ICYMI, yesterday the Huffington Post had a story about a Republican member of the Electoral College from Texas, Art Sisneros, and his agonizing over how to cast his vote on December 19th. Apparently, Mr. Sisneros refuses to cast his vote for Trump, but also refuses to do what’s best for the country because, well, GOD.
Torn between voting his conscience and dutifully casting his ballot for President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican member of the Electoral College said over the weekend that he would resign his post.
“I believe to resign is to honor the intent of the pledge as it relates to the people of my district,” Texas elector Art Sisneros wrote in a blog post. “Since I can’t in good conscience vote for Donald Trump, and yet have sinfully made a pledge that I would, the best option I see at this time is to resign my position as an Elector.”
Sisneros’ decision to step aside comes as some members of the Electoral College face mounting pressure from voters and advocacy groups to flip their votes against Trump, even if he won the popular vote in their states.
In his post, Sisneros argued that casting his vote for Trump would “bring dishonor to God,” and said that political parties and “winner-take-all” states destroyed the original intention of the Electoral College. Sisneros said in August that he was considering voting against Trump if the real estate mogul were to win the popular vote in Texas. But he told Politico Monday that he would instead resign.
The rest of the country’s 538 electors will choose Sisneros’ replacement when they convene on Dec. 19 to officially elect Trump as the next president. All of Texas’ 38 electoral votes are expected to go to Trump, who beat Hillary Clinton in the state by more than 800,000 votes.
“The people will get their vote,” Sisneros wrote. “I will sleep well at night knowing I neither gave in to their demands nor caved to my convictions. I will also mourn the loss of our republic.”
[emphasis mine]
I have no idea how ANYONE could “sleep well at night” and at the same time “mourn the loss of our republic.” The idea that someone could view this horrendously important Electoral vote as a choice of “conscience” between serving his god or serving his country is totally beyond me. But obviously Mr. Sisneros strongly believes that, because he took what he now calls a “sinful” pledge to the GOP that he now regrets, he can only make himself right with his god by abdicating all civic responsibility.
From Sisneros’ blog post:
“The heart of this issue now is, does honoring the pledge cause me to sin?…
“…Aren’t Electors elected to represent the people? Yes, they absolutely are. That only begs the question, what does it mean to represent the people? This is where our understanding or lack thereof of a representative form of government comes into play. As an elected representative head, I am to speak on behalf of and in the interest of the CD36. It is my conviction that the greatest danger to my district is not a Hillary or Trump Presidency, but it is the judgement of God. If we continue to disobey His clear commands, we can expect to receive His judgement. If being a “Faithless Elector” means standing alone on principle in the hopes that God would continue to grant patience on our district, then it is worth any political future, threats to my safety, and whatever else may come my way.”
This isn’t just about YOU, Mr. Sisneros–what comes your way is nothing compared to what will happen to our nation. Get it through your head: God doesn’t give a rat’s ass about your district, Mr. Sisneros, any more than he gives a rat’s ass about our country – which should be obvious based on the fact that Donald J. Trump is now the President-Elect. And your resignation, Mr. Sisneros, is just one more step in greasing the wheels on that handbasket we’re all going to hell in. I hope that you never “sleep well” again, you chickenshit.
This is our Open Thread–have at it!
TheZoo 
I’m re-reading Terry Pratchett’s “Small Gods”, the one where the Great God Om has been reduced to a nearly-powerless tortoise due to a lack of believers. The only human who can hear Om is Brutha, a novice in the “Church of the Great God Om” (which seems to be only loosely based on the *real* “Great God Om”.) In Omnia, they have their “Quisition”, obviously based on the Spanish Inquisition, and Deacon Vorbis is the head Inquisitor.
I’m at the part where a delegation of Omnians, including Vorbis and Brutha (with the tortoise-Om hidden in Brutha’s belongings), travels to the Ephebian empire. The main city of Ephebe is inhabited mainly by philosophers (they have their own version of Archimedes jumping out of his bathtub.) Their ruler is called the Tyrant:
Where is the next Jonathan Swift now?
On the Trump vs flag-burning thread at Raw Story, Ari Berman had a great tweet:
Ari Berman
✔
@AriBerman
First they came for the 1st Amendment. Then the 14th, 15th & 19th. When Trump is done 2nd will be all that’s left https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/803567993036754944 …
8:13 AM – 29 Nov 2016
296 296 Retweets
Here is that original tweet if any Twitter users wish to retweet it or reply
What the esteemed (or perhaps just brainsteamed) Mr. Sisneros (btw, what happened to the C at the beginning of your surname, sir? Anglifukation?) your gawd doesn’t give a shit one way or the other how you vote or don’t vote. Crom only breathes life and strength into you as you are born, then wants nothing to do with you from that point on. Get with it. Biblically qualified? WTF?
You hit that one out of the park, Jane….
Mr Cisneros, you and your sky-fairy can go fuck off after abrogating your civic responsibility. you spineless shit
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/11/yes-if-you-support-donald-trump-you-are-racist/
I was surprised as hell to learn that Trump was right about conflicts-of-interest. The POTUS, VPOTUS, Members of Congress, and federal judges are specifically exempt. The law basically applies to all the other executive branch employees. SHit.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/nov/16/rudy-giuliani/giuliani-president-trump-will-be-exempt-conflict-i/
But he could still be in violation of the Emoluments clause, so there’s that to hand onto.
I notice Herr Sisneros (Senor Cisneros?) is all worried about what he calls sin. Just what is “sin” anyway? The dictionary defines it as “transgression of divine law.” OK, but what is “divine law”? “Divine” is defined as “of or relating to a god, especially the Supreme Being.” So whereto from here?
Former President Rutherford B. Hayes put it this way: “We have got rid of the fetish of the divine right of kings, and that slavery is of divine origin and authority. But the divine right of property has taken its place. The tendency plainly is towards … a government of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich.” And he never knew Trump, even.
Seems to me that Herr Sisneros blew it by believing in some sort of divinity’s wrath which, by not voting against Trump, he has assisted, not saved himself from.
Mixing religion and politics never works, except to further screw things up. I shall continue to decline to thank ‘god’ for all its help.
I’m always a bit reluctant to advertise my own stuff here, but I am floundering in a sea of desperation and my only pretense of a life vest is the voice that I can share. “Dis”, of course, is the citadel of Hell
http://garyherstein.com/2016/11/29/dis/
My quote of the day.
“This is what it looks and sounds like when reason and common sense have a cranial aneurysm”