The current count:

HRC:  64,155,272  (47.91%)
DJT: -62,214,222  (46.46%)
————
= 1,941,050  (  1.45%)

These figures raise, at the very least, two very distinct issues which should not be confused or conflated with each other (but which seem to be by Trump and those speaking for him these days).

First, as is appropriate, justified and expected in a democracy, they call into question the legitimacy of the right of one to assume an elected office without winning the popular vote. The rejoinder to this is invariably the legal argument that these (the method of selection through the Electoral College system) were the rules, he played and won by the rules, get over it.

Legitimacy in a democratic sense, however, is both a legal and extra-legal concept. It involves, among other things, the element of consent of those governed to be governed, and there is a dual nature to that consent: consent to the legalistic system of the selection process and consent to a particular person governing as determined by the popular will of the electorate.

Discursive engagement on this issue is a blue-in-the-face, merry-go-round of an argument that tends to simply entrench both sides in their respective positions and eventually digresses into a discussion of the merits of retaining the electoral college, its original rationale, and on and on, ad delirium.

This first issue essentially revolves around whether a particular person should be governing. The second issue raised by dichotomous election results centers on the nature of the mandate one has in governing under these circumstances. In other words, it has to do with how one should or is to govern.

On this there can be no argument: the ideas, agendas and policy proposals offered by Donald Trump were soundly rejected by a majority of voters and those of another candidate were preferred by those voters over his. It is specious to argue, as Trump and his minions have, that had he campaigned in States where there were more popular votes–blue strongholds like California and New York–he would have won the popular vote too.

Ignoring that this is a highly questionable hypothesis, if he wanted both an Electoral College victory and a popular vote mandate, then he should have campaigned for both. Live by the rules, die by the rules–which certainly did not prevent him from taking his carnival act anywhere he pleased during the campaign.

As it turned out, that is not what he campaigned for nor what this election delivered. And to any reasonable mind with a statesman-like understanding and vision of what’s best for the country as a whole, this outcome would suggest a need for moderation, for a move toward the center, for public expressions of reconciliation on a grand scale, for, in general, presidential-level leadership to quell the natural unrest, anger, fear and disillusionment such an anomalous result produces.

Instead we’ve gotten a rash of decisions and statements coming from the Trump team suggesting they believe they’ve just won a Reagan-esque landslide of 1984 proportions, and petty, snide Tweet fights with Broadway actors and the New York Times, all accompanied by a constant whining about how unfair they’re being treated and how the media and the “Left” aren’t giving them a chance.

There seems little or no cognizance of the fact that they are in the driver’s seat with regard to how his selection as president and decisions on governing are received, as well as with regard to the level of divisiveness in the country and all its attendant ill will, social friction and, sadly, endangerment of individual citizens. It’s all we-won-you-lost, in-your-face decisions and conduct, sadly, all too reminiscent of Trump’s core campaign default mode: bullying.

If Trump continues to play this hand, pushing this illusory and false mandate, it’s going to be a very long, and potentially very dangerous, four years for our country. It’s therefore absolutely essential for Democrats and democrats to unfalteringly and zealously stand by the vision, policies and principles affirmed by the popular will of the people on November 8th and oppose him, challenge him, at every turn.

There should be no surrender. This is what Americans voted for.