Early and absentee voting has started in many states ...

I mailed my absentee ballot yesterday. And I voted for the Clinton-Kaine ticket!

The GOPer must own up to Don the Groper Con.

I prefer Groper Don the Con

They gotta own the maggot.

The wannabe Groper in Chief is in it til the bitter end. The corrupt base metal of the TRUMP brand is going to forever tarnish the gilding. I had a conversation with a friend yesterday about the properties that he doesn't own but carry his name. I said there would soon be a rush to jack hammer them off the buildings. He countered with the likelihood of a penalty clause that would require them to pay to remove the name. It would be worth it to get that scum off their buildings. Maybe there will be law suits because the "value" of the name has been forever tarnished by him.

That's my take anyway.

Ford was the only president not elected to either the top or second spot. Was ousted by Carter.

Donald Trump is center stage with all the spot lights focused on him.

He is right where he wants to be.

Who gets on the ballot is up to 50 different state laws! That's how it's done.

It is already too late to change November ballots in many states, by law! Then, there are the ballots already submitted or delivered due to early and absentee voting.

So, there is no rational path for Drumpf to step down or be replaced, and everybody in the GOP knows that.

So why don't some DUers?

the answer to as can be seen by this article some are calling on Trump to step down:

http://heavy.com/news/2016/10/will-donald-trump-drop-out-dropping-dropped-replaced-by-mike-pence-jon-huntsman-paul-ryan-wisconsin-withdraw-quit-endorsement-debate-prep-rnc/

today have called on Trump to withdraw?

Ask them how they would manage to replace him! As I pointed out -- correctly, I would add -- that the presidential election in the USA is in reality 50 state-wide elections, each of which is governed by the diverse laws in the 50 states. Civics 101!

So again, what mechanism exists to replace a prominent POTUS candidate at this stage?

That's right. No such mechanism exists!

And the GOP fucking knows this. I cannot speak for the idiots asking for Drumpf to step down when even a casual glance reveals that such a thing could be an utter clusterfuck for the GOP, far worse than losing a national election.

People here have been screeching "Drumpf is gonna drop out!!!" for months.

They are wrong.

The GOP is stuck with him. Thankfully.

Different states have different laws concerning what would happen in the case of a 'last-minute replacement'. But, suppose that a candidate had a fatal heart attack 30 days before the election?

There are mechanisms in place to handle such a situation, whether it is because the vacancy is caused by 'death, incapacitation, or "otherwise"'. It won't necessarily be pretty but it can happen.

I agree it would be a disaster for the GOP but what is happening now is a disaster anyway.

And all states have cut-off dates for ballot changes. And all the states are different in this regard!!!!

So there really isn't a single mechanism for changing a party's presidential candidate this close to the election. Nor is there any sane person who would attempt it, let alone wish it.

That would be the clusterfuck of all clusterfucks.

Anyway, my bias is that I'd like to see Drumpf stay right where he is, the GOP POTUS nominee.

If he was dead, then maybe they can get the red states to change, but it would be almost impossible to get all the legislatures to let living Trump be replaced by someone else.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

It's a chance, but a very small one. I linked the Republican Party Rules and offered my own thoughts on it here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=2481089

Furthermore, the fact that we are inside many state deadlines is irrelevant. This was successfully litigated by the Democratic Party in 2002 when they replaced "Rug" Torricelli with Frank Lautenberg after New Jersey's ballot deadline. Lautenberg went on to win the New Jersey Senate seat.

It's certainly true that some states are not competent enough to change the ballots and god knows what the courts would decide about voter intent for those who already voted, but the bottom line is that it's not that important because voters are only choosing electors who will do the actual voting for President. That gives everyone a lot of wiggle room to change things if they wish... or must.

He was replacing a US Senate candidate, which limits the problems to a single state.

Electing a president concerns 50 different state-wide elections each with diverse election laws.

Putting Lautenberg on the ballot in one state is not in anyway analogous in kind or in magnitude to replacing a presidential candidate in 50 states at this point.

So your argument fails.

They refused to take up the NJSC decision appeal. So it can likely be applied to all states.

In the year 2000, future Attorney General John Ashcroft lost to a dead man in a Senate election, and Missouri still found a way to interpret voter intent against him.

