Hillary Clinton’s lead in the popular vote over President-elect Donald Trump keeps growing and currently stands at 1.677 million votes. On Election Day, Clinton received 63,541,056 votes compared to Trump’s 61,864,015 while other candidates received 7,034,595 votes, according to the latest numbers published by the Cook Political Report. So far the numbers show Clinton obtained 48 percent of the popular vote, compared to Trump’s 46.7 percent.
The numbers mean that Clinton’s lead in the popular vote is, so far at least, much greater than Al Gore’s advantage when he won the most number of votes but still did not become president. In 2000, Gore received 50,996,582 votes compared to 50,456,062 for George W. Bush—an advantage of 540,520 votes.
This of course is unprecedented and it frustrates the crap out of a whole lot of us who think the electoral college is now interfering with our democracy.
However I really believe that petitions like this one encouraging members of the Electoral College to become "faithless electors" and vote their conscience instead of representing the outcome in their state are a waste of time, and very short sighted.
Remember something that seems like a good idea while partisan passions are high, might come back and bite us in the ass when the shoe is on the other foot.
Should we ultimately do away with the electoral college, as Senator Barbara Boxer is proposing?
Sure I think that it is well past time to do so.
Will it happen?
Nope, not while the Republicans are in charge of the House and the Senate.
But someday, yes I think we need to bring back the concept of one person one vote.
As it stands right now we appear to be the least democratic member of the democratic nations of the world.
And for America that is a very troubling position indeed.
Tweet:
ReplyDeleteSarah Palin – Verified account @SarahPalinUSA
"Palin was right." Well I'll be a monkey's uncle... http://fb.me/5Jsd7TylG
7:47 PM - 20 Nov 2016
If Trump puts Sarah Palin in his administration then we are in big trouble. Who in their right mind would tweet something praising themselves using their real name? Whatever happened to Sarah Palin praising herself using the name Lou Sarah?
Bless Sarah Palin's heart. She's trying to stay relevant in her own little world.
ReplyDeletephallic worship:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politicususa.com/2016/11/21/corrupt-trump-abuses-presidency-foreign-leader-approve-building.html
wonder how many other favors he has asked for while posing as president elect?
Deletetrump is going to make Nixon look like an amateur before the election is even certified.
8:39, that is a virus.
ReplyDeleteThe electoral college still has a chance to do what it was always meant to do.
ReplyDeletehttp://time.com/4575119/electoral-college-demagogues/
Now this>
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gold-star-family-booed_us_58325cbfe4b099512f837ef5
I'm sorry the family went through this. I've heard different stories on this. One poster on a forum said that it was said earlier on the flight that there was a gold star family on the plane, so that when later on the "special military family" announcement was made the passengers knew why they were being allowed to deplane first. But everywhere else I read, it said that it was only said at the end of the flight that the military family would get off first. My husband's an Air Force vet and my two grandfathers were (both in the Navy, one for 20 years and one died during service when my dad was a baby), and my father served in the Army. I get treating vets well. But since 9/11 there has been this idea out there that anyone who has any kind of technical connection to the military is a god in our country, and people who have never done more than push a broom or drive a general around on base are being treated that way. So I can see why some people, if all they heard were the words "special military family" might object. It does appear as if the complainers were first class passengers. First class or economy, I can see people wondering if the other passengers were receiving a perk that is part of the blanket praise and worship that we sometime see of the military mo matter what the situation. Sometimes it seems that a layperson could do any number of things showing courage and it's no big deal, but if someone is in any way connected to the military that person is automatically called a hero.
DeleteGenerally agree with what you are saying. But anyone that can't pay simple respect for a deceased soldier and their family, out of courtesy if nothing else, is a f-ing douchebag. Offering respect does not require hero status, it is just decent.
Deletehttps://www.change.org/p/electoral-college-electors-electoral-college-make-hillary-clinton-president-on-december-19
ReplyDeleteI would agree with you, Gryph, but Jerry Falwell as Secretary of Education? My god. We will no longer be world class anything with Trump's crew of ugly evil white guys.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/donald-trump-meets-with-creationist-jerry-falwell-jr-about-possibly-becoming-next-secretary-of-a7430261.html
DeleteIt's almost like Drumpf is going out of his way to assembly the most outrageous, unfit, horrendous cabinet possible.
