When I wrote this post on Facebook I never dreamed it would provoke so many comments! I thought I'd like to preserve them on my blog for future reference.
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It doesn't change who will be inaugurated in January, but wow.
Hillary Clinton will end up winning a clearer popular vote victory than Kennedy in '60 or Nixon in '68 and may come very close to the vote of Barack Obama over Mitt Romney. With a raw vote margin greater than those of perhaps 26 presidents. Her "winning" percentage will be better than eight presidents. Barack Obama is the only candidate in history to receive the votes of more Americans than Hillary Clinton. Yet the candidate the people opposed by over a million votes will become president. Her lead may approach two million by the time the final votes are counted. Donald Trump has a smaller percentage of the vote than Mitt Romney, John McCain or John Kerry. That's right, he can claim no more of a mandate than Romney, McCain, or Kerry. This is a travesty. Our system IS rigged. We must get rid of the Electoral College. One citizen, one vote!In the meantime states should institute instant run-offs in primaries and elections. That will prevent the election of unfit candidates like Donald Trump who is strongly disliked by a large majority of the voters including most of the people that I know of who voted for him. With an instant run-off system Donald Trump would not have been the GOP nominee and if he were he would not have been elected, in my opinion.ABC News:Clinton leads Trump by 1,125,855 in presidential popular vote:Clinton: 62,409,031 (48%)Trump: 61,283,176 (47%)
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Here go the comments:
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Claudia Kennedy
I totally agree. It's past time the electoral college was disbanded.
Lynne Crothers Williams
"None of the Above" should be on all ballots.
Terrell Shaw
One of the states has that option, I think. Is it Nevada?
Benjamin Amis
It is Nevada.
John Carlin
It's interesting that neither will have a majority of votes.
Charity Gilchrist Nicholson
I usually agree with you
But, I am not for ridding the country of the Electoral College. Mob rule would take over. I heard a good editorial about this just yesterday.
Raymond Atkins
Too late, Charity. Mob rule is here. For the historians in the crowd, there are some interesting parallels between our country right now and the final days of the Roman Empire.
John Carlin
And what happens if life goes on as it tends to do? The Democrats did a good job of framing Trump as the possible end of civilization as we know it, but it still didn't win the election. It's time to move on from the tactic.
Raymond Atkins
Life will indeed go on. The people who put this charlatan into office will get what they asked for. Unfortunately for the rest of us, we'll get it too.
CeCe Baker
https://www.change.org/.../electoral-college-electors...
Jenifer Beaver
I do not like Trump, but I do like the electoral college. I trust our founding fathers right now more than I trust any living politician. That is my $.02. Which is more than I gave to the DNC last year and less than I gave to Bernie. Vote locally, vote in the midterms. This election, however, is over.
Terrell Shaw
I want: automatic runoffs and popular;ly elected presidents. The powers of our govt are carefully divided between legislative, judicial and exec branches. We have a non-democratic Senate that gives small states special powers. An Electoral College on top of that is anti-democratic and damaging to the nation.
By the way, there have been five non-plurality presidents, all five were out-polled by Democratic Party nominees: Jackson, Tilden, Cleveland, Gore, and Clinton.
Five is too many. This one is a devastaing mistake.
Melissa Pyle-Hamilton
End the Electoral College which dates back to the 1700's. it is passé. Time to send it packing and let the popular vote reign.
That remains to be seen depending on how the Electoral College votes on Dec. 19th. It may be a long shot that anything will change, but one can certainly hope.
Benjamin Amis
EVs should be counted by district, not by state (Nebraska and Maine already do this), Congressional districts should be drawn by a non-partisan commission, and IRV should be used nationwide in every election.
Terrell Shaw
Please dont do it by current Gerrymandered districts! No let's just abolish the EC altogether andvlet the people decide. Period.
Benjamin Amis
I said that, quote, "Congressional districts should be drawn by a non-partisan commission." Gerrymandering is a huge problem, and it must be dealt with. Now.
It's the same reason I support retaining the DNC superdelegate system, even though my guy lost. No system is perfect, but I prefer a more balanced system to keep all things in check.