I argue that a Presidential election is actually easier to shift voter intent. We're not actually voting for the President; we're voting for the electors who will elect the President. That provides many layers of argument which would allow Trump to be removed from the ballot, or for votes in his favor to be interpreted as votes for someone else.

People knew they were voting for Jean Carnahan.
A technically similar situation could be that people would vote with the assumption that Trump would resign at the urging of congressional republicans. Thus, they would be voting for Pence.

So, with Lautenberg there was a court case which went to SCOTUS. One election, one set of state election laws. Easy-peasey!

Now multiply that by 50. Bear in mind that some states have already started voting. Some have cut off ballot changes.

Consider the number of court cases needed to replace Drumpf on the ballots at this late game. An estimation of 50 underestimates it. That is the minimum.

No rational person would want that.

But I still say it's possible, and now I'm beginning to consider it even more likely because Mike Pence can force the issue by declining the nomination for Vice President. That would force a meeting of the RNC, where they can do pretty much whatever they want.

And if Pence drops out that is no problem because the US Constitution accounts for a president replacing their VEEP.

There is no mechanism for replacing a presidential candidate at this point. Thankfully, that has not come up. One hopes it does not happen this year.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/prod-static-ngop-pbl/docs/Rules_of_the_Republican+Party_FINAL_S14090314.pdf

Rules 8 and 9 specifically account for such a situation, up to within 5 days of the election and potentially even closer since they reserve the right to suspend or re-write their own rules.

As I said, Mike Pence himself can initiate the emergency meeting by declining the Vice Presidential nomination. At that point, the RNC more or less has to meet to replace him, and they can declare Trump to be disqualified under the wide-open "or otherwise" clause of Rule 9, which includes anything and everything beyond death or declination.

While I totally agree that it would be a nightmarish mess, that's what the GOP already has on their hands now. Only sixteen well-placed Republicans can initiate it on their own, or Pence can do it all by himself.

Remember also that there is no honor among thieves. At this point, we can expect everyone on that side to begin acting in their own self-interest.

And many thousands of people will have already voted for him!!!!

I am afraid that you really are not thinking this through all the way.

My best to you.

I think we can both agree that the Republicans themselves can't and won't devote this much thought to the matter, and inertia is more likely to carry them over the falls. It's not going to happen unless someone acts in extreme self-interest.

But then again, self-interest is what defines the Republican Party, which is why I maintain that such a thing is possible.

And god help us all with this insane election.

Mean jack shit in the state of Florida. Our ballot is set. And in many states votes have been cast. The courts are not going to allow parties to remove candidates when it becomes apparent they are going to lose. Because that's what this is about.

And there is no chance to litigate this in one month. Because election day is set in the constitution. It will not change.

And it's a point that Republicans themselves would have to make, convincingly: "we're removing this guy because he's unqualified, not because he's going to lose." Would the courts buy it? The Supreme Court has bought it in cases of death (Wellstone, Carnahan) or declination (Torricelli), but not forcible removal, that I can find.

But as far as Florida's laws go, they don't mean shit. Each one of the three cases above was challenged by Republicans for being in violation of ballot laws, and they all lost, for a similar reason to the one you name: you can't keep a candidate off the ballot just so yours can win.

Because is many states voting has begun. And they would be disenfranchising voters who have voted for Trump because he can not win. I could see if he was dead, but we vote for a slate of electors not a party.

Russia would ever allow that to happen?

They will tell people to get out an vote for Trump, then he will resign and Pence will become president.

'As all get out' about them abandoning him.

They can't un-pick him.
He's probably got his attorneys looking for all the ways he can profit from his position. Lawsuits will be coming should the RNC try to force him out.

That's just how Trump rolls.$$$

I say no Trump will not drop out or withdraw. He is above all else : egotistical. Besides being racist and to those who say oh he's not a racist just think of this even now he says the Central Park 5 were guilty after they were proven by DNA evidence that they were innocent. He took an ad out calling for these innocent boys to be executed. And who do they should replace him? Mike Pence? OMG he would be worse. We all know Trump is a fool, a bigot and misogynist. But Pence is a snake. He is a liar. He is antiLGBT wants to repeal Roe vs. Wade I could go on and on.

Perhaps making the big deal as we muse.

You could've shut it down, but it's too late now

It was also too late for the GOP when they faild to stip him before/during the RNC.