Electoral College
“The House Could Pick Our Next President.” And Bob Dole could resign from the Senate to become a Buddhist monk. James Weaver’s speculation (Commentary, Sept. 25) considers only step two, ignoring step one, the action of the Electoral College. The 538 members of the Electoral College possess absolute power and authority to vote as they choose. They are both partisans and citizens.
In the case of an apparent deadlock, it is inconceivable that some majority would not form among them to choose a President and a vice president, rather than that they abdicate their power and authority and toss the election over to the House and Senate, respectively.
Given an apparent deadlock among, say, President Clinton, Dole and Colin Powell, they could even make somebody else President; the Constitution is that clear, because the Founding Fathers expected the electors to be what the word implies. Weaver has ignored one of the most potent words in politics: turf. Even without statesmanship, civic responsibility, etc., turf would prevail.
GILBERT S. BAHN
Moorpark
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