There was no victory, and there isn't a mandate.

There was no victory, and there isn't a mandate.

As we stand today, Hilary Clinton now has a large lead in the popular vote. For the fourth time in our history, the majority of U.S. Citizens will now be forced to legally endure policies they did not vote for. The last time was the year 2000, and considering the results of the two Bush II administrations, we should pray it ends better.

In all likelihood it will be worse, considering the candidate now given power.

The electoral college, designed to buffer smaller states and/or allow intervention in case of a lunatic being elected, is an artifact now cursing the majority of Americans. And in many ways it did as it was designed to do, to give enhanced power of a minority of states, and minorities within those states, to decide what is good for the rest of us.

While some claim this is somehow the voice of “forgotten Americans”, those doing should be reminded of some obvious facts. The majority of American's did not vote for the policies. There are still more Democratic voters than Republican voters, and surveys consistently show strong majority support for progressive policies and not those of the Republicans or the right wing.

Additionally, other salient points deserve mention. The unprecedented amount of money spent to support Republican candidates. The voter suppression methods enacted after the Supreme Court's ruling on the Voting Rights Act in various states. The more subtle methods of voter suppression, such as limiting poll places and machines in Democratic areas. The voter roll purge fraud using the Interstate Crosscheck system. The gerrymandering of districts by Republicans in states after the 2010 elections, which will likely be affecting voting until 2030. All of these affect vote totals that in reality, despite the efforts, still could not produce a majority for the Republican candidate.

It must also be remembered that there was a deliberate strategy to create mass frustration by not allowing any progressive initiative forward. They have held the house since 2010, and have not let any possible useful legislation forward.. For example, both the 2009 stimulus and the Affordable Care Act were resisted fanatically and limited by right wing political attacks. Finally, the last two times the Republicans have ruled, they have robbed the country blind leaving the two Democratic administrations to clean up the fiscal mess and limiting possible progressive program responses to people's difficulties. Both ended in massive fraud and recession. Corporate media, of course, casually forgets this fact, as if history ended a week ago.

Progressives need to remember this and ignore the inane arguments presented that somehow “they should agree to what the majority desired”, as it simply wasn't the case. Ultimately, this was still an election won by the Koch Brothers and other large donors using tricks, political strategy and oodles of ash to create a victory by game, rather than a win by majority.