DeleteCould he be trying to force the electors to vote for Pence? Or even Hillary?
This music is how I've felt since election night. Would be fitting for inauguration day too.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD3VsesSBsw
If Hilary won the popular vote why isn't she out there being "popular"?
ReplyDeleteIs she home sulking while her hubby is out drumming up blowjobs?
Welcome to the wilderness asshole.
"If Hilary won the popular vote why isn't she out there being "popular?”
DeleteWhat would you have her do-sign on to a reality TV show?
As far as Bill goes, at least he isn't out grabbing pussy without permission.
Peabrain, what about 1.7 million more votes don't you understand? As far as the wilderness, you will find out soon enough what type of douchbag was elected.
DeleteThe fact that trump is NOT POPULAR and never will be is no reason to post the same message on every thread.
DeleteMaybe you should try taking some creative writing classes, so your posting wouldn't bore the hell out of us.
9:56am is exhibiting what is commonly referred to as "buyer's remorse" and is subsequently striking out at strangers in anger due to his bad decision-making.
DeleteThe "wilderness" he is referring to is the vast amount of vacant space between his ears. It's one of the most common symptoms of the virus we call "Deplorableitis" and unfortunately there is no cure.
Hillary lost folks. She conceded because she new she lost. It is over.
Deletenew=knew.
DeleteEnjoy making fun of the typo.
(Dumb stupid troll Sarah lover etc...)
Millions!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/OccupyDemocrats/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf
NEVER REALLY about the children. NEVER!
ReplyDeletehttp://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/11/21/literacy-not-a-right-for-detroit-school-kids-says-state/
drumpf leads by example> He can't read, why should ANYONE LEARN.
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/11/why-clinton-lost-bitter-bernie-crooked-comey-and-wounded-working-class
ReplyDeleteI hope Hillary's campaign contests any states that are really close or there are questions about the legitimacy of the ballots.
ReplyDeleteIt won't make a difference but at least it goes on the record.
There was only one thing Traitor Trump did not lie about during the campaign, the election was rigged !!!
I'm not sure what the "unprecedented" refers to.
ReplyDeleteHillary Clinton will be the fifth candidate in U.S. history to win the popular vote and lose the electoral college vote.
The massive amount of votes that she won by is what is unprecedented.
DeleteWell since the President is determined by the Electoral College, She didn't win by any amount of votes. She lost.
Delete@1:18 Well since the electoral college hasn't decided, he didn't win either :)
DeleteBeware stranger thing can happen.
In the mean time, Hillary is winning the POPULAR vote, HA HA that really bothers you. boo hoo
Trump most corrupt, unpopular president elect ever to be impeached in 2017!!!!
5:42 you must think people take your comments to heart. They don't, believe me. This is a very pragmatic matter, the electoral college will follow thru with a President Trump. That will happen. None of your whining or trying to stir people uo will make any difference. You are a nobody yammering away on the internets.
DeleteIt's the massive lead in the popular vote that makes her stand out.
DeleteOr are you just stupid or something?
Hope my paragraph breaks show up. If not, sorry about that. I've been losing posts so now type in Word first if my post is longer than a couple sentences.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed thoughts on the electoral vote. Being where I am, in CA, it feels like my vote never matters in a presidential election. I want small states to get attention and not be overlooked, but while some small states are liberal, most of the states that are small or are large but with smaller populations are GOP and extremely conservative and will be forever.
Well, it may look only as if Trump is looking at some token Dems to fill a slot or two, with their being female a way to kill two birds with one stone, but there may be more going on. I think there is. Both women are Asian, and one is a Hawaii Rep. and one is married to the mayor of Sacramento, CA. Trump had a big CA Silicon Valley backer in Peter Thiel, and he may be looking toward the West more now with the thought of securing a lot more votes out west. We know that Trump doesn’t really value people who aren’t white males, but he knows he needs to look as if he does.
He’s looking at Michelle Rhee (Korean ancestry) for the Dept. of Education. The GOP always talk about ending that department, but of course they can’t. Rhee believes in vouchers and ending tenure (she wanted to end it altogether but came up with a plan requiring teachers either to receive raises or end their tenure—teachers should not have had to choose and put up with this blackmail). There are a number of complaints about her way of handling education. She did, however, raise student performance. Her husband, Kevin Johnson, is African American and played in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns. So, with Rhee Trump will get a married couple of Dems with background that will appeal to more minorities and west coasters, not to mention b-ball fans in two key cities.
