Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush : Speak publicly to US Electors to vote their Conscience on Dec. 19

Dear Presidents Carter, Bush, and Bush&colon

We feel that the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the
election of Donald Trump require extraordinary actions by ordinary citizens and our distinguished elders like you. We urge you to speak out in advance of Dec. 19 to encourage US Electors to vote their conscience with respect to Donald Trump, and, in particular, to choose another person besides Mr. Trump on their elector ballot who would be a patriotic American to take the job seriously and who all Americans could respect even if we disagree. We do not feel Mr. Trump is that person.

We call on the words of Alexander Hamilton in this regard, in his writing about the rationale behind the Electoral college&colon

“The process of election affords a moral certainty, that the
office of President shall never fall to the lot of any man who
is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite
qualifications. Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of
popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors in a single state, but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole union, or of so considerable portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States.”

It is our opinion that Donald Trump is not “in an eminent degree endowed," for a number of reasons&colon

• He is seeking to elevate bigoted white nationalists, to positions in the White House West Wing and his cabinet.
• He seeks to violate federal law by obtaining top security clearances for family members.
• He wants to potentially register US Citizens of Muslim faith on a list based upon their religious preferences, violating the constitutional right to freedom of religious practice and echoing the horrors of actions that led to concentration and internment camps in World War II.
• He has openly advocated for carrying out the war crimes of torture and plunder by the US military.
• His hostile attitude towards the press suggests that he is averse to the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
• He has cultivated links with the government of a foreign
• opponent that could jeopardize our long‐standing international
• alliances that have promoted global security for our country and our friends abroad.
• He has flouted the norms on presidential transparency and ethics, showing no intention whatsoever to abrogate his
• businesses to independent management and refusing to allow public inspection of his tax returns, while independent reporting has shown that he has manifold conflicts of interests in other countries that could influence his presidential decisions.
• Contrary to his “drain the swamp” promises to those who voted for him, he is loading his transition team with insiders from the lobbying and banking communities.
• He has chosen an openly islamophobic National Security Adviser who was on the payroll of another country while receiving classified briefings and who has received payments from the state run television network of another country.
• He threatens to pull out of the most important international climate agreement reached yet at a time when climate change threatens the nation and world.
• He has shown himself in his public actions to be a crass bully, mimicking a disabled reporter, threatening reporters at his rallies, implying racially motivated bias from a seated (and US citizen) federal judge, and using misogynistic language against women.
• Since his election, there has been a boom of hate crimes and violence.
• Moreover, he has shown himself utterly unprepared for the transition to the Presidency, with a transition team in constant turmoil.

Presidents Carter, Bush, and Bush, if you agree, we urge you to speak publicly so the electors can hear you and vote their conscience while minding to the serious responsibility alluded to by Alexander Hamilton. (Since President Clinton is an elector, we are not asking him to speak out here.) Your distinguished stature and patriotic voices are of great importance at this critical time for the US and world. We sincerely fear for the fate of the United
States of America and the world and hope you will agree to speak out to the electors.

If enough electors vote their conscience and deny Donald Trump an electoral majority on Dec. 19, the possibility exists that the US House of Representatives can select a more responsible leader, either Hillary Clinton or a patriotic and qualified substitute such as Gov. John Kasich.

Thank you