Can someone remind me why Donald Trump was elected?

[GreenJesus]

...which is what the Senate is for. And what the House is for. Seems a bit redundant to throw the presidency into that list, doesn't it?

Anyway, the electoral college system is nothing but a historical concession made for unity, and it clashes with the core American value of equal opportunity. There is no reason someone living in Wyoming should have 5x the voting power of someone in California.

I kind of agree at this point. The president is strictly a federal representative with no tie to the state governing. President probably should be popular vote. Senators and house members speak for their state and are given representation but the president is for the whole country.

[Tyraynor]

Because Americans are completely fucking retarded.

[Underverse]

I don't get it. How is Hillary worse than Trump? I hear this line a lot, but hardly ever any reasoning behind it. There was that buttery males thing, but that didn't amount to much.

Because people are gullible/lazy and love to buy into propaganda that suits their predispositions.

[Adapter]

I remember following the campaign back in the day and thinking that he was elected because people wanted someone to loudly and clearly say the figurative FU to the agendas pushed by his opponents.

[Foosha]

...which is what the Senate is for. And what the House is for. Seems a bit redundant to throw the presidency into that list, doesn't it?

Anyway, the electoral college system is nothing but a historical concession made for unity, and it clashes with the core American value of equal opportunity. There is no reason someone living in Wyoming should have 5x the voting power of someone in California.

Electoral college is abandoned. California, Florida, New York and Texas decide the election. Oh, what's that Idaho? You like farming? Well too bad, New York and Florida have decided that farming is bad for the environment.

[Underverse]

Because Americans are completely fucking retarded.

Most of us are, yeah. Probably around 75%. But, it's similar in other areas of the world.

[Santti]

Nice first post.

- to build a wall and restrict immigration
- to help the worker class, which won't happen any time soon
- as a counter-reaction to identity politics on the left

PS: triggering the fake libs as a bonus is cool as well.

Counter identity politics with identity politics? That's what Trump is all about, really.

[Underverse]

Electoral college is abandoned. California, Florida, New York and Texas decide the election. Oh, what's that Idaho? You like farming? Well too bad, New York and Florida have decided that farming is bad for the environment.

JK they didn't because they still have massive overrepresentation in the Senate.

Please, just stop.

[Lurker1]

I am from EU, so I don't have any political side when it comes to US, but Donald Trump seems like a stupid stubborn person from my point of view.

E.g. Look at what happened now, the government shut down is still in progress
I can't remember when so many public officials left the white house after working for/with Donald.
Quitting US negotiated deals with the entire world, which the EU did not improve and ignored.

Something is just not right with him, either dumb or something else,

Imho it was mostly racist people and religous nuts that voted for him.

[Underverse]

Counter identity politics with identity politics? That's what Trump is all about, really.

It's okay as long as they're demonizing the 'right groups'.

[Celestial476]

So people can make a new burner account and post a topic like this and watch the people come out in mass to have a giant collective circle jerk about how much they hate someone.

[Fojos]

Traditionally, in a democracy, the candidate with the most votes wins.

Nope. Majority of countries with democracy have representative democracy and it's pretty standard nowadays for minority government to rule.

[grandpab]

I think it's because of his amazing use of adjectives.

[Kaleredar]

Electoral college is abandoned. California, Florida, New York and Texas decide the election. Oh, what's that Idaho? You like farming? Well too bad, New York and Florida have decided that farming is bad for the environment.

Because there are no farmers in Texas, California, Florida, or New York...?


The electoral college already insures that only a handful of states matter anyway.

[Queen of Hamsters]

Well, in any other nation calling itself a democracy, he wouldn't have won since he didn't get the most votes.

Not that the shit show would've been any lesser with a woman at the helm though. The same groups would've felt emboldened/had a fire lit under their asses no matter what the outcome. At least Trump would've eaten humble pie though... Not that it would've helped.

[Foosha]

So people can make a new burner account and post a topic like this and watch the people come out in mass to have a giant collective circle jerk about how much they hate someone.

This is what MMOC is for dontcha know? Left circlejerk topics.

[Santti]

This is what MMOC is for dontcha know? Left circlejerk topics.

Hating Trump is pretty damn universal.

Now that I think about it, it's actually refreshing to see a new account bashing Trump. Most Trump fans around here appear to be burner accounts these days.

[Gestopft]

30 years of corporations increasing their wealth while average citizens watch their stand of living and opportunities disappear. This isn't limited to the America, and can be seen in Brexit vote, French Yellow Vest protest, Spanish political unrest, and others.

Unfortunately I'm fully in the camp that things are going to get worse for a bit before they get better.

This is the answer.

There are plenty of other factors, and of course the Electoral College, but to me the question isn't "why did Donald Trump squeak out a victory?" but "why was Donald Trump even competitive in the first place?"

Some of the blame has to go on Fox News/Right-wing Media, but really the answer is that our policymakers- of both parties- have spent decades failing us. Call it Neoliberalism, Corporatism, corruption, Chicago School economics: call it what you will, but Trump is the culmination of the failures brought about by the economic consensus that developed in the 70's and was cemented with the presidency of Reagan.

[Queen of Hamsters]

This is the answer.

There are plenty of other factors, and of course the Electoral College, but to me the question isn't "why did Donald Trump squeak out a victory?" but "why was Donald Trump even competitive in the first place?"

Some of the blame has to go on Fox News/Right-wing Media, but really the answer is that our policymakers- of both parties- have spent decades failing us. Call it Neoliberalism, Corporatism, corruption, Chicago School economics: call it what you will, but Trump is the culmination of the failures brought about by the economic consensus that developed in the 70's and was cemented with the presidency of Reagan.

If those are the drives of people, Trump shouldn't have gotten ANY votes.

He's literally a huge, fat Capitalist that didn't even have to work himself to where he is. "I'm draining the swamp", really, when most of his buddies are in it?

Nah, his rhetoric did the exact same thing as they always do when shifting the blame from rich vs the rest. That's why he gained favor.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

because he was elected by votes cast by a majority - not "the" majority, but " a " majority - of the american ppl during the election