There seems to be a lot of confusion, some genuine, some very dishonest, about what is intended by talking up Hillary's pop vote totals. First, and I only say it so you'll have something to refer to before pedanting all over this: yes we know about the electoral college. while it'd be nice if the E.C. would, just once, live up to the lies ppl tell about why it even exists, we know it won't in this case. so, yes, we're perfectly aware Trump will be president b/c of a choke point baked into the constitution to protect slavers' interests. and yes, we're perfectly aware that you win the presidency by getting more electors than the other person. So please shut up about that. the thing is whenever dems win - even if they win big like in 06 and 08 - the dominant narrative is always " they didn't really win". in 2000 Gore won and GOPs controlled the senate by only 1 vote. But Bush 'won' anyway as was treated (and acted) like he had a mandate. in 2006, Dems got a majority in both houses of congress bigger than the biggest GOPs had in modern history. And it wasn't their biggest. yet even though they'd been repudiated hard, immediately GOPs pushed idea "this proves America is a center-right nation" (actual quote) in 08 dems got even bigger majority & press + major dems + gops pushed the idea that dems, not GOPs, had to bring the country together. Dems won actual mandate but were urged from start not to govern from strength but tentatively. (examples too numerous to list here). context: Dem majorities in 06 and 08 were bigger than GOP's in 94, which was treated like the entire world had changed forever. even today's GOP majorities in congress aren't as big as the smallest most recent Democratic majority. Meanwhile, the great lie told by GOPs is that they're 'real' America and that they're a true majority, not liberals. So when they win, regardless of circumstances, press & even many ostensible liberals fall in line w/demands liberals stop being liberal. That's happening now bigly. Even the LA Weekly published a horrid little illiterate screed about how liberals suck. LA Weekly!

but here's the thing: Hill's campaign seriously erred in ignoring key swing states. But she still is getting a historic pop vote margin pushing 3 million more votes than Trump got. Possibly going to have gotten more votes than Obama got in 2012. by any reasonable standard of judgment, clear majority of voters did not want Trump in office and most of those voters wanted Hillary. Trump literally won only thanks to a technicality. And yet everyone is trying to push this idea that liberal votes don't really count. we're told *we* live in a bubble. But as other ppl have noted, Los Angeles looks a hell of a lot more like America than Sapulpa, OK. before anyone accuses me of being a snooty coastal elite, I am from Sapulpa, OK. if Dems reacted to winning E.C. but not pop vote by saying OK isn't a real place and doesn't count, there'd be riots and impeachment. That's literally what is happening to liberals. But we didn't just win the pop vote b/c of a quirk. We won it BIG. There are more of us. if anything, we're the ignored majority. Not conservatives, who literally cannot win fair and square. that is why we keep bringing up the pop vote. We have to keep hammering the fact that we are NOT outliers. We are not "elites". we have to keep reminding people whose default setting is to surrender that clearly they problem isn't that Dems are too liberal. Not to mention the fact that in most of the swing states, Trump's margin of victory is smaller than # of votes Stein got. calls for Ds to abandon core constituencies and core projects are bad and should be ignored. In summary: we should do more of what we've done not less unless we wanna lose forever. THAT's why we keep bringing up the pop vote. FIN

Addendum: As if to prove my point, this is the kind of BS we have to deal with on the regular: https://twitter.com/politico/status/806321124275617792

A final response to the "Tell me why Trump is racist"
A final response to the "Tell me why Trump is Sexist"
A final response to the "Tell me why Trump is a Criminal"
A final response to the "Tell me why Donald Trump is a homophobe"
A final response to the "Tell me why Trump is Crazy"
A final response to the "Tell me why Trump is a fascist"
A final response to the "Tell me why Trump is a terrible businessman"
A final response to the "Tell me why Trump is a liar"
A final response to the "Tell me how Trump conflicts with the Constitution"
A final response to the "Tell me what's wrong with Mike Pence"
A final response to the "Tell me why Trump is not qualified to be president of the United States"

Debunking myths about Islam
Debunking the Hillary Clinton KKK meme
Debunking myths about Hillary Clinton defending rapists
Debunking Trump's All Lives Matter cliche
Reminder that Donald Trump is a pedophile
Reminder that Trump is a Climate Change denier
Definitive Answer to the Question "What is the Alt Right?"

It’s the morning after the election, and while half the country is waking up breathing a sigh of relief, another large share is disappointed, angry or even panicked. But what demographic voting patterns propelled the winner to victory? How did those patterns play out in the Electoral College map? And what does it mean for the future of American politics?

1. The Clinton landslide

In a staggering rejection of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, voters last night elected Hillary Clinton as the nation’s first female president, 53 percent to 41 percent — the widest margin in a presidential race since 1984. Clinton swept 30 states totaling 413 electoral votes. In an exclamation point, Clinton carried Arizona, Georgia and even Texas. Repudiating Trump, Utah gave its six electoral votes to conservative independent Evan McMullin.

2. Modest Clinton majority

Hillary Clinton became the first woman to win the presidency last night, defeating Donald Trump by a comfortable margin — 50 percent to 42 percent — roughly in line with what polls predicted. Clinton swept all 26 states that President Obama had carried in 2012, plus Arizona, North Carolina and Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, for a total of 359 electoral votes. In a stunning repudiation of Trump, Utah gave its six electoral votes to conservative independent Evan McMullin.

3. 2012 Map redux

After the most toxic and divisive presidential campaign in modern history, Hillary Clinton was elected the nation’s first female president last night, defeating Donald Trump 48 percent to 44 percent. However, in spite of Trump’s scandals and defiance of democratic norms, Clinton managed to win by only about the same 4 percentage point margin that President Obama won by four years ago. Clinton and Trump each won 25 states: Trump turned Iowa and Ohio red, but Clinton turned North Carolina blue, for a total of 322 electoral votes — 10 fewer than Obama picked up in 2012.

Bernie Sanders can still apparently pack a punch when it comes to fundraising.

The senator from Vermont raised just shy of $2 million in two days online this week for 13 like-minded U.S. Senate and House candidates, according to his campaign committee.

This week, Sanders tapped his massive donor list, sending out emails asking his fans to support candidates blessed by Our Revolution, an organization he launched after exiting the race.

The two-day take was $1.88 million, with more dollars continuing to come in. The biggest beneficiary, an aide said, was Deborah Ross, who has mounted an unexpectedly strong challenge to Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). About $300,000 flowed directly to her campaign.

One of multiple solicitations sent out by Sanders referred to a recent warning by House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) that Sanders could take over as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee if Democrats take over control of the Senate.

Au moment de célébrer le premier anniversaire de son élection au gouvernement, Justin Trudeau se tourne vers l’avenir et reconnaît les nombreux chantiers qui l’attendent. Énergie Est, les communautés autochtones, mais aussi la réforme électorale promise l’an dernier et sur laquelle le premier ministre ne garantit plus qu’il ira de l’avant.

« Si on va changer le système électoral, il faut que les gens soient ouverts à ça », a laissé tomber Justin Trudeau, en entrevue exclusive avec Le Devoir cette semaine pour faire le bilan de la dernière année. « On va regarder comment se déroulent les consultations, les réactions, les résultats des rapports. On ne va pas préjuger ce qui serait nécessaire [pour modifier le mode de scrutin]. Mais quand on dit un appui substantiel, ça veut dire quelque chose. »

@JustinTrudeau's #electoralreform comments in @LeDevoir are outrageous & transparently self-serving. Let me explain

1st, on process. w/ #ERRE about to start final deliberations, PM Trudeau cynically undermines the whole democratic process

Now, on substance. #LPC made clear commitment that '15 fed election would be last 1 under FPTP
https://t.co/VZnctGLqu0

And @JustinTrudeau repeated commitment throughout 2015 campaign
https://t.co/mnetYE34eK

And post-election, reaffirmed promise to scrap #FPTP "to make sure that every vote counts"
https://t.co/POwJ8MCu53