Mandate was not given for chaos
Republicans love to say that Donald Trump now has an “unprecedented, massive, historic (choose one) mandate” from the American people to change America’s political system and, in effect, change the trajectory of America’s future. But, really, what “mandate” are we talking about?
Trump’s winning percentage of the popular vote was 1.7%, and he did not even win a majority of votes cast. Obama won by 3.9% in 2012; Biden by 4.5% in 2020 and neither of those victories was considered a mandate. Maybe Reagan, 9.7% in 1980, or Clinton, 8.5% in 1996, could be projected as a mandate, but they pale in comparison to wins by Reagan; 18.2% in 1984, LBJ; 22.6% in ‘64, or FDR; 24.3% in ‘32.
Sure, Trump won the Electoral College by a lot, 312-226, but the electoral vote is skewed. Technically, you can win the necessary 270 electoral votes by winning one more popular vote in the largest 12 states and lose by a landslide in the other 38. You would be elected President with 281 electoral votes.
Trump won the electoral vote in 31 states and still won the popular vote by a measly 1.7%. That’s certainly not mandate enough to be nominating uniquely unqualified people like Kash Patel, Linda McMahon, RFK Jr., et al, to Cabinet posts, or position the world’s richest man (his de facto VP No. 2 it seems, now that he can tell Republicans which bills they can vote for), whose companies thrive on government subsidies, as the man making decisions on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
The chaos of the first Trump presidency will seem like a gentle breeze compared to the mayhem and lawlessness he will unleash in the next four years. Batten down the hatches. The storm is coming.
Tom Dillivan
Schaumburg