Despite numerous written appeals and vigils, electors dont appear to be rallying around a unity candidate.
Despite numerous letters and vigils, electors don't appear to be rallying around the ghost of Alexander Hamilton. FrameAngel / shutterstock.com

Following the events of 11/9, Washington elector Bret Chiafalo and Colorado elector Micheal Baca founded the Hamilton Electors movement. Citing Federalist No. 68, the two believe Hamilton and the founding fathers established the electoral college in order to prevent demagogues from securing the highest office in the country and to thwart "foreign powers" from gaining "an improper ascendant in our councils." Given that U.S. intelligence agencies now unanimously believe that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in order to tip the scales for Trump, and given that Trump perfectly embodies the "man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications" to be president that the founders were worried about, it seemed at least REASONABLE for the electors to exercise the power of their office and stop Trump.

Last week on Blabbermouth, Eli and I gamed out today's possible outcomes with Chiafolo. The hope against hope was that Democratic and Republican electors would consult their conscience, #dotherightthing, rally around an arguably more sane "unity candidate" such as Mitt Romney or John Kasich, and thwart Trump's ascent to the highest office of the land. We'll know more by noon, but this scenario doesn't appear to be taking shape.

No unity candidate was announced over the weekend as an alternative to Trump, and so obviously Clinton didn’t instruct her electors to vote for that candidate. Though Texas elector Chris Suprun vows to vote for an alternative candidate, and though reports have been circulating that as many as 20 electors were thinking of swapping their votes, according to CBS, the electors who have already voted seem to be doing so in accordance with the will of their states. The count currently stands at 55 votes for Trump, 27 for Clinton.

Though the Hamilton Electors seem to have failed in this regard, they have drawn attention to how insanely undemocratic the electoral college is. And, of course, Trump is likely to be in violation of the emoluments clause the second after he's sworn in, which is grounds for impeachment.