A friend, who loves to talk football, sometimes boasts that his team “crushed” the other team, gaining more yards and rolling up more first downs, before dejectedly acknowledging that his team didn’t score as many points as its opponent. They lost.
When a Democrat gloats that Donald Trump lost the popular vote, I am reminded of my friend’s funny football foible.
It helps to gain yards in football, sure, just as it helps to gain votes in a presidential contest. But you win a game by putting the most points on the scoreboard, just as you’re elected president by winning a majority in the Electoral College.
Going forward, we can discuss whether a state’s votes should be awarded proportionally or winner-take-all and whether national popular vote should instead be the metric for victory. But the 2016 rules were the rules.
“I would’ve won the popular vote if I was campaigning for the popular vote,” President Trump told ABC News anchor David Muir this week. “I would’ve gone to California, where I didn’t go at all.”
Still, Mr. Trump should appreciate that not only didn’t he garner a majority, he lost by 3 million votes to Hillary Clinton, who was well short of a majority, herself.
Trump continues to claim “a massive landslide” in the Electoral College. He may have “shocked the world,” but in 58 presidential elections thus far, 45 winners gained a greater percentage in the Electoral College.
Again this week, Pres. Trump repeated his belief that “millions of illegal votes” prevented him from winning the popular vote. Specific evidence? None. But he wants an investigation.
This could be a long four years.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
6 replies on “Trumping Popular Vote?”
Darn, Paul, you sound like you are sorry Trump won! I’m sitting here thanking the system that got the best candidate elected. And, what’s with that not very complementary Trump picture, which was outright awful!
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Paul, I left a comment. Your website seems to make a reply difficult.
HI Charlie,
Sorry, sometimes our spam filter holds messages until one of us can approve it. I don’t understand the algorithm it uses, so I don’t know how to adjust it.
I just approved your last two comments, so with luck that puts you on the “approved” list.
I’ll keep a closer watch on the “pending comments” folder.
Sorry for the difficulty,
Jim Gill, site manager
It depends on your point of reference. Compare 2016 to 2000 (and 2004) and the Republican did indeed win ‘a massive landslide’ in the Electoral College.
I fault Trump supporters (in this election) who decided not to bother voting because their state’s electoral votes were going for Hillary. For that matter, how many Hillary supporters decided not to vote because they figured she had it won? Did that affect the race in PA and Wisconsin? Trump won by razor-thin margins in some states. How many Democrats stayed home because the press led them to believe it was all but decided?
Charlie — Well, let’s just say I’m very happy Hillary Clinton lost. The picture seems edgy but pretty neutral.
I like Trump’s support of term limits, but I do not like other stances — recent statements on torture, for instance.
Pat — People should be very wary of polls and the media suggesting those polls are close to infallible.
There is no question there was voter fraud. The questions are how much, and if it affected the outcome.