying to push Nebraska to adopt this system, which could favor Donald Trump by preventing Democrats from earning individual electoral votes in otherwise Republican-dominated areas.

💡Electoral College

The Electoral College is the body of electors established by the U.S. Constitution to elect the president and vice president. Each state has a certain number of electoral votes based on its population, and most states award all of these votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote within that state. The video highlights how the allocation of electoral votes, particularly in Nebraska and Maine, could influence the outcome of the 2024 election.

💡Nebraska

Nebraska is one of only two states (the other being Maine) that does not follow a winner-take-all system for electoral votes. Instead, it allocates electoral votes by congressional district. In 2020, this allowed Joe Biden to win one electoral vote despite Donald Trump winning the majority of the state. The video focuses on Republican efforts, led by Senator Lindsey Graham, to change Nebraska's system to winner-take-all to benefit Donald Trump in future elections.

💡Lindsey Graham

Lindsey Graham is a Republican senator from South Carolina who appears to be involved in efforts to change electoral vote allocation rules in Nebraska. The video criticizes Graham’s actions, suggesting he is attempting to manipulate electoral rules to give Donald Trump an advantage in the 2024 election, similar to his controversial involvement in election matters during the 2020 election in Georgia.

💡Maine

Maine is one of the two U.S. states that split its electoral votes by congressional district rather than using a winner-take-all system. In the 2020 election, this allowed Donald Trump to win one of the state’s electoral votes, despite Joe Biden winning the majority. The video explains how efforts to change Nebraska's system could unbalance the electoral vote dynamics, as Maine, a reliably blue state, wouldn’t have enough time to respond with its own changes.

💡Electoral vote allocation

Electoral vote allocation refers to how states distribute their electoral votes during a presidential election. Most states use a winner-take-all method, while Maine and Nebraska allocate votes by district. This concept is critical to the video’s focus, as it discusses how changing Nebraska's allocation rules could tip the scales in favor of Donald Trump in a close election.

💡2024 Presidential Election

The 2024 Presidential Election is the upcoming U.S. election referenced in the video. The discussion revolves around efforts by Lindsey Graham and other Republicans to influence the outcome by altering electoral vote allocation rules in key states like Nebraska, which could give Donald Trump an advantage.

💡90-day deadline

The 90-day deadline refers to the time limit Maine faces to change its electoral vote allocation method before the 2024 Electoral College vote is locked in. The video explains that Republicans are trying to change Nebraska’s rules just in time to prevent Maine from responding by making similar changes, creating an imbalance in electoral vote distribution.

💡Disenfranchisement

Disenfranchisement, in this context, refers to the efforts to limit or undermine the voting power of certain groups or individuals. The video accuses Lindsey Graham of trying to disenfranchise voters by changing the electoral rules in a way that benefits Donald Trump without engaging in a fair debate over why people should vote for him.

💡Georgia 2020 election

The Georgia 2020 election is referenced as part of a broader narrative about Lindsey Graham’s involvement in election interference. The video recalls Graham's controversial actions during the 2020 election, when he allegedly pressured Georgia’s Secretary of State to discard mail-in ballots in a way that would have benefited Donald Trump. This past behavior is linked to his current efforts in Nebraska.

Highlights

Senator Lindsey Graham is trying to change the way electoral votes are allocated in Nebraska.

Most states use a winner-takes-all system for electoral votes, with Maine and Nebraska as exceptions.

In 2020, Donald Trump won most of Nebraska but Joe Biden still got one electoral vote.

The 2024 election is so close that single electoral votes could decide the race.

If a candidate holds Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, they could reach exactly 270 electoral votes.

Lindsey Graham wants Nebraska to become winner-take-all, which would give Donald Trump an edge.

Maine is a reliably blue state, and Nebraska is a reliably red state, historically balancing each other out.

Maine cannot change its electoral vote allocation because the deadline has passed.

Lindsey Graham's actions are seen as an attempt to pull a fast one to benefit Trump.

Lindsey Graham was also involved in a 2020 incident where he pressured Georgia's Secretary of State.

There is a pattern of Lindsey Graham trying to make elections less democratic.

Lindsey Graham is aware that Vice President Harris is likely to win the popular vote in November.

Despite the electoral college's advantages for Trump, the race could be decided by a few electoral votes.

Instead of convincing people to vote for Trump, Lindsey Graham is trying to disenfranchise them.