Though, the US House is rightfully called "The People's House" and I would support expanded participation by US Territories and an increase in the size of its membership by greater apportionment. Originally, each congressman represented about 34,000 Americans in their district. Since then, the House has quadrupled in size, however the apportionment per capita is 19 times larger, with each congressman representing about 650,000 constituents.
While maintaining the exact numbers given by the Founders (one representative per 34,000 citizens) is not a viable option (we've have almost 9,000 congressmen!), I think we have to find a more representative way of apportioning CDs to bring the House closer to the people, since that is its purpose.
By comparison, the United Kingdom has an estimated population of 65,110,000 (2016 estimate from the UK Office of National Statistics) and the UK Commons currently has 650 MPs. That's about one for every 100,000 constituents. There are so many MPs, actually, that there aren't enough seats on the benches for them all to gather there at once. Watch any PMQs session, and you'll see MPs standing in the back on the floor of the Commons because the benches are full.
The Great White North maintains a similar ratio. With a population of 36,286,425 (2016 estiminate, CANSIM), last year's Canadian elections increased the total membership of their Commons to 338 members, which is again about 100,000 citizens per MP.
To be fair, though, following a 100k:1 ratio would still give us 3,000 Members of Congress, which is a bit ridiculous.
We could still do better, though. The closest nation to us by population is Indonesia. They have a population of about 260,000,000 and the People's Representative Council, the lower house of their legislature, the People's Consultative Assembly, has 560 members, or about 450,000 citizens per assembly member.
I'm done now. I promise.
Bill Cox
Am I missing something Here? When did we become a democracy and not a Republic. All I have seen from this election is hateful spite filled talk. The next 4 years will only be business as usual. The GOP thought Obama was the anti Christ now the Democrats feel the same about Trump.Follow the money honey Wall Street rules not the White House. Fine dump the electoral college when it does not work let new England and California elect our Potus. It really will not matter as long as control is still in the hands of the 1%.
David Matheny
There will be howls of Buyer's Remorse in T+6 months of President Trump's Term...and he'll have noone but himself to blame because he said,, over and over, that he alone can fix it.
Terrell Shaw
The interesting, and I guess slightly hopeful, thing is that he has an amazing opportunity to be a great president if he is capable. He owes nothing to either party. The election was a split with a slight popular advantage to Democratic policies. He has no core of values. He could come out with a declaration that he really meant that business about making us great and bringing us together, and since this election underscores how split we've been since the nineties, he'll create a truly bi-partisan administration, backs common-sense centrist policies, ends gridlock, and actually accomplishes infrastructure upgrades, fixes the ACA so it still covers pre=existing conditions & 25 year olds but everyone participates so premiums are reasonable, preserves Obama's international achievements, throws a few bones to the right-wingers, etc. Whadya think?
Nah. Me neither.
Rhonda Ingram Bramlette
You had me mesmerized by that one! Your storytelling is still on point !
- Melissa Pyle-Hamilton
I have no confidence whatsoever in that man. I am concerned about how organized labor will be treated by this administration. I worry about Social Security and Medicare. In fact, I worry about everything. He is heartless
Terrell Shaw
I depend on Social Security and Medicare. If he allows Ryan to mess with it I think we could bury them in the midterms.
Rhonda Ingram Bramlette
Melissa Pyle-Hamilton I have said Soulless but heartless works too
Melissa Pyle-Hamilton
I agree with soulless, too, Rhonda. I remember you from Darlington. How are you doing?
Terrell Shaw
I actually pity the man. To have all those advantages and to have squandered them on such a profligate life. I really doubt that he has real love in his life.
Rhonda Ingram Bramlette
I wasn't sure you remembered me its been a little while. I'm good. Hoping you are as well! - Melissa Pyle-Hamilton
Terrell-. Both my husband and I are disabled and receive Social Security disability. This would be a major blow to us. Surely to The Lord, Congress knows that messing with these programs would be political suicide.
