A Little Re-Scheduling, Anyone?

by JASmius


How would this be for an October surprise?:

Q    Jay, some of the utilities are saying that the power is going to be out in some areas for up to 10 days, which would obviously include Election Day.  Is there any contingency planning to alter the Election Day schedule because of this? 

MR. CARNEY:  I think that is not something I’m able to address.  The fact is the storm is just taking effect now and having an impact now and making landfall I believe tonight.  We have to focus on not the campaign and not the election, but on making sure that all federal resources are both prepositioned and in place to help states and localities respond to the storm, to help Americans who are affected by the storm.  That’s our focus right now.

Q    Would the President have the power to adjust Election Day?

MR. CARNEY:  I don’t know the answer to that question.  I think you’re getting way ahead of yourself here.

First things first: No, Barack Obama does NOT have the power to "adjust" Election Day.  Not according to the law, anyway.  Section 7, Chapter 1, Title 2 of the United States Code clearly, unambiguously, and unequivocally states:

The Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in every even-numbered year is established as the day for the election in each of the states and territories of the United States of representatives and delegates to the Congress commencing on the third day of January next thereafter.

There's no wiggle room in that verbiage.  It's been in place in every election going back to the beginning of the republic, through the Civil War, World War I, and World War II, times of national emergency far, far worse than a hurricane.  It's the law.  Period.

But...since when has the law ever stopped Red Barry from illegally ruling by decree?  He imposed the Cap & Trade scheme he couldn't through the last Donk SuperCongress via EPA regulations; he imposed the DREAM Act he also couldn't get through that Congress via Executive Order; he made recess appointments despite the Senate not being in recess.  Clearly he has established a pattern of lawlessness and abuse of executive power without precedent in American history, and he hasn't even gotten to a second term yet.  Would "postponing" next Tuesday's election really be all that far-fetched?

And by "postponing," I mean, of course, "canceling".  If O were to try this, there's no way he would set a new date for the election; it would, instead, be postponed "indefinitely". Since this would be widely seen as precisely what it would be - a coup de tat - he wouldn't dare allow the election to take place, because this would destroy both him and the entire Democrat Party - permanently.  It would be a one-way trip; once the proverbial trigger was pulled, he, and they, would be committed, and could not possibly turn back.

What the country could do about it?  Not much.  Sure, the GOP House could and would impeach Obama, but does anybody seriously believe that the same Senate Democrats every one of which voted to ram ObamaCare down the throats of the American public would muster up twenty votes to convict The One and remove him from office?  And even if, by some miracle, they did, why would he not simply ignore that like he has every other legal hurdle and simply entrench himself in the White House like a badger in its burrow?  When the man whose constitutional responsibility is to execute the law(s) of the land refuses to abide by them, who would enforce them on him?

Yeah, it sounds like something out of the X-Files. But I can't help noting that Carney didn't categorically deny the press queries, as any presidential spokesman with three brain cells to rub together should have. He said, "We're getting way ahead of ourselves here"; which implies that it's something they would, or have, or are, considering.

I"m not predicting it.  But desperation and aspiring totalitarianism are a very, very dangerous combination, and make it impossible to completely rule out.

In short, we will not be able to begin to relax until President-Elect Romney finishes reciting the oath of office after noon next January 20th.  And maybe not even then.


[cross-posted @ Hard Starboard]