Politics

Hillary Clinton's Victory in the Popular Vote Was Historic

November 13th 2016

Hillary Clinton may have lost the election, but she won the popular vote. And the latest election results show she won it by an impressive margin.

New election results revealed that Clinton lead in the popular vote by nearly half a percentage point over Donald Trump, even though he prevailed in the Electoral College.

Clinton "will have won by a wider percentage margin than not only Al Gore in 2000, but also Richard Nixon in 1968 and John F. Kennedy in 1960" once all mail-in and absentee ballots are counted, David Leonhardt wrote in a New York Times op-ed.

Clinton also recorded a dubious distinction, FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver pointed out:

Roughly 7 million votes remain uncounted, New York Times reporter Nate Cohn noted on Twitter. (The Atlantic reported the same figure.)

"Most were cast in the Clinton-leaning states of California, Washington, and New York — not swing states — so they won’t change the Electoral College" outcome, The Atlantic reported. "But there's a sufficient amount to put her within striking distance of Obama's 2012 turnout and help put an end to the argument that she simply didn't work hard enough."

Clinton's substantial lead in the popular vote underscored the dilemma now facing Democrats, Leonhardt said:

"The soul-searching about the Democrats’ loss of the white working class is just beginning, as it should. Presidential races aren’t won and lost on the national popular vote, nor is control of the House and Senate. None of that is going to change, and Democrats need to find ways to win in the world that exists, rather than the more small-d democratic world that many of us would prefer."

[h/t The Huffington Post]

Share your opinion

Are you surprised Clinton won the popular vote?

Yes 10%No 90%