2016 election and beyond - A timeline of continued division in America

[Drew]

3:45 AM



Wolf:  So there you have it from our two candidates.  Once again, pending a recount, Hillary Clinton has won the 2016 Presidential election.  Stay tuned to CNN for any breaking news regarding the developments of this recount. 

Also, to recap other election news tonight, the Democrats have taken control of the U.S. Senate.  They will have a 52-47 margin with a pending runoff in LA next month.

Meanwhile, though Republicans maintained their lead in the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrats were able to gain 9 seats, including two vacancies in PA and FL which were left by scandal-plagued Democrats.  The Dems were then able to flip 7 other seats.  The House margin will now be 240-195 in favor of Republicans.

That will do it for us here on CNN.  Thank you all for staying with us on this historic night.  I'm Wolf Blitzer.  Good night, everyone.  Or should I say good morning?

[Drew]

BTW, here is Trump's campaign logo:



I guess I wasn't that far off with the VP prediction for Trump.  He ended up choosing a similarly conservative, evangelical, atlas-blue state governor to shore up his "conservative" credentials.

[Drew]

Chapter II¹/₂:  The Recount

November 14, 2016

Clinton lead holds, but narrows as Michigan recount continues



LANSING, Mich. (AP) --  Hillary Clinton is still leading in Michigan, though by a narrower margin.

The latest reports show that the Democratic former Secretary of State saw her margin over Republican businessman Donald Trump shrink to just 34 votes, down from 107 in the initial post-Election Day count.  Furthermore, the recount process will involve reviewing and quite possibly challenging hundreds of ballots which were initially rejected during the initial count.  Despite continuing to trail in the count, the Trump campaign is optimistic amid the latest developments.

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  -Donald Trump

The Clinton campaign also feels confident.

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  -Hillary Clinton

Should the recount confirm Clinton's victory, she will become the nation's next President, taking office on January 20, 2017.  If Trump winds up winning Michigan, it will create an Electoral College deadlock next month, forcing Congress to break the tie in January, with Trump and Clinton's running mate Al Franken the likely winners.

[Drew]

November 21, 2016

Clinton extends lead in Michigan as potential legal battle looms over disputed ballots



LANSING, Mich. (AP) --  Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has seen her lead increase slightly over Republican Donald Trump as the Michigan recount continues.  As of this morning, Clinton has a lead of 56 votes, up from 34 a week ago.  Per Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson (R), it now appears that Michigan's electoral votes will hinge on the fate of a few hundred disputed ballots.

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-Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson

Per sources, attorneys from the two campaigns are prepared to wage a court battle if necessary.  Many legal experts are expecting a bitter and possibly lengthy court battle.  But Michigan courts are also expected to expedite any escalations due to the time sensitivity involved with the election.  The Electoral College is expected to officially cast their votes about a month from now, and the new Presidential term will begin in approximately two months.  Additionally, if Trump manages to win Michigan, it would necessitate the involvement of Congress in early January.

[Drew]

November 28, 2016

Trump boosted by disputed ballots, pulls ahead in Michigan recount



LANSING, Mich. (AP)-- It's time for some more drama in Michigan after that thrilling Lions game on Thanksgiving.  This time it's of the political variety.

As of this morning, Republican Donald Trump reportedly has taken the lead over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the drawn-out Michigan presidential recount.  The New York businessman currently leads the former U.S. Secretary of State by 45 votes.  This is roughly a 100 vote swing from a week ago, when Clinton was leading by 56 votes.  This is largely a result of some previously-rejected ballots that are now predominantly being counted in Trump's favor. 

Last week, Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson (R) hinted that the allocation of these few hundred disputed ballots was the final step in the recount process, and that the certification of a winner could follow shortly after.  Given the stakes around the Electoral College, this certification may be appealed in court. 

Should Trump maintain his current lead, Congress would likely elect the nation's next President and Vice President, as the Electoral College result would be tied at 269 electoral votes apiece.  Considering the partisan makeup of the incoming Congress, Trump would be favored to win the presidency, while Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Al Franken would have the advantage to succeed Joe Biden.  However, if Hillary is declared the winner in Michigan, she will win the election without the need for a tiebreaker. 

[Drew]

November 30, 2016

BREAKING: Trump declared winner in MI; Clinton plans to appeal in court


LANSING, Mich. (AP)-- After a three-week long recount process, Republican Donald Trump has been declared the winner in Michigan, overturning the preliminary Hillary Clinton (D) victory and setting up an Electoral College showdown.

Early this afternoon, Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson (R) made the announcement:

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Trump wasted no time declaring victory:

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However, Clinton plans to appeal the declaration in court.  The Clinton team feels that Johnson, a Republican, was premature in declaring the final result, and that there are enough remaining disputed ballots which they think belong to them.

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-Hillary Clinton

Attorneys for the two campaigns will head to the Michigan Supreme Court on Friday to give their oral arguments in the Clinton v. Trump case.  It is worth noting that five of the seven justices on state high court were appointed by Republican governors, and could favor Trump and Johnson's case.  In this scenario, Clinton's last resort would be to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is shorthanded and deeply divided.  On the other hand, if the Michigan Supreme Court voids Johnson's declaration, the counting of the ballots could continue in a time-sensitive environment.  The Electoral College is set to vote in a few weeks, the new Congress takes office shortly after the New Year, and the new Presidential term will begin on January 20, 2016.

[Drew]

December 3, 2016

In other news...

In the LA Senate runoff, Charles Boustany (R) defeats Foster Campbell (D) to become the state's new Senator, succeeding David Vitter (R).  The final Senate map:

Dems: 52 (including 2 I)
GOP: 48

[Drew]

December 5, 2016

BREAKING:  Michigan high court upholds Trump victory in state, case bound for SCOTUS


LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Donald Trump's narrow 45 vote Michigan victory so far has survived the courts.

The Republican businessman's win in the state over Democratic former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was upheld this morning at the Michigan Supreme Court.  The case was brought by the Clinton campaign after Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson (R) declared Trump the winner on Monday in an apparent end to the statewide recount.  The Clinton campaign argued that there were more disputed ballots that should have gone their way, while the Trump campaign stood by Johnson's declaration of a completed recount. 

The Michigan Supreme court upheld this declaration in a 5-2 ruling.

Opinion of the court:

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-Justice Brian Zahra

Dissent:

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-Justice Richard Bernstein

As Justice Bernstein alluded to, the Clinton v. Trump case will be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court later this week.  Oral arguments will be given Wednesday by campaign attorneys, with a decision possible by the end of the week.

Legal experts predict that Justices Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Breyer, and Kagan will favor Clinton's argument, while Justices Alito and Thomas, along with Chief Justice Roberts are likely to uphold the Trump victory.  It is not known which way Justice Anthony Kennedy would lean.  In the event of a 4-4 deadlock, the Michigan Supreme Court decision would stand, making Trump the winner of Michigan.