The Popular Vote

So the popular vote

is what you get

when you go

to a polling station

or mail in your ballot

or fill it in early

at city hall,

the one that counts

every vote,

that shows exactly how popular

a candidate is,

and when a candidate

is a truly overwhelming favorite

I think no one worries

except the other party,

which redoubles its efforts later

to make sure that can't possibly 

happen again,

at least not next time.

The only time we elected someone

four times, we let that guy

actually die in office

we were so incapable

of imagining anyone else

(not that other presidents

didn't die, besides by assassination

while serving).

Somehow no one has ever really

been too popular

for the good of the nation

to move on

and find someone else.

Which is the point.

So that's another reason

to stop worrying

so much

about the one of two ways

we determine

who has the mandate,

because in the final analysis

it's always the American people,

which is the whole point.