Featured Trump's Landslide?

To further compare 2016 to 1948:

Trump lost the popular vote by 2 percentage points (almost 3 million votes) and Democrats gained six seats in the House and two in the Senate. In the landslide sweepstakes, 1948 is a whole different animal.

One of the (usual) effects of the Electoral College is to magnify the margin of the winner, thus reinforcing legitimacy. Kennedy won the popular vote by a tiny margin but easily won the Electoral College. Nixon in 1968 won by 0.6 percent of the popular vote but handily won the Electoral College. Neither were "landslides," even though the Electoral College vote margin was substantial.

Trump's victory was not a landslide in any commonsense meaning of the word. It may have been the most surprising victory since 1948, and perhaps ever, but talk of a landslide is just silly. Just more typical self-aggrandizement that's the stock in trade of the president elect.

 

Well, no. She pulled 1.5 million more votes in New York and 950,00 votes in Illinois.

Really, folks can look up these things if they bothered to take the trouble.

 

And that win in New York - came from NY City ! Clinton only won 16 of 62 counties - most of which were in NY City. Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany.

 

Since there is no defined % for a landslide - it would be hard to so state.
I still go with my 60% figure that I had utilized for years.

But here is a somewhat lenghty, yet interesting article .

 

Good catch - Congress set itself at 435 since 1913- which actually is unconstitutional.

 

You are correct about the counties - but it does show a pattern -

Agreed

 

1961. Via the 23rd amendment.

There were 531 electors from 1912 through 1959. That number went to 537 in 1960 with the addition of Alaska and Hawaii. Then in 1961 DC was added the number only went to 538 due to decreases in Alabama and New York. Since the 1964 election the number has remained at 538.

 

Well, actually, that is left up to the states. In the late 1700s and early 1800s many states elected the electors in the state legislatures. It was not until the 1800s that the people elected the electors en mass by political party.

Actually, no, she didn't. There is no popular election of President and Vice President. All that happens is that the news media adds up the votes by state and gives a "national popular vote" which has no basis in US election law, and there is no means to certify a Presidential "popular vote." The electoral vote is the only vote that counts for President and Vice President.