I agree on the motivations, but the fact is, about 130,000 voters in two states saved the election. As I say, you can throw out WI and ME CD2 because without either MI or PA, we would have been short.
And yes, there was fraud, but still. This was almost as close in real votes as Bush’s 2000 victory of 937.
Not so, WI alone would have got him to 269, a tie, a win...ME CD 2 put him over the top.
So MI and PA weren’t even necessary.
Basically looking at the Nate Silver map a couple days before when he raised Trump’s chances, it looked like Trump had 6 paths to victory. And even if there was only a 15-20% chance any one state would go for him, he got to roll that dice 6 times, making his chance of making 270 near 100%. It was looking very likely he would win as his polls ticked up in those final couple days, because he had so many paths. He ended up hitting about half the dice rolls. Missed on VA, NV, CO, NH but hit PA, MI, WI and ME CD 2. It was Hillary who had to run the table to stop him and it was a very tall order for her.
“without either MI or PA, we would have been short.”
Yup, the factors I described made Trump competitive, but Trump’s effort in MI & PA put him over the top. Hillary didn’t visit MI in the last 2 months and only sent surrogates to PA. Hubris sunk Hillary.
Love your posts, but this was NOT in the same league as the W election.
You are shorting the huge changes in the midwest, and minimizing the difference between 180,000 votes and 937, plus the difference in electoral votes of 306 to just over 270.
PA, MI, WI, Minnesota in play, those haven't been in play or even close since Reagan. Those states went over the top because of a huge turn in public opinion.
I am not discounting God's hand, it was clear, just think you may be underselling what happened.