Rhonda Ingram Bramlette
We had that discussion just this evening. I would be sad for him but I'm too gutted right now. - Melissa Pyle-Hamilton
Rhonda- of course, I remember you fondly. I am hanging in there, but was recently diagnosed with 2 brain tumors. Please keep me in your prayers. Thank you. - Rhonda Ingram Bramlette
Melissa Pyle-Hamilton you have my prayers. And they will continue
Melissa Pyle-Hamilton
God bless you, and thank you so very much!
Melissa Pyle-Hamilton
Me, too, Rhonda. He is such a disgrace. Many who voted for him with the exception of the über wealthy have just shot themselves in the foot and don't even realize it. With the GOP having control of everything, at least they will have no one to blame except their own party.
Terrell Shaw
Melissa I will add you to my prayers as well. We are dealing with cancer in my family right now, too. My 15 yr old great niece is in the throes of terrifying battle against a relapse of the leukemia we thought she had beaten five years ago.. And my 93 yo mom has a biopsy in the morning to diagnose tumors in her leg and back,
Melissa Pyle-Hamilton
Terrell- I will certainly add your Mom to my prayer list. I have been praying for your great niece since I read your post about her illness. May God give your family great comfort during this trying time and restore your Mom and great niece to better health. If Kenny or I can do anything to help...meals, errands, etc, please do not hesitate to call on us.
Rhonda Ingram Bramlette
They will both be in my daily prayers. I've been praying for your Niece since I saw the info on your page.
Terrell Shaw
Thank you both. -
Melissa Pyle-Hamilton
No thanks needed, Terrell. That is what friends do for one another. As Scripture tells us, we are our brother's keeper.
Tommy Elaine Gerrin
I bet Gore wishes the popular vote had won it for him.
Terrell Shaw
I certainly wish that it had.
Jackson Williamson
Me, too.
Dawn N Luke Andrews
Can we please move on? Oh my goodness.....
Terrell Shaw
No Luke. Our President Elect is a damaged human being who lies like no other grown-up I have ever witnessed. I will never be quiet in the face of such evil.
Terrell Shaw
And, just curious, have I ever written on YOUR Facebook wall suggesting you shut up as you seem called to do on MY Facebook wall frequently? Get a life.
If you cannot handle my facts and opinions posted here, you are perfectly free not to read them
Dawn N Luke Andrews
I'm just saying it's over, time to move on....never said shut up or anything disrespectful, my friend.
Terrell Shaw
No we can not "move on". For the next four years we must remain angry, focused, obnoxiously persistent, intensely vigilant. This evil cannot stand. A man who has literally threatened torture and murder has been elevated to the presidency against the will of the American people.
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
Move on to where?
Dawn N Luke Andrews
#overreaction
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
#underreaction
#whitemanwhoisntthreatenedbyanyofthis
Dawn N Luke Andrews
And I did NOT vote for Trump. No single man can threaten the citizenry. We have a system of laws....or are supposed to. Interestingly enough, all of you fearing executive overreach by Trump were perfectly OK with Obama abusing his executive powers with mandate after mandate not passed by Congress. Perhaps we should be so vigilant against all abused of power whether on "our team" or not...you think?
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
Abuse?? Obama used less executive orders than his predecessors and was faced with a congress whose sole agenda was to obstruct him. And which of his EOs abused your life so terribly? As you post pictures of the overreacting "cupcake generation" protesting Trump's blatant racial hatred, bigotry and sexual assault?
Dawn N Luke Andrews
CNN would not have reported any of it Suanne Bierman Laqueur.... surely I'm just fabricating all of it
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
I don't watch CNN. Which Executive orders were so terrible that you couldn't move on from them? There's your "abuse." My goodness, move on.
Jeannie Blakely
Move on? My goodness, we are just getting started! I intend to spend the next 4 years celebrating my American heritage by exercising my constitutional rights of speech and assembly! (thank you Founding Fathers).
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
LOL, right? Move on. Uh, no thanks, I will be parking my butt right here-
Jeannie Blakely
Suanne Bierman Laqueur *High Five*!!
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
I'm so sick of the "one man can't change anything" argument. That ONE MAN is in charge of appointing thousands of government jobs, setting the tone for Washington, and communicating with hundreds of republican lobbyist groups looking to push their agendas. One man can totally threaten the citizenry. He already is!
