Quote (IceMage @ 12 Nov 2020 23:55)
I think I said "comfortable" win. You're right though, it was very close, even though Biden's popular vote margin is impressive.
His PV margin will grow even further because almost all outstanding votes are from deep blue states like CA/NY/IL/MA.
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Mandates aren't actually real, are they? Did Obama's "mandate" somehow force Republicans to work with him? Did their refusal to work with him cost them in 2010? (hint: it didn't) Elected representatives will do what they have the power to do. That's the lesson we've learned the last 4 years... mandates and popularity doesn't really matter.
Obama ""only"" won the PV by 7.2%, and it wasnt really a 400+ blowout in the EC either. But yes, he did have a mandate of sorts, which is why he was able to pass Obamacare. People just didnt like what he and his party were doing with their filibuster-proof trifecta during their first 2 years, hence the backlash in 2010. (And yes, some people did not like the sheer fact that a black dude was sitting in the WH, which added to the backlash...)
I'm not sure I agree on the notion that overall popularity doesnt really matter. Trump's approval ratings being far underwater and and his Republicans embracing some deeply unpopular policies contributed to their bad defeat in the 2018 midterms. Democrats embracing far-left policies like defunding the police certainly contributed to their very underwhelming performance in this year's congressional races.
The true lesson of the Trump years, imho, is that polarization is a potent tactic. It doesnt matter how unpopular you or your policies are with the other side as long as there is enough support on your own side.