The recent German elections had the winner at 28% and second-place at 20% and the media called that a “close” race with no mandate. Actually IMHO 1.5% is not a large amount of popular vote to win by. In 2020 election Biden won by 4.5% of the vote 51.3% to 46.8%, but by Electoral College votes he won 306-232 (56.8%-43.1%) a difference of 13.7%. The 2024 election Trump won by 1.5% of the vote 49.9% to 48.4%, but by the Electoral College votes he won 312-226 (57.9%-42%), a difference of 15.9%. Just goes to show that although only winning by 1.5% of the popular vote in 2024 vs a loss of 4.5% in 2020, Trump had a larger majority of the 2024 Electoral College votes. Never was a fan of the Electoral College vote, because it does not really show the true results. A candidate can win some of the larger Electoral College States and not win the popular vote and still be the victor. That has happened 5 times in USA. The last two were G.W. Bush in 2000 and Trump in 2016 (Clinton won by 2.8 million votes). So Trump should have done what the majority voted for?
A Democratic country rules by majority vote; a Constitutional Federal Republic (USA) rules by Constitutional Laws. By saying the “majority “ won and has a mandate you are suggesting that we are a Democratic society which is what our forefathers were against when writing the Constitution. American forefathers were also against King George III’s monarchy rule which Trump is trying to become.
Pertaining to your question; “Did the American population not know what they were voting for?” I can only speak from my experience. I saw Trump speak at a business meeting in the early 1980’s. Wish I had the foresight to record that speech. He was saying the same rhetoric as today, 40 years later, isolationism, backing out of NATO and making other countries pay for US protection. There are several videos and printed articles online backing this up. I believe he was a Democrat then, later a Reform Party candidate and finally a Republican. He also stated back then he was for a National Healthcare Plan (‘99 Larry King) and would never trust Russia. Hmmm? As a registered, voting Republican for 44 years, I did not have to do anymore research in ‘16 or ‘24 before voting. I knew exactly what we were dealing with. Narcissistic people take hold of people in strange ways (victims) and they cannot see through the lies. We’ve all seen this in personal relationships where you try to tell the person being controlled and they refuse to see it. Take care.
