Mike Pence's 6-point plan to steal the election: Republicans leave roadmap for future authoritarians

[SharonClark]

Excellent and brief article from Digby...

One of the most important lessons of the 2020 election is just how easy it would be for someone with a little bit more savvy to upend the constitution and prevent the peaceful transfer of power in the future. Democracies don't always crumble as a result of violent revolution. It's often done by manipulating the law and using intimidation to ensure compliance.
. . .
First: The Vice President begins the counting with the state of Alabama as usual.

Second: When Pence gets to Arizona, he sets the electoral votes aside under the premise that there was an alternate set of electors that had been submitted. Likewise, he also sets aside the votes of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and New Mexico under the false assertion that they too had sent alternate Trump electors. (They had not.)

Third: Pence then declares that the alternate states will not be included and since Trump then "won" the remaining votes, he has been reelected.
. . .
Trump's greatest legacy may end being the fellow who showed Republicans just how dependent our democracy is on the goodwill and decency of the people who run it. He and his legal flunkies just left a roadmap for other unscrupulous authoritarians to follow.

source:[link:https://www.salon.com/2021/09/22/mike-pences-6-point-plan-to-steal-the-election-leave-roadmap-for-future-authoritarians/|

[CrispyQ]

1. Ore team is not taking this seriously enough, IMO. -nt

[Runningdawg]

3. 10 years - that is how long it took for Hitler to rise to power after

his boys were slapped on the wrist for their first coup attempt. Most of his guys got 5-7 years, most of the 1-6 traitors are getting 5-7 MONTHS. Just enough time inside to recruit a few more.

[dalton99a]

4. Most dictators in recent history came to power through perfectly legal means

From Hitler to Putin to Xi Jinping

[robbob]

5. Umm...did I miss something?

Why is this titled “Mike Pence’s 6 point plan…”? I thought it was the VP who for once decided to do the right thing and certify the election results? Don’t get me wrong; can’t stand the guy, but what did HE do to try and throw the election? This is TFG’s plan through and through…

[dalton99a]

6. +1. Pence wanted nothing to do with it

[Zeitghost]

7. At best it's a 6 point plan to lose a legal challenge

The Constitution via the 12th Amendment is quite clear, The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted.

It gives him no room for a decision on the validity of the slate of electors which is a State power.

[GoodRaisin]

8. This article is spot on. Trump provided the fascists a roadmap

to overturning an election. And, they have jumped right in and started the fine tuning of laws to prepare to seize power from the people.