Dawn N Luke Andrews
http://www.usatoday.com/.../obama-presidential.../20191805/
- USATODAY.COM
Obama issues 'executive orders by another name'
Obama issues 'executive orders by another name'
Dawn N Luke Andrews
Semantics Suanne Bierman Laqueur...the point remains. Either way, there should be checks and balances as our founders, those evil men, intended. Therefore, the cupcake generation need not fear except they may have to go to work. -
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
And? He used presidential memoranda to make policy on gun control after the Sandy Hook shooting. He used a memorandum to declare Bristol Bay, Alaska, off-limits to oil and gas exploration.
THE HORROR!!
Dawn N Luke Andrews
I am white and I am male
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
With a Republican-controlled Congress and seats on the Supreme Court, Trump won't have many checks and balances.
-
Terrell Shaw
It comes down to this.
I worked hard, ethically, patriotically to elect our leaders since 1968 as a voter, and actually since 1956 (I led the fourth grade classroom Ike faction, both of us ;-))
I've won some and lost some.
I won in 2008, and 2012 only to see my president obstructed even from exercising the #1 thing I elected him to do: appoint SCOTUS justices.
I won in 2000 only to see voter suppression and a crooked Supreme Ct plus just old fashioned incompetence and the infernal Electoral College give the presidency to the Pres. Runner-up.
Now I am again on the side of the largest number of Americans by over a million ballots, and yet everything I hate will rule America for four years.
Our Attorney General has a racist history. Has he really changed? I don't know.
Our National Security advisor will be a hot-head who was fired from a national security post just a couple of years ago.
Running the White House from the West Wing will be a rabid white supremacist.
Our CIA will be run by a nutty Benghazi extremist.
And sitting behind the big desk in the Oval Office with the nuclear football always within reach is a man who has threatened his political opponents with jail, proclaimed he will re-institute waterboarding and worse torture, promises to commit murder, who according to the Russians themselves colluded with them to become president, and who lost the vote of the American people by over a million ballots.
I will NOT be blindly partisan as the GOP was the last four years. When he proposes good stuff as even he will occasionally, I'll support it.
Yep, I am angry. I will not be quiet. I will fight evil every time it raises its fiery head.
I love and even admire, in other ways, some of my friends and relatives who voted for this evil, but I will not overlook evil, I will not compromise with evil, I will not smile and pretend that evil was elected fair-and-square and must be given a chance.
Evil is evil.
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
Right on. I'm off to make some phone calls to representatives. And then bake cupcakes for a school fundraiser.
Janice Shaw Crouse
"Everthing you hate," and "evil," will not accept or smile. Oh my. Sadly, those thoughts will eat you up.
Dawn N Luke Andrews
I'd say that would be one side of the stories, Terrell Shaw. I am not a fan of the man Trump, but if he will forward fiscal conservatism, control our borders, push for bringing jobs back to this country, promote energy independence, etc. Then I will support the actions.
Terrell Shaw
I am pleased that at least you did not vote for him, Luke. At least you have been consistent in your beliefs. I can respect that.
Dawn N Luke Andrews
And for my friends on the left that usually preach tolerance..... yikes, that sure has gone out the window in the last 10 days
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
We don't tolerate racism, bigotry and sexism well. That's not a character flaw.
Luis Schnitzer Da Silva
Suanne Bierman Laqueur right on yourself
Terrell Shaw
Again, I am very tolerant of opposing views. I am intolerant of evil. This campaign was different from every other in our history. We have never had such evil on the ballot.
Dawn N Luke Andrews
Hillary conspired with the DNC to cheat against Bernie....that is not evil?
Terrell Shaw
Did not.
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
You have no proof of that.
Dawn N Luke Andrews
Lol - Suanne Bierman Laqueur
Laugh all you want, you were suckered into believing a lie.
Dawn N Luke Andrews
Of course not. Nothing Hillary is accused of is true for 30 years I know....
Dawn N Luke Andrews
May she be gracefully put out to pasture now...... Amen
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
Countless investigations and they couldn't pin a parking violation on her. Yeah, I'd say it was a witch hunt.
