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Final Tally Shows Hillary Clinton Won Popular Vote By Almost 3 Million

According to the Cook Report, the final tally shows Democrat Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by almost 3 million ballots.

Yesterday, the Electoral College made it official that Donald Trump will be our next president.

With a split in the popular and Electoral College vote, Trump has no clear mandate. In fact, as reported earlier, he is the first president in recent history to come into office with a negative approval rating.

A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows only 40% of Americans see Trump in a positive light, while 46% view him negatively.

Mr. Trump, you’ve got some work to do.

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News Round-Up: December 20, 2016

Some news items you may have missed:

• 35 years ago today, the original Michael Bennett production of DREAMGIRLS opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theater. And the way I looked at theatre was changed forever.

• Comedian Tom Arnold says he has the infamous outtakes of Donald Trump on The Apprentice using the n-word, c-word and calling his own son a “retard.”

• The Human Rights Campaign will honor super-actress and LGBT ally Meryl Streep at the 2017 Greater New York Gala.

• Family members of three men killed in the Pulse Nightclub shooting are suing Twitter, Facebook and Google for allowing ISIS to post propaganda which, according to the families, helped to radicalize the shooter, Omar Mateen.

• OMG, this painfully awkward interview with Jerry Lewis. You have to wonder, “why so mad?”

• In case you were wondering “Who is Steve Bannon?,” Bloomberg chronicles his “weird, winding road to the White House.”

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Donald Trump’s Approval Numbers Remain Upside Down

According to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, even after clinching the Electoral College vote yesterday, President-elect Donald Trump has some work ahead of him in terms of finding majority approval from the country as a whole.

The new survey shows only 40% of Americans have a “positive” opinion of Trump while 46% have a negative opinion. That’s a net negative six points.

This is highly unusual for an incoming president.

Looking forward, only 45% of those polled are “optimistic/confident” about how Trump’s presidency will affect the country. Fifty-four percent say they are either uncertain/pessimistic about the incoming administration.

Contrast that with our past two presidents: A combined 66 percent were either optimistic or hopeful about Obama in January 2009, according to the same poll, while 59 percent were optimistic or hopeful about George W. Bush in January 2001.

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Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Announces 2017 Inductees

This year’s inductees: Joan Baez, Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur, Journey, Electric Light Orchestra, and Yes. Nile Rodgers will receive the Award for Musical Excellence.

The big news is that for the second year the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has passed over Janet Jackson.

The inductions will take place April 7 in New York City.

From Cleveland.com:

 For the second year in a row, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame voters have passed on Janet Jackson, one of the biggest pop stars of all time. Despite a strong social media push from her fans, Jackson couldn’t get over the hump.

Some might argue Jackson, who sold more than 100 million records and helped break down color barriers on MTV, deserved induction over acts like Journey and Tupac.

Jackson’s candidacy is a hotly contested one. Some rock diehards refuse to acknowledge her as a snub, considering she doesn’t meet their definition of “rock.” However, Jackson’s resume stacks up favorably to previous inductees like Madonna, Donna Summer and her brother Michael Jackson.

Other nominees who seemed to have a somewhat decent chance of getting inducted, but weren’t, include Jane’s Addition, Chic, The Cars, J. Geils Band, Depeche Mode and Kraftwerk. Jane’s Addiction will have a hard time moving forward with more 90s era bands like Rage Against the Machine and Radiohead becoming eligible.

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Seth Meyers On The North Carolina Republicans’ Power Grab


 Late Night with Seth Meyers takes a closer look at the political crisis in North Carolina, where Republicans sought to strip power away from the incoming Democratic governor before he takes office.

After Republican Gov. Pat McCrory lost his reelection bid, the GOP controlled North Carolina legislature voted to reduce the new governor’s powers drastically. “That’s like losing a bet,” the Late Night host said, “and paying with Monopoly money.”

But hey – it’s not all bad. The incoming governor still gets the keys to the mansion and a ballroom!

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Donald Trump Slaps Back At Bill Clinton

He just can’t help himself.

A comment by former President Bill Clinton to a small, local newspaper draws the Twitter ire of President-elect Trump.

Good lord.

Via The Daily Caller:

Donald Trump is firing back after Bill Clinton said he only knew how to appeal to “angry white men.” When the former president ran into the editor of the Bedford-Pound Ridge Record Review in Katonah, New York recently, he said that the president-elect “didn’t know much.” “One thing he does know is how to get angry, white men to vote for him,” Clinton said.

Seriously – who cares who called who? How about you put down the Blackberry, Mr. Trump, and go get an intelligence briefing?

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How Conservatives Could Undo Marriage Equality

All-around smart guy Matt Baume is concerned about what Donald Trump’s election will mean for the LGBT community, and especially marriage equality. And when Matt’s concerned, I pay attention.

Although I don’t think anything will happen any time soon, Baume outlines exactly how our marriage rights could be taken away:

1. Weakening marriage protections

2. Making strategic appointments

3. Using lawsuits to overturn marriage

“It would be very weird if the US Supreme Court reversed their marriage equality decision after just a few years,” Baume says, “but very weird things have been happening a lot lately.”