Trump’s victory shouldn’t be characterized as a landslide

Editor:

I read with interest the recent Letter to the Editor wherein The Author referenced the former President’s 2024 victory as being “elected (by a landslide).”

The term “landslide” has several connotations; one being a mass wasting, rockfall or mudflow which is a geologic event and can be tragically devastating to life and property.

However, in this case The Author was referencing a political victory which is one whereby the winning candidate achieves a decisive victory by a large margin. Some might say that this type of landslide could also be “tragically devastating to life and property.”

A classic example is when President James Monroe defeated John Quincy Adams, as he received 78% of the popular vote in the Presidential Election of 1820. Certainly, this was a “landslide” victory.

Remarkable as that was, American historians have identified 10 Presidential “landslide” elections; the most significantly noted was the election of George Washington in 1788-1789 and 1792. As we all know he was victorious in both cases and received 100% of the votes in both elections.

You may not want to be too impressed by this as he ran unopposed. In the research notes it states that he received 43,782 popular votes out of the 43,782 which were cast by the voters. Given today’s political climate, a very envious political achievement! And, to the best of my knowledge, not a single person challenged that outcome.

In more modern times, modern being a relative term of course, Richard Nixon defeated George McGovern in 1972 and received 61% of the popular vote. And in 1984 Ronald Reagan opposed Walter Mondale and received 59% of the popular vote. Both elections are included in the historian’s election analysis which I referenced earlier; President Nixon’s was the sixth largest landslide victory and President Reagan’s was fifth.

As of Thursday morning, the popular vote for the 2024 Presidential Election stands at 50.2% for the former President and 48.1% for Vice President Harris; that margin is 2.1%. Given the precedents previously discussed regarding historically verified “landslide” victories, I truly doubt that history will ever record this election as a landslide.

Thank God, facts and the truth still matter to some!

Doug Miller

Albion