The Trump Event

He lost the popular vote but won the electoral college vote. The system worked exactly the way it was envisioned by the founders such that the industrialized, increasingly populated cities (at that point mostly in the north) couldn't run roughshod over the agricultural south. And, yes, slavery and the 3/5 compromise were also big parts of that equation. The "fly over" states wanted their rights protected even before there were airplanes to fly over. :-)

If the Electoral College, today, determines that he is unqualified for the office of president due to his lack of relevant knowledge, experience, and temperament the system WOULD ALSO work exactly the way it was envisioned by the founders.

That's not going to happen. (Though I've been so thoroughly wrong on this - along with most other folks - that who the hell knows?)

If it DID happen, the House of Representatives would surely decide in his favor, the never-trumpers evaporating like the morning dew on a hot day.

So Donald Trump will become the next president of the United States and - emolument clause or not - is not going to be impeached on Day One. Don't worry, the Republican lawyers will come up with something.

It's not impossible that he might turn out to be a good - maybe even a great - president.

I just see no grounds beyond an unsinkable optimism to believe he will be. Certainly nothing he has done since the election has given any reasonable grounds for hope to anyone other than Goldman Sachs and the fossil fuel industry.

And Vladimir Putin, of course. Well played, sir, well played!

It may be that Trump's campaign - and maybe Trump himself - were aware of and thankful for Putin's help. If so, that's treason.

But it may be that Putin decided he was just the "useful idiot" he was looking for and did all the rest on his own.

If that's the case, IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER which candidate he was tipping the balance for because his TRUE target was the delegitimization of western, democratic institutions.

And THAT clash of civilizations and war of ideas is a challenge to which President Trump must rise.