Oh no, Luke, Hillary is not moving on or going out to pasture. She's now free to do what she does best: advocate for children and families. Unlike Trump, she gives a (word which I cannot say in the presence of children),
Terrell Shaw
The evil (there's that word again) campaign to smear Hillary Clinton was/is shameful. You disagreed with her. She acted with honor in every public position she has ever had.
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
Bernie failed to secure the minority vote and lost the primary. My goodness, move on!
Terrell Shaw
Dawn N Luke Andrews "Nothing Hillary is accused of is true for 30 years" That is literally true, Luke. For once we agree.
Dawn N Luke Andrews
Lawdy Suanne Bierman Laqueur.... you actually made me giggle with that one....as if I lost sleep over that fella
Terrell Shaw
Outta here... gonna go have some fun telling stories...
Dawn N Luke Andrews
Go get em T
Tony Potts
you are an Alabama football fan arn't ya?
Dawn N Luke Andrews
Never heard Terrell Shaw holler "Roll Tide!". Don't think so
Terrell Shaw
Tony my football team may lose me more friends than my politics: FSU (I also cheer for GaTech usually) I married into a Tallahassee family and thot I 'd join the fun. The Tide? Never.
Julie Buffalo
Ugh
John Barnett
Terrell, THIS I can agree with
Rose Hieronymus
I heard recently, in fact today that Trump won the popular vote as well! What you have written is probably not factual but regardless I am sorry you are so bitter. A vote for Clinton would mean "business as usual " only worse. She stood for Planned Parenthood, more influx of middle eastern refugees, open borders, more political correctness and don't forget the lies upon lies we heard. The hate from the left and the mis-guided (paid for by George Soros) is a sad thing to watch as they accuse Mr. Trump of that which they themselves are spreading!!
Terrell Shaw
You "heard". Sigh. Look it up. Get the facts. You likely "heard" lots of stuff during the campaign. Please look back at the right-wing Facebook posts from November of 2008 and 2012, then come tell me what "bitter" is.
Rose Hieronymus
On the national news, radio this morning
Rose Hieronymus
And by the way, I endured Obama, never wrote a bad thing about him or anyone else. My sis voted for him because he was cute and black. the second time around my bro in law said we needed to "give him another chance" so I got it from both sides. The last eight years speak for themselves.
Suanne Bierman Laqueur
I'd change your radio station because Clinton leads by 1.5 million in the popular vote.
What's wrong with standing for Planned Parenthood? (Please don't say harvesting baby parts because that video was debunked and denounced and its makers were prosecuted)
Our borders are not open and she was not for open borders anyway. And what is your opposition to refugees?
Political correctness? So you support the recent spate of hate crimes against minorities in Trump's name. Thank you for the refreshing honesty.
Lies upon lies? Name one, please.
Luis Schnitzer Da Silva
I knew it I always knew it was George Soros.
Raymond Atkins
Terrell, the "I heard" syndrome has now replaced facts and research. Some of the many things I heard or read during the campaign included: Hillary had an affair with Whoopi Goldberg, Hillary routinely had (has) people killed, the Clintons masterminded 9/11, Hillary attended a late-term abortion and joked about selling baby parts, and I could continue pretty much indefinitely. It's just easier for some folks to latch onto things they "heard" that reflect what they want to believe than it is to reflect upon their beliefs. The "hate from the left" is a new one on me, I will admit, but nothing surprises me anymore.
Gary Greene
I heard she had an affair with Yoko Ono ! LOL
Rose Hieronymus
This was on the radio, national news this morning about 8:30- Suanne Bierman Laqueur
I'd change your radio station then.
Here are the results as of November 18, according to the Cook Political Report:
Clinton: 63,049,607 47.9%
Trump: 61,610,484 46.8%
Here are the popular vote results as of November 18 from USelectionatlas.org, which is also keeping an updated tally:
Clinton: 63,037,875 47.74%
Trump: 61,645,235 46.68%
- USELECTIONATLAS.ORG
Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections
Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections
Ellen Mana'ar Johnson
I "heard" Trump was actually born in Scotland where his mother was at the time. from a voice in my head
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