It started on November 3.

It ended, for most sane-minded individuals, on November 7, when Joe Biden crossed the 270-electoral college vote threshold.

But now, today, on December 14, finally, at last... the Presidential election truly is over.

The 538 electors who make up the Electoral College gathered this morning and afternoon in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to formally cast their votes for president.

This is a process that takes place every four years, but it's not one that is typically covered by the mainstream press.

Why?

Because all past Presidents have conceded once the Electoral College informally announced its results - yet Donald Trump has instead chosen to rant, rave, lie and say crazy things like he invented the question mark he's protesting the election results.

As a result of Trump's dangerous sociopathy, Monday's procedural step took on outsized importance. It garnered front-page headlines on the websites of The New York Times and CNN, for example.

So... what happened?

Were Republicans able to pull off any last-minute shenanigans? Did Democracy die a fast and very painful death?

Or was Biden certified as the winner a majority of Americans have known him to be for over a month now?

The answer is... THE LATTER!

With officials from California certifying their Electoral College votes around 5 p.m. EST, Biden officially surpassed 270 of these votes and, yes, once again, was announced as the next President of the United States.

At 7 p.m. EST, Hawaii will be the last state to cast its votes and, at that time, Biden will have 306 electoral votes.

This is the same number Trump earned in 2016, back when he referrred to his victory over Hillary Clinton as a "landslide."

Said Senate Majority Whip John Thune, a Republican, shortly before Biden defeated Trump on Monday;

“I understand there are people who feel strongly about the outcome of this election."

"But in the end at some point you have to face the music."

"And I think that once the electoral college settles the issue today it’s time for everybody to move on," Thune added.

Sage advice. We're sure that soon-to-be-ex president Donald Trump and his army of cronies will do exactly this.

NOT!

Biden, meanwhile, will address the nation on Monday night.

His remarks will include the following passage:

If anyone didn't know it before, we know it now. What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this:

Democracy.

The right to be heard. To have your vote counted. To choose the leaders of this nation. To govern ourselves.

In America, politicians don't take power -- the people grant it to them.

The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago. And we now know that nothing -- not even a pandemic -- or an abuse of power -- can extinguish that flame.

In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed.

We the People voted. Faith in our institutions held. The integrity of our elections remains intact.

And so, now it is time to turn the page. To unite. To heal.

Amen, right?

Biden willl be sworn in as President, and Kamala Harris as Vice President, on January 20, 2021.

No matter what anyone says about this, it is going to happen -- as it legally and rightfully should.

Thanks to the will of the American people.

UPDATE: An array of Republican senators are finallly acknowledging that Biden has won. To wit...

Lindsay Graham: It’s a very, very narrow path for the president. I don't see how it gets there from here, given what the Supreme Court did.

But having said that, I think we'll let those legal challenges play out. 

Rob Portman: The orderly transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy, and although I supported President Trump, the Electoral College vote today makes clear that Joe Biden is now President-Elect.

Roy Blunt: The Electoral College has fulfilled its Constitutional role in determining the president and vice president-elect.

I will work with President-elect Biden and his Presidential Inaugural Committee to plan for the swearing-in ceremony.