Eric Boehlert: Biden got 80 million votes -- that should be a huge news story

[babylonsister]

https://pressrun.media/p/biden-got-80-million-votes-that-should

Biden got 80 million votes — that should be a huge news story
Trump voters aren't news
Eric Boehlert
1 hr ago


Trump's incessant post-election whining about the election being "stolen" has distracted from the stunning vote totals Joe Biden posted, becoming the first candidate in U.S. history to land 80 million votes. Twenty million more Americans cast ballots in 2020 compared to 2016. In total, 67 percent of eligible voters submitted ballots this year, the highest American tally in a century. Additionally, Biden obliterated all campaign fundraising records, taking in a staggering $940 million from supporters.

The fact that the Democratic nominee received 80 million votes amidst a pandemic, with some states seeing an astronomical voter turnout rate this year hovering at 80 percent, should have triggered constant coverage about Biden's successful campaign and his unprecedented ability to attract voters. You'd think cable news panels and opinion pages would be flooded with debates and insights into how Biden pulled off such a stunning performance — how he received 34 million (!) more votes than Bill Clinton did in 1996, and 16 million more than Obama received in 2012. Shouldn't that make Biden a political phenomenon?

Instead of dissecting Biden's sprawling Black, Brown and white coalition of voters, who helped flip five states on Election Day, the press continues to be amazed by how many votes the losing candidate received. It's a singular focus we've never seen before in American politics.

snip//

The irony is that while the press shrugs its shoulders over Biden's staggering 80 million votes, Trump and his loyalists continue to express amazement and shock. In fact, the 80 million number for them is so vast, it's not to be believed. They now use it as proof that the election was stolen because it's inconceivable Biden recorded that many votes. "Even the few Democrats who voted for Biden know he didn't get 80 million votes," tweeted one loyalist. Added Trump over the weekend: "There is no way Joe Biden got 80 million votes. Joe Biden did not get 16 million more votes than Barack Hussein Obama."

Some observers insist the record turnout was driven by Trump. It's Trump who energized so many millions to go to the polls, they say, therefore Biden's accomplishment isn't that remarkable. It's certainly true that the election stood as a referendum on the incumbent, as all re-election campaigns do. And millions specifically wanted to vote against Trump. But it's interesting to note that voter turnout was through the roof in blue states, while red states made up the states with the lowest participation rate this year. That undercuts the idea that Trump motivates an army of voters to the polls on Election Day.

Biden's victory was astonishing in its scope. The press ought to treat it that way.

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

Indeed.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

2. Yeah, but what do Trump voters

think about this? ......

[Cha]

5. lol.. seriously, who gives a

shit what a brainwashed cult thinks.. "rah rah trump/violence"

[Cha]

3. TY Eric Boehlert! & it's 81 Million

Votes Now for Joe Biden & Kamala Harris!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214646781

Yes, the Press should & the question is.. Why are they NOT?

[NoMoreRepugs]

4. I'm convinced the TRumpenFuhrer vote total can't be

accurate - that many BatShit Crazed Loons congregated in one country would cause the Earth to rotate off its axis and kill us all.

[CatMor]

6. Not only 80 million votes and also the first woman VP ...

but all I hear and read about is trump and more idiotic trump. Not sure the media will ever change. We will probably keep hearing about trump after Biden/Harris are sworn in.

[NCDem47]

9. Trump: Once a Drama Queen, always a Drama Queen

Trump's antics gives the MSM hours of airtime, pages of ink and pixels for days to dicuss, analyze and opine. They ratonalize his coverage as newsworthy because his shennanigans capture media attention by checking one or more of the seven news values: impact, timeliness, prominence (being President), proximity, bizarreness, conflict, and currency.

The MSM are addicted to Trump like an addict to Crack.

What's "sexy" about a 78-year-old-man (Biden) competently doing his job that will improve the lives of others with little controversy?

[PatSeg]

14. Exactly

And Trump is a master at getting the press's attention and holding it, often diverting attention from real newsworthy stories. He's been doing it for decades and the MSM still falls for his antics.

[uponit7771]

16. right ?!

[malaise]

7. Indeed

This is the big news.

[treestar]

8. K&R

[dalton99a]

10. Indeed.

[AleksS]

11. Yup! Biden won 80M + votes,

An incumbent president was unseated. Democrats maintained control of a gerrymandered house.

And they did this in the face of severe and unprecedented efforts by the administration to repress, suppress, and deny as many votes as possible.

But the stories are all: “Dems didn’t win by as much as they hoped—what losers!!” And: “Trump does something crazy!” And: “Trump voters must be listened to!” And: “Why can’t Democrats win Trump voters?” And: “Trump not giving up!”

History was made. But you wouldn’t know it from the teevee.

[judesedit]

12. I don't really know how it works, but Dems need to be buying up and creating

a multitude of media sites. And correcting all if the lies being spewed by the Thugs so loudly and in clear English in short, catchy phrases that stick.

[rickyhall]

13. A president so BAD people who rarely vote lined up to get of rid of him.

And now the best way to disapprove of him now is to ignore him. Too bad that won't happen, no thanks to the corporate press.

[Wounded Bear]

15. If you add in all the recounts, it's probably over 90 million...

Hell, Trump made us count them two or three times, might as well tally the two or three times.

[intheflow]

17. Biden wasn't my first pick by a long shot.

And while I'm very happy he was elected by such large margins, I'd guess the real turnout story is more about Trump's loss than Biden's victory. That is, people turned out in large numbers to reject Trump more than to jump on the Biden train. imho

[pandr32]

18. Agreed 100%

[BumRushDaShow]

19. EXACTLY

It's been every damn thing 45 - "trains" and "country", where every blue state and blue city media dove deep into the red votes and red voters and literally dismissed the turnout by the blue voters FOR BIDEN. I had a recent rant about that based on what is going on here in Philly.



This part is a truism -

But it's interesting to note that voter turnout was through the roof in blue states, while red states made up the states with the lowest participation rate this year. That undercuts the idea that Trump motivates an army of voters to the polls on Election Day.

[AlexSFCA]

20. that's great but it's sad that trump is second for most votes in history

exceeding Obama’s tally.