Jim Himes

Why have an Electoral College? Alexander Hamilton made it plain: to ensure that “the office of president will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.” It is a safeguard against a demagogue putting our country’s values and our security at risk.

Since his election, Donald Trump has ignored his serious conflicts of interest; skipped intelligence briefings while overturning generations of China policy; could have emboldened Philippine death squads; attacked the cast of the Broadway play Hamilton for speaking out; told whopping lies on Twitter; trashed our intelligence agencies; and defended the Kremlin from charges of interfering with our elections.

This is not a partisan issue. Many honorable Republican leaders agree Mr. Trump is a walking, tweeting negation of core American values: liberty, service, compassion, respect for learning, humility and honor. Zero Republican presidents endorsed Mr. Trump, and Mitt Romney, the party’s 2012 presidential nominee, said Trump is “playing the members of the American public for suckers.”

Whether Mr. Trump exhibits the “talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity” feared by the Founders is up to the electors. Twice in our history, the Electoral College has denied the presidency to winners of the popular vote — Grover Cleveland and Al Gore — with no serious charges of election “rigging.”

Monday, it could deny the presidency to a candidate whose qualifications are in question and who lost the popular vote dramatically.

Rogue Electoral College? Don't count on it: Our view

The Electoral College need not elect Hillary Clinton. It could choose a consensus candidate who might begin to heal our fractured republic.

Our Founders wisely provided a mechanism to address this chaotic situation; it is folly not to use it. Thoughtful GOP leaders should join together today to release the electors to vote their conscience — to save their party and our nation from years of tumult and danger.

Our country would be forever in their debt.

Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., is the ranking member of the House NSA and Cybersecurity Subcommittee, part of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.