WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Please donate to keep ReaderRant online to serve political discussion and its members. (Blue Ridge Photography pays the bills for RR).
According to CNN exit polls 89% of democrats voted for Hillary, 88% of Republicans for Trump. That is right close to the historical average of 90% which Republicans and Democrats vote for their party's nominee regardless of who it is. The party faithful or the base of each party didn't cross over to the other party's nominee. At least no more than in presidential election.
Trump won because of the swing voters, the independents. They went to Trump 46-42 over Hillary with 12% voting third party against both major party candidates. Independents really disliked both major party candidates and many refused to choose between them. Many independents or swing voters stayed home refusing to choose. This is shown as independents made up 40% of the electorate in Nov 2016, but only 31% of those who actually voted. 54% of all independents disliked and didn't want neither Trump nor Clinton to become the next president. In fact 25% of all Americans disliked both Trump and Clinton.
To put this into context how much both major candidate were despised, there is the historical favorable/unfavorable's of all major party candidates going back to Eisenhower. Take a look and see who is at the bottom. This makes 2016 a most unique election as the people had to choose between two unwanted candidates. At least Barry Goldwater can rest in peace now as he no longer holds the record for the lowest favorable and highest unfavorable. Trump and Clinton has that distinctions now.
Highest to lowest favorable/unfavorable ratings of each major party presidential candidate. Favorable/unfavorable 1956 Eisenhower 84/12% 1964 LBJ 81/13% 1976 Carter 81/16% 1960 JFK 80/14% 1960 Nixon 79/16% 1968 Nixon 79/22% 1976 Ford 79/20% 1972 Nixon 76/21% 1968 Humphrey 72/28% 1984 Reagan 70/30% 1980 Carter 68/32% 1984 Mondale 66/34% 1980 Reagan 64/31% 1992 Bill Clinton 64/33% 2008 Obama 62/35% 2012 Obama 62/37% 1956 Stevenson 61/31% 2004 G.W. Bush 61/39% 2008 McCain 60/35% 1992 G.H.W. Bush 59/40% 2000 G.W. Bush 58/38% 2004 Kerry 57/40% 1996 Bill Clinton 56/42% 1988 G.H.W. Bush 56/39% 2000 Gore 55/45% 2012 Romney 55/43% 1972 McGovern 55/41% 1996 Dole 54/45% 1988 Dukakis 50/45% 1964 Goldwater 43/47% 2016 Hillary Clinton 38/56% 2016 Donald Trump 36/60%
It's high past time that we start electing Americans to congress and the presidency who put America first instead of their political party. For way too long we have been electing Republicans and Democrats who happen to be Americans instead of Americans who happen to be Republicans and Democrats.