Tulsi Gabbard (Samoan ancestry, Hindu religion) was elected to Hawaii’s House three years ago but had experience before that. She’s also a vet. She also supported Bernie (nothing wrong with that, so don’t get on my case for bringing it up) and is the person who nominated him at the Dem Convention. I’m not sure what position she’s being considered for other than an ambassador, probably to the UN.
I live in CA. These bits of info stand out to me. I don’t think I’m being paranoid about Trump already looking for ways to make inroads out west. We’ll see what happens. I also think that keeping Pelosi as House Minority Leader is a good idea. Others, young Dems, need to be given positions too. But I disagree with the talk about Pelosi needing to just step aside. I think the GOP are setting their sights out west and Pelosi, no matter what complaints can be made, has the experience, connections, and a following to help keep the evil GOP at bay. Boxer’s gone (Kamala Harris now has her seat) and Feinstein won’t be around forever. She is up for reelection in 2018 but may retire. If her seat is open, as impossible as it may seem that a Repub will get it, they just may be thinking about that seat already.
Oh. While Trump has been interviewing/hiring/nominating mostly very ugly old white men, two males now being looked at, Romney and Scott Brown (former MA senator who lost to Eliz Warren), are not as repulsive and are articulate and actually handle themselves with a kind of decorum. So, on the male front it isn’t 100% revolting. Very few women are being considered, but given all we’ve seen so far (although I hear AZ’s Jan Brewer might be considered for something), Trump seems to need whoever he chooses that’s female to be what he considers attractive. Rhee and Gabbard are pretty. It appears as though looks are a requirement in order for a female to be considered, but the most hunched and ogre-like balding males with rotten teeth, bulging eyes, and no elegance when speaking are being given jobs or may get them.
Rhee didn't raise student performance. There were some irregularities. She was also an awful administrator and they got rid of her because of it. Michelle Rhee is a REPUBLICAN. Maybe a Libertarian but not much of a difference. Doesn't matter what her registration is. She is a Republican in thought and action. She has NO degree in education. She got her BA in business and her masters in government.
DeletePelosi is part of the old regime of the Clintons and does need to go. Schumer too but look how that turned out.
I don't think Trump will make any inroads with the West with his Nazi cabinet and how he's going to be raping our open protected spaces and Federal lands. Every time he eliminates something that benefits the people of this nation, the Democrats, especially in the west, will curse his name and work all the harder to defeat him and take back the Senate and House.
Michelle Rhee won't gain him any favors from California or the Democrats. We would be grateful to be rid of her, but not to make her Secretary of Education.
Bill Press and Hilary Rosen were talking on TV today re working on the economic message. The Dems have always been the party there for the poor and working class. The problem isn't the economics. But the Dems placed so much emphasis on what is called the cultural differences and assumed that voters would continue to keep in mind that the Dems are the only ones who try helping the little guy. Sadly, with idiots who vote it's always out of sight out of mind.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of folks who make under $50,000 voted for Hillary so they got the message that the Democrats could help them, there just weren't enough of them committed to voting to sway the swing states.
DeleteExcept that haven't been helping the little guy all that much lately. Haven't been listening. The little guys haven't seen their lives improving much.
DeleteI wonder about the two electors from Washington? who vowed to vote for Bernie in the electoral college. WTF happened to them? Yeah, go ahead and vote for Bernie. Asshats.
ReplyDeleteIf they do, that's two less for Trump.
DeleteIt's a start.
So 538 votes trump 1.7 million. Go figure. Only in America.
ReplyDeleteNot popular with the left right now but if we do that, New York and California and maybe Texas will be the only states the candidates visit. They will go to big cities, forget rural areas or small towns. The country will be run by whatever is best for big cities. I don't like that idea much living in a rural area. The original idea was to make small states important. The removal of the Electoral College would take a Constitutional Amendment but any state could divide their vote however they chose but how likely is California to want do that given the 30% who voted for Trump there would also be represented and make California less important. As it stands, the Repubs are one state away from being able to change the Constitution if they so wish, but given it would allow the so-called drive-bys to be ignored that's not likely happening unless the the dems actually take over state legislatures. Currently, they only have 5 states where they control the legislature and governor's office. And before anyone attacks me, I am a moderate who voted for Hillary. Right now I am not impressed though with either party
ReplyDeleteAs a rural person also 11:14, I can understand. I also think we need major election reform. But I do think the office of President should be one person, one vote. With the electoral college, we have a few whose votes are more important than the rest, supposedly as a way of "making it fair".
