MSNBC host Chuck Todd put on his professor hat on Thursday and lectured viewers about the “flaw” in the Constitution that he wants “fixed.” Discussing possibilities where the presidential candidates could get 269 electoral votes and have the election decided in the House of Representatives, Todd fretted, “But are we sure every state with that majority would vote that same way? Are we sure every elector will vote for his or her candidate? Are we sure the loser won’t go to court?”
“No, no, no and no,” he complained. This was despite conceding that such scenarios have “never happened before” and aren’t “likely to happen this year.” Then why the concern? Why not let the voters and Congress sort things out? A worked up Todd declared, “This is a flaw in the Constitution that somehow we should fix.”
Todd didn’t say how, exactly, he wanted to fix this “flaw” or who, other than the Congress, currently controlled by Republicans, he wanted to use instead.
A transcript of the MTP Daily segment is below:
MTP Daily
9/15/16
5:46CHUCK TODD: Time to share with you my obsession of the day. Today, I'm obsessed with this: The number 269. Remember that number. As recently as three weeks ago, we were talking about whether Donald Trump would be this year's Barry Goldwater, the first Republican to get routed in a presidential election since ‘64. But you don't hear much of that talk anymore, do you? Why? Well, let's talk about giving Donald Trump the 206 electoral votes Mitt Romney got four years ago. Now, let’s give Trump just the states where polls in the past week have had him ahead: Florida, Ohio, Iowa and Nevada. Add in the one electoral vote from the second congressional district of Maine, which, like Nebraska, distributes its votes by congressional district and Trump is up to 266, just four votes shy of the 270 he needs. Now, take that 266 number, throw in New Hampshire, a toss up state if there ever was one and voila, 270 votes. Grab the popcorn and watch the inauguration of President Trump.
<<< Please consider helping NewsBusters financially with your tax-deductible contribution today >>>
But wait. Remember what I said about Nebraska, distributing its vote by congressional district. Well, Nebraska’s second district right now, Clinton is slightly ahead. So, if she wins it, we're sitting at 269. They're both at 269 and you would have your tie in the electoral college. Cue the confusion. What happens then? Well, as some of you know if you read your Constitution, each state’s congressional delegation gets one vote and on paper that would favor the Republicans. With Trump, you never know who would hold the majority in Congress. But are we sure every state with that majority would vote that same way? Are we sure every elector will vote for his or her candidate? Are we sure the loser won’t go to court? No, no, no and no. It’s never happened before. Isn’t likely to happen this year. But why are there way too many scenarios that get us here? 269 could become the most important political number since George W. Bush won Florida in 2000 by 537 votes. By the way, this is a flaw in the Constitution that somehow we should fix. We'll be right back.
