The Independent, January 2024
ince George H.W. Bush won in 1988, Republican candidates have received the majority of the American people’s votes in only one presidential election. In fact, it was the election that Mr Bush’s own son, George W Bush, won in 2004. But despite the party’s dismal results, the GOP has still managed to claim the White House almost as many times as the Democrats. Following the departure of the elder Mr Bush and before the inauguration of President Joe Biden in January 2021, Democrats and Republicans were exactly tied in Oval Office occupants with two presidents each. Democrat Bill Clinton won the popular vote to take the presidency in 1992 and 1996. Mr Bush managed to become president in the 2000 election despite Mr Clinton’s vice president, Al Gore, getting more votes overall. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the US entrance into Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr Bush managed to win by the popular vote in 2004 before Barack Obama did so in both 2008 and 2012.
In the 2016 election, it was Hillary Clinton who won the popular vote with almost three million more votes than Donald Trump. But the showboating businessman ended up in the West Wing regardless. To put it simply, in the most powerful democracy in the world, two of the nation’s last four leaders have been the less popular option among voters – due to an Electoral College system that many feel is undemocratic and needs to change.
