A Trump Victory Would Be a Reflection of Cunning, Not Popularity
Repudiating minority rule must be our priority in the decade ahead
Apandemic rages, the climate is changing, our standing in the world is plummeting, millions are out of work, and oh yeah, it’s Election Day. Has there ever been a moment of greater uncertainty for America?
Yet despite everything going on right now, and the million unknowns that will determine the outcome of this election, with near-total certainty we know this: Joe Biden will receive more votes than Donald Trump.
If Trump wins reelection, he would become the first president in history to win a second term while losing the popular vote. But even if he loses, we’ve spent the last four years in an unprecedented situation. Trump’s 2016 victory was already the largest popular-vote loss by an electoral college winner since 1824, when the race featured four major candidates.
Team Trump would surely point out that the rules allow candidates to win the election without topping the popular vote. But under our current law, the rules also allow a billionaire to pay $750 in taxes. That doesn’t make it right. Regardless of who wins tonight — or later this week — our unwillingness or inability to fully grapple with President Trump’s unpopularity will stand out as…