DeleteThe controversy is for President, who is to represent the whole country. and I believe the local elections and regional senators and reps represent their districts.
As a person that lives in a state that neither has a large population nor is a battleground state, I can tell you candidates don't visit here now and abolishing the Electoral College won't change that.
DeleteNope.
DeleteNo one pays any attention to California.
We're almost last in the primaries so the candidate has usually already "won" before we even get to vote.
We are reliably Democrat so not even a battleground state. We'll vote Democratic no matter what.
So no. No one is going to bother with California.
I imagine the same holds true for the other reliably blue and red states.
The battleground states will still be battleground states. A few may change.
But doing away with the electoral college is not going to have California, New York and Texas suddenly being the deciding factor.
Trump's TV summit: The Donald summons network executives and anchors from 'the dishonest media' to Trump Tower
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3958098/Trump-s-TV-summit-President-elect-summons-network-executives-anchors-dishonest-media-Trump-Tower.html
I'm sure he read them the riot act on criticizing him and laying off Melania and his son.
DeleteI'm sure threats were put forth as well. After all, now he basically owns the FCC and will soon kill Net Neutrality.
We don't need to wait for the Republican House and Senate to flip in order to do away with the electoral college. Check out the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
ReplyDeleteIt enacts election by popular vote by individual states signing on, and once you pass the legislation in enough states to total 269 EVs, then it doesn't matter that the law at the federal level hasn't been changed. So far, states with 165 EVs have signed on. States with 36 more EVs currently have legislation that's been introduced.
The Compact is exactly the way we should work on getting the popular vote. A constitutional amendment is a pipedream in environment, if we can pass it in enough states, it won't need one.
Right now, the red states that would be needed to sign on are hardly likely to approve it. Many of the state legislatures and also in Republican hands and they're not going to vote away their advantage.
DeleteBut you're right. This *is* the workaround to the electoral college. But it would be a trust issue. The following through on a promise.
Another swamp dweller? So much for shaking up the Washington/Wall St/crony capitalists :)
ReplyDeletePresident-elect Donald Trump is considering Dallas investor Ray Washburne as a possible interior secretary, CNBC reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources on Trump’s transition team.
Washburne’s company, Charter Holdings, is involved in real estate, restaurants and diversified financial investments. A top Republican fundraiser, Washburne has served as vice chair of Trump Victory Committee.
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/11/trump-considering-dallas-investor-ray-washburne-for-interior-secretary-cnbc/
It's really getting out of hand: 23 states have the same population COMBINED as California ALONE. California gets 2 senators, while those 23 states control 46 senators. I understand the need to protect small states, but there is a limit, when the representation is so unbalanced. Why not change the number of electors in the electoral college to be less lopsided? Today, California would need 199 electoral votes to equal the influence of Wyoming's 3 electoral votes (and California currently has 55). So, allow California to have perhaps 100 or 150 electoral votes to balance things out. Same for NY, TX and FL.
ReplyDeleteReally, make ratio fair. The govt jumps on taxes to make it fair. So jump on ec to make right ratios!!####
DeleteThat's what the HOUSE is for.
DeletePerhaps we should assign electors according to how much tax revenue a state generates. That way California would get more than the red states that always operate at a deficit and suck up Federal dollars. I'm tired of subsidizing states where the stupids put a Fascist in the Oval Office and Nazis will be holding the most important seats in the government.
Maybe the rest of the Western states would like to stop supplying California with Colorado River water mlaiuppa, get back to us with the state revenue after that happens.
DeleteMore states need to be won not just more votes .. Representation by many in a few states is not democratic .
ReplyDeleteIf the Electoral College was intended to keep the power in the hands of the well educated instead of the common rabble, it has failed. I doubt you can say the EC is working as the Founders envisioned, especially because so much more of our population is urban that it was in the 1780s--there is no indication that they ever foresaw that.
