With President Trump and his supporters alternately calling for extra vote counting and a halt to vote counting, relying on the place they're wi
With President Trump and his supporters alternately calling for extra vote counting and a halt to vote counting, relying on the place they’re within the nation, life as soon as once more imitates artwork — and by artwork, I imply Veep.
And, after all, Veep followers seen.
(Spoilers for Veep observe, clearly.)
The scene in query is from the fourth episode of the HBO comedy’s fifth season, titled “Mom.” President Selena Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is trying to win a presidential election for the primary time; she grew to become president after her predecessor’s resignation. However within the season 4 finale, which aired in 2015, the 2016 presidential election ends in an Electoral School tie: 269-269. (A candidate, as we all know nicely, should attain 270 electoral votes to be elected president.)
A tie within the Electoral School — in Veep in addition to in actuality — means the election is determined by the Home of Representatives in early January. Every state’s delegation to the Home will get one vote. Whoever is chosen by not less than 26 of the states wins.
In order season 5 begins, President Meyer is courting members of Congress (no straightforward activity, with the vacations occurring between the November election and the January resolution date). Nevertheless, Meyer misplaced the swing state of Nevada by lower than half a proportion level, which in that state triggers a recount of the vote. Because the recount is going on, it turns into clear that an anti-Meyer postal employee hoarded 10,000 absentee ballots, which the staff believes to be from a pro-Meyer district, so the rely should embody these new absentee ballots.
Together with the brand new ballots would require the recount to increase previous the legally mandated deadline, however Meyer’s staff is very motivated to get these ballots counted. So that they file an injunction with the Nevada Supreme Court docket to delay the deadline till each poll could be counted.
That’s the place the episode that this now-viral clip seems in picks up. (The clip consists of spliced-together scenes from the episode.) Meyer’s staff, headed by her previous legislation faculty buddy Karen Collins (Lennon Parham), is arguing that the deadline must be delayed, and the courtroom grants the injunction. However then the staff discovers that the newly found votes are army ballots, that are prone to favor Meyer’s extra conservative rival, Invoice O’Brien.
So that they flip their place and return to the Supreme Court docket, with Collins now arguing towards the previous place and requesting that the unique deadline be reinstated — a lot to the choose’s consternation.
Whereas all of that is taking place contained in the Nevada courtroom, Meyer aides Amy Brookheimer (Anna Chlumsky) and Dan Egan (Reid Scott) discover {that a} pro-O’Brien protest outdoors the courtroom appears to be astroturfed — that’s, made up of individuals being paid to protest the recount by O’Brien’s camp. They resolve to arrange a counterprotest, demanding that each vote be counted, and put Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons) and Richard Splett (Sam Richardson) in cost. However, after all, because the marketing campaign’s place modifications, the protesters need to flip their very own calls for.
The episode’s occasions now really feel eerily prescient — as do a daunting variety of issues on Veep. However the comparability additionally helps make clear the absurdity of calling for an finish to counting ballots in a single location whereas concurrently urging the rely to proceed elsewhere. It’s not a place based mostly on the rules of democracy or the legislation (or, seemingly, even logic). It’s only a energy play, and everybody concerned possible is aware of this.
Ultimately, Meyer loses the election. (And so, hilariously, does O’Brien, when the Home picks his working mate, Laura Montez, as an alternative of him.) However the episode is only one extra piece of proof that Meyer’s dedication is to not good governance or honest and free elections. Her solely true constituent is herself.
Veep is out there to stream on HBO Max. Additionally it is streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video with an HBO add-on subscription. Episodes can be found for digital rental and buy on providers together with iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube.