I, and everyone else, who did not vote for the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the USA, must accept the fact that, in accordance with the provisions of the 1804 passage of the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Donald Trump will assume the office of President of the United States on Jan. 20. Face it, it is over.
On Jan. 20, regardless of how much discussion and controversy surrounds the results of the Nov. 8, 2016, election, Mr. Trump will succeed Barack Obama as President of the United States. Mr. Trump should be honored and respected as he enters that office.
But, what must be equally well understood and accepted, contrary to the consistent claims and statements of the major and key supporters of Mr. Trump, including Mike Pence, Reince Priebus, Kellyanne Conway and Sean Spicer, is that Mr. Trump did not win the presidency in a “landslide” and has no overwhelming “mandate” to carry out the duties of the President of the United States.
To consistently advocate the issues of a “landslide” and “mandate” in governing as President detracts from the actual facts under which Mr. Trump was elected.
In examining the actual totals concerning the Electoral College final outcome, Mr. Trump had 304 votes to 227 for Hillary Clinton. At first glance, this difference in votes seems somewhat impressive, but, in actuality, the electoral vote for Mr. Trump ranks 46th, yes, 46th, out of 56 total presidential elections — not a landslide or mandate.
OK, how about the popular vote? Maybe this will negate the disappointing electoral college historic low ranking. Nope, not quite, as Hillary won the popular vote of the people by almost 3 million votes (Clinton 65.8 million, Trump 62.9 million) a margin of victory of approximately 2.1 percent.
The negative popular vote margin places Mr. Trump as 47th in the last 49 presidential elections, not what one, even the diehard surrogates of Mr. Trump, could euphemistically note, as a “landslide” victory, or broad “mandate” to advance the political policies of our 45th President.
Hopefully, as late as the Jan. 13 Gallup poll indicates, Mr. Trump will attenuate his upcoming ascendency to the Presidency by acknowledging that 51 percent of those polled disapprove of how he is handling his transition to the presidency, while only 44 percent approve, another indication of neither “landslide” nor “mandate” popularity.
Only time and the performance of the Trump administration will determine whether President Trump is carrying out his duties in a manner which takes into consideration the actual facts cited above or will he somehow decide to govern as if, totally unrealistically, he need not take into account the views of the members, Republican and Democrat, of both Houses of Congress and even his own Cabinet members.
For the good of our nation, let us hope that President Trump will administer his awesome office in a manner which is in no way dictatorial, but truly broad-based and expansive in considering the welfare of all citizens, not just that minority of Americans who voted him into office.
Wade J.Williams
Peachtree City/Clayton, Ga.