ReplyDeleteO/T His screening plan is to ask questions about “the equality of men and women” and “the U.S. Constitution” !!!!
ReplyDeleteGive me a break. Traitor Trump and the majority of republicans would FLUNK that test!!! Most evangelicals follow Sharia law !!
I would bet the present screening is more vigorous than what this amateur came up with.
-------------------
Potential Trump DHS pick accidentally reveals his plans for tracking and interrogating Muslims
.... The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach — who is seen as a favorite to land the job of DHS chief in a Trump administration — walked into Trump Tower this week with a paper out in the open that outlined his proposals to track and interrogate Muslim immigrants in the United States to screen out potential terrorists......
..... Such “high-risk aliens” would also be asked a series of questions designed to determine whether they are a threat to the American way of life. Among other things, the Capital-Journal says that Muslim immigrants would be questioned over their “support for Sharia law (Islamic religious law), jihad, the equality of men and women and the U.S. Constitution.”.......
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/11/potential-trump-dhs-pick-accidentally-reveals-his-plans-for-tracking-and-interrogating-muslims/
I just find it so baffaling we have trump as elected pres. Hillary is now 1.7 MILLION votes ahead. He has never, ever held any kind of govt office. His vetting is nothing, doesn't exist. Omfg, we laugh, shame and eventually get out a mayor or governor out as quickly as possible due to their stupidity. And now we have the electoral college changing what is clear votes for president, what "we the people" voted. Omfg. No I will never give the turd a chance. Hillary is the real elected President of these United States!
ReplyDeleteI ask - and finally understand the answer - "Why Vote at All?" if 2 Millions votes, mine being of them, don't even count. What a waste of time if 'my' vote doesn't count?????? 2 million people who stood in lines, sometimes in the cold, etc., and their votes don't count??? I say - they DO COUNT! They MUST count!
ReplyDeleteI always tell people you must vote. It is the only voice you have.So now 1.7 million peoples voices and it doesn't matter.
DeleteNope. Wrong. Your vote counted. It counted in your state. We don't elect presidents nationally. We elect presidents in 50 state elections + DC. We may not like the result, but we can't claim our votes didn't count.
DeleteThank you 7:58. Every vote counts and every vote is important to win states, whether it is 'your' candidate or not that wins it, somebody does win based on the votes.
DeleteYour vote has never counted.
DeleteYou were given a choice between two candidates each party already chose. Well, for the Republicans, they didn't exactly choose, more like they allowed it to happen without stopping it. But Hillary was chosen.
I'm with Alan Grayson. Put "None of the above" on the ballot.
I pray on Dec. 20 I wake up from this terrible state to my vote counted to President Clinton. I can have a better dream.
ReplyDeleteHope for the best, but plan for the worst.
DeleteCitizens might be able to check the ballot trail in their states. For any ballots marked on paper and then read by machine to be counted, there may be a way to independently verify what those counts were.
ReplyDeleteApparently a lot of counties in the states use Optical Scan machines, which capture an image of the ballot as it is scanned. Since the ballots have no personal information, a state / county / city election board might be compelled to release the images of ballots under an FOIA request.
https://www.verifiedvoting.org/verifier/ and select ' 2016 ' to see a clickable national map.
To see a county breakout, in the national map, click on a state/select the state from the dropdown. Below that is a "Polling Place" list of machines used in that state. Clicking on a county /selecting from dropdown shows its Polling Place Equipment used.
To search equipment, underneath the 2016 national map/ 2016 state map, at the bottom screen, from the "Search Equipment" dropdowns select "State", "Equipment". View that state's entire list of the machines used, or constrain it further to Optical Scan, since In some states, there's a mix of every sort of machine from paper ballot to only a touch-screen.
Sift out the ones which have optical scans. Quickly and quietly send a certified FOIA letter to whoever supervises the election to demand copies of all those ballot images. Follow up with a call. If there's any hint of impropriety or stalling, go in person to ask for a downloaded file. Take along a couple of brand-new, still-wrapped flash-drives. Or ask them to post the image files online. Count the votes you want -- from president down to your local level.
Of special, national interest: Florida Michigan North Carolina Pennsylvania Wisconsin.
A.S.