Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:31 pm
Republicans are claiming a Trump mandate after the Republican nominee lost the popular vote, and their claims are not reinforced when you examine Gallup’s finding that almost as many Americans are afraid after Trump’s victory as voted for him.
According to Gallup,
Americans on both sides of the 2016 presidential race are reacting strongly to Donald Trump’s victory Tuesday: 80% of Trump voters say they are “excited,” while 76% of Hillary Clinton voters say they are “afraid.” A large majority (75%) share one reaction: surprise.
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The following chart shows the breakdown of reactions:
As Gallup says, “Americans reacted far differently in 2008 when Barack Obama won election as the first black president”:
- Thirty-two percent of Americans say they are “proud” after Trump’s election. The night after Obama’s historic election, 67% described themselves as “proud.”
- Thirty-five percent are “excited” about Trump’s election. In 2008, 59% said they felt this way.
- Forty-two percent are “afraid” now, compared with 27% in 2008.
It is clear Trump has no mandate and just as clear that jubilation is far from the emotion felt by most Americans. That nearly as many are afraid as voted for Trump argues strongly against the utopian visions of the future claimed by Paul Ryan & Co.
Americans are afraid, and they have very good reason to be.
Hrafnkell Haraldsson, a social liberal with leanings toward centrist politics has degrees in history and philosophy. His interests include, besides history and philosophy, human rights issues, freedom of choice, religion, and the precarious dichotomy of freedom of speech and intolerance. He brings a slightly different perspective to his writing, being that he is neither a follower of an Abrahamic faith nor an atheist but a polytheist, a modern-day Heathen who follows the customs and traditions of his Norse ancestors. He maintains his own blog, A Heathen’s Day, which deals with Heathen and Pagan matters, and Mos Maiorum Foundation www.mosmaiorum.org, dedicated to ethnic religion. He has also contributed to NewsJunkiePost, GodsOwnParty and Pagan+Politics.
