It’s important for Democrats to understand that Trump’s winning margin is as small as his hands; because Trump will keep repeating the word “mandate” until Congress and the media are hypnotized into submission. Don’t let him get away with it.

Joan Walsh In Ulus:

As Blue West states and cities finish counting votes, last week’s projected “landslide” in popular votes for Donald Trump turns out to be a trickle. When all the votes are counted, she will remain ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris by about two points. Presidents Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and Richard Nixon in 1972 won more than 60 percent of the popular vote; In 1984, Ronald Reagan won with 58 percent. These were landslides.

Jonathan Chait In New York Magazine:

Upon learning that he had won a clear election victory, Donald Trump responded, as always, with a transparent lie. “America has given us unprecedented and powerful authority,” he boasted.

Reporters didn’t bother to point out that there was no point in this claim falling within the range of credibility. When talking about historical precedents, influential surrogates that come to mind are Franklin Roosevelt in 1936, Lyndon Johnson in 1964, and Richard Nixon in 1972; all of which gained more than 20 percentage points. Polarization has made victories on this scale seemingly impossible, but even in recent years Bill Clinton’s victories (five, then eight) and Barack Obama’s (seven, four) dwarf Trump’s victories.

Mind you, Bill Clinton did this in the race of a credible third-party candidate. But of course he has much bigger hands than Trump, too.

Josh Marshall on Twitter:

Every time someone repeats this meaningless nonsense like “firm mandate” or the biggest in the last 40 years, remind yourself that this is bullshit. In every respect. Electorally, it’s the same as Joe Biden’s; It’s not yet clear whether Trump has surpassed 50 percent or won the popular vote. Both of Obama’s victories were larger.

Trump won. This is the important thing; so he acquires great power. This is the biggest entitlement nonsense ever, nothing more than a farce to piss people off and create this idea that MAGA has the right or support to reshape the country in its image. That’s not how it works. He and his slim majority in Congress have the legal right to do what they can. Clearly the adverb ‘legally’ is more than just a throwaway line in this case. But this is our world right now.

The instructions are not real in any case. People like Trump throw this around as if it’s some kind of election bet check to reshape the country. Again razzmatazz and flummer. The kind of flashy arm waving and bold talk any hustler would make. If you win 55% or more of the vote, it might be a little more reasonable. Even not going over 50% – which is probably where you’ll get – won’t get you there.

Yep, as our favorite Twitter voice says: