Hillary's concession

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

The more I think about this I'm kind of surprised there were calls for Hillary to concede before Trump officially reached 270 and that she actually called him before this as well.

Everybody knew there was no path for her at this point, but I'm reminded of 2008. After Ohio was called for Obama it was clear McCain has no path. Obama didn't even have to pick up any more Bush 2004 states, with West Coast certain to go for him. Yet I don't remember anybody wondering why McCain isn't conceding earlier.

In 2004 Kerry did not concede until the next morning, but the situation was slightly diffrent. There was still a chance he can manage to squeak a win in OH and, thus, the election.

[ApatheticAustrian]

according to reports, obama pushed hillary to concende after the call of PA.

[60+ GOP Seats After 2018 GUARANTEED]

For one thing, there was a big deal about "accepting the results" this time around. This wasn't an issue in 2008.

But I remember on election night it was taking the networks FOREVER to call swing states for Trump. They were probably holding out hope for Hillary. The race should have been called by 1:30AM, not 2:30AM. I remember all the networks rushing to call the race for Trump while he was making his victory speech (because then they knew the gig was up).

[Reaganfan]

I watched the results on FOX and saw his number reach 222 as he won Florida, Ohio and then 232 as he won Wisconsin and then 254 when he won Iowa and Georgia.

Arizona was clearly in his favor, I'm quite surprised that wasn't called. He would have been at 265. Alaska was going for Trump which would have been 268 and he had a clear lead in the Maine electoral vote. So I knew once Wisconsin was called by Fox News that the worst case for Trump was 269-269 tie, thus a Trump Presidency.

I flipped channels and was surprised no other network had called Wisconsin.

[Pandaguineapig]

Since the results went against the polls several states were called much later than they should have been. Georgia and Ohio should have been called early in the night (same for Iowa) and Pennsylvania should have been called for trump when he took the lead ( Philadelphia dumps early so Clinton literally had no more favorable territory after 40% of the votes came in)

[emailking]

But I remember on election night it was taking the networks FOREVER to call swing states for Trump. They were probably holding out hope for Hillary. The race should have been called by 1:30AM, not 2:30AM. I remember all the networks rushing to call the race for Trump while he was making his victory speech (because then they knew the gig was up).

The calls are made by decision desks that have access to raw results and exit polls. They don't have access to outside media (even their own network) and thus didn't know Clinton conceded or that Trump was making a victory speech.

Literally every network says this is the case (even Fox News). So either you think they're lying about that, or it had nothing to do with holding out hope or knowing the gig was up, and everything to do with being cautious when the results don't match what the exit polls predicted.

[Lincoln Republican]

Regardless, Clinton treated her supporters like dirt on election night.

We do know that she conceded to Trump via phone, the one thing she did right on election night.

I had heard her campaign officials even turned off the television sets when it became clear Trump would win, leaving her supporters, literally as well as figuratively, in the dark.

Now, I am assuming that Clinton was either in a fit of rage or was extremely distraught.  Probably both.

But there is no excuse to abandon her supporters.

Therefore, Podesta came out to tell the crowd that votes were still being counted, knowing full well Hillary had lost.

But that is no excuse for Hillary to treat her supporters in such a disgusting manner.

At the very least, Podesta could have come out with a written statement from Hillary, thanking her supporters, etc., instead of the ridiculous, meaningless remarks he did make.

[Pericles]

She gave a pretty good and gracious concession speech later, and at the time they were all in shock and distraught. And if Donald Trump had lost, I'm willing to bet he would not have given a gracious concession speech at all.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

McCain conceded in a timely manner, even if it was after Obama crossed 270. When he addressed his supporters, it was around 11:00 PM. This year was a lot different, as the election dragged late into the night. There was no chance for Hillary to win, the night was drawing down, and unlike McCain (who had officially lost before midnight), time was running out for Trump to address his supporters before they'd begin to leave.

I found Hillary's election night behavior to be quite rude. Either the reports of her psychotic behavior (hysterical crying, assaulting Podesta and Mook, throwing items, etc) were true, or she was just so downright bitter that she was attempting to smoke Trump out of a dramatic election night speech.

Of course, Trump doesn't play by their rules, which is why he won. He went out and addressed his supporters anyway, after a feckless, pathetic statement from Podesta. There is no comparison here what-so-ever.

[Fuzzy Bear]

If she came unglued over losing the election, how would she have handled the pressures of the Presidency?

[Crumpets]

If she came unglued over losing the election, how would she have handled the pressures of the Presidency?

Because she, unlike Trump, can restrict her emotional responses to private, and doesn't make them official US policy.

[Fuzzybigfoot]

Unlike Hillary, McCain didn't have to wait after California closed to learn that he had lost.   No major party presidential candidate ever concedes before the polls close out West, ever.  To do so is frowned upon, since it would discourage people in those states from voting, and thus potentially have bad consequences in down-ballot races.  This has been a pretty major rule since the 1980 elections, FYI. 

[Meclazine for Israel]

She would have not been in an emotionally stable position to give such a speech.

Hillary was devastated and would have lacked the composure to face the media. I truly believe she was 100% confident she had the Presidency in the bag.

That just made her descent harder.

Her demise from smiling CNN debate insider was underway.

[Pandaguineapig]

It could have also been that Clinton, out of spite, wanted to deny Trump the opportunity to make a big victory speech that night and finally relented when it became clear Trump was going to declare victory without her concession. Her sore loser attitude with the recount and ec vote make this somewhat reasonable to believe

[catographer]

This idea that Clinton was physically incapable of giving the concession speech is part of the same BS fake news spread about her supposed "fits of rage" or mental state.

Think about how almost everyone was feeling election night: stunned. Her supporters especially were in disbelief and shock. Clinton herself wouldn't have felt any less flabbergasted. The simple truth is she was probably too stunned and sad (perhaps confused too) to make a public statement. Would've been hard to keep her composure.

[Pandaguineapig]

This idea that Clinton was physically incapable of giving the concession speech is part of the same BS fake news spread about her supposed "fits of rage" or mental state.

Think about how almost everyone was feeling election night: stunned. Her supporters especially were in disbelief and shock. Clinton herself wouldn't have felt any less flabbergasted. The simple truth is she was probably too stunned and sad (perhaps confused too) to make a public statement. Would've been hard to keep her composure.

That might be true but I think she owed it to her supporters to speak to them in person rather than having John Podesta go out and give the whole "votes are still being counted" line that everyone there knew wasn't true

[Pericles]

Let's remember she actually gave a gracious concession speech in the end. Trump would not have done that, his ego could not stand being a loser(that's why he said the popular vote was rigged) and he would say the election was rigged against him.

[krazen1211]

Maybe she was drunk.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I live in NYC and have friends that worked/volunteered in the campaign who told me that there was no concession speech written. They really thought they 100% had it in the bag

Like Romney 2012? He didn't have a concession speech and thus the delay, but he delivered it the same night.

Hillary was likely too shellshocked to deliver a concession speech. To be honest, in her place I'd be too.

[Reaganfan]

He was quite gracious. If I had been there I would have told them to blare "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac as he came onstage just as a little final F.U. to the Clintons. But that would have been rather cruel.

[Fuzzy Bear]

If she came unglued over losing the election, how would she have handled the pressures of the Presidency?

Because she, unlike Trump, can restrict her emotional responses to private, and doesn't make them official US policy in the way Richard Nixon could.  And we know how that turned out, don't we?

Fixed it for you.

[Fuzzy Bear]

He was quite gracious. If I had been there I would have told them to blare "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac as he came onstage just as a little final F.U. to the Clintons. But that would have been rather cruel.

If Trump had done this, I would have loved it if he used a "Kidz Bop" version of the song.

[Beet]

Hillary lack of concession speech was her one little F you to the system. After working so hard and being held to such a high standard, while running against a man who broke every rule in spades and was celebrated for it, she broke the rule of 'loser must give a concession speech on election night'. Ironically, this was proper, even fitting; to dot every i and cross every t at the culmination of what happened would have been grotesque in a certain way. What happened fit the situation like a glove to its owner's hand.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Hillary lack of concession speech was her one little F you to the system. After working so hard and being held to such a high standard, while running against a man who broke every rule in spades and was celebrated for it, she broke the rule of 'loser must give a concession speech on election night'. Ironically, this was proper, even fitting; to dot every i and cross every t at the culmination of what happened would have been grotesque in a certain way. What happened fit the situation like a glove to its owner's hand.

That's an interesting way of looking at the situation.

The difference is that Trump gave the finger to his enemies.  Hillary, perhaps unintentionally, gave the finger to her supporters.

[Beet]

Hillary lack of concession speech was her one little F you to the system. After working so hard and being held to such a high standard, while running against a man who broke every rule in spades and was celebrated for it, she broke the rule of 'loser must give a concession speech on election night'. Ironically, this was proper, even fitting; to dot every i and cross every t at the culmination of what happened would have been grotesque in a certain way. What happened fit the situation like a glove to its owner's hand.

That's an interesting way of looking at the situation.

The difference is that Trump gave the finger to his enemies.  Hillary, perhaps unintentionally, gave the finger to her supporters.

I mean, I was one of her biggest supporters and could not have cared less. I have heard her detractors complain about it more.