> Trump won the popular vote by 1.5%. That's the 8th closest election in all of US history.
You're kind of glossing over the fact that a Republican hasn't won the popular vote since 1988 and the prevailing wisdom was that the EC was the _only_ thing giving Republican candidates a fighting chance in presidential elections (so much so that every election we hear much wailing and gnashing of teeth that the EC system should replaced by popular vote, and in fact there is an "electoral vote compact" that several states have entered into that pledges to give all electoral votes to the popular vote winner as a way to nullify the EC). For Trump, with his MANY issues, to win the _popular vote_ by 1.5% is monumental, and I guarantee you not a single model predicted that in any way whatsoever.
You put a Nikki Haley up there and she would've won the popular vote by 5-10%, easily. Which would be astounding numbers for a Republican candidate in this day and age.
You're kind of glossing over the fact that a Republican hasn't won the popular vote since 1988 and the prevailing wisdom was that the EC was the _only_ thing giving Republican candidates a fighting chance in presidential elections (so much so that every election we hear much wailing and gnashing of teeth that the EC system should replaced by popular vote, and in fact there is an "electoral vote compact" that several states have entered into that pledges to give all electoral votes to the popular vote winner as a way to nullify the EC). For Trump, with his MANY issues, to win the _popular vote_ by 1.5% is monumental, and I guarantee you not a single model predicted that in any way whatsoever.
You put a Nikki Haley up there and she would've won the popular vote by 5-10%, easily. Which would be astounding numbers for a Republican candidate in this day and age.