Of course, something like my last post
did happen in U.S. history, though not nearly so egregious as my beguiling nightmare scenario.
In 1824, in a four-way race, Andrew Jackson won the most popular votes
and the most electoral votes, but failed to secure a
majority of electoral votes (just a plurality.) He also carried the most states. The election was thus thrown to the House, which rammed it straight up Ol’ Hickory’s ass, and put John Q. Adams in the White House, who had finished second to Jackson in both the popular and electoral votes.
But at least Adams got popular votes. My scenario is more deliciously evil because it demonstrates that it is constitutionally possible for someone to be elected president
without receiving a single popular vote, or indeed running in the general election at all!
Ol’ Hickory, by all accounts, was a very bitter man as a result of this dirty deal, as he felt it to be.
But do not fear!
Like a zombie Nixon arisen from the political grave and searching for liberal brains to eat,
Jackson came back four years later to easily defeat Adams in a two-way race. Then, of course, finally venting all his pent-up fury, he instigated the Trail of Tears. For this genocide, he has earned himself a handsome post-mortem sinecure on the 20-dollar bill, and — in the most recent survey of presidential scholars — a ranking of ninth-best president of all time.