November 8th 2016 will be a critical day in the history of our times. This is the day the United States will elect its next President. Barack Obama finishes his second four year term on January 20th 2017. Will it be Trump or Clinton?
As of today - the second day of August 2016 – Hilary Clinton has a marginal lead in the opinion polls. But it is still too soon to tell. Michael Moore, the filmmaker, is pretty sure Trump will win and he presents a solid case for his thinking. Clinton is part of the old school – the establishment – and this election is, in part at least, about rejecting the establishment. Clinton will not win by rational argument when Trump is appealing to emotions – fear, anxiety, frustration, anger, despair. Clinton, to win, must also respond to the anxieties and fear by an appeal to emotions – hope, courage, ambition, audacity. I am not sure she has any emotions left to share.
Some think that Trump, given his behavior, doesn't want to win. That coming second is all he needs, assuming that his basic purpose is to strengthen the Trump brand. The real agenda being legacy and building the family business. Don't buy into this. Trump wants to win and doesn't like to loose. While he hasn't a clue about what the work of President is, what the issues are and what actions he will need to engage in – or of how hard he is going to have to work – he really does want the job.
He would be a disaster for three reasons. First, he has the attention span of a gnat. Most of the challenges faced by the US require deep and sustained analysis and persistence. Second, he has the hide of a mosquito – easily squashed. Clinton was right – 140 character tweets are enough to raise his blood pressure to dangerous levels. Finally, he is basically both ignorant and stupid. Just look at how quickly he confused the DNC Vice Presidential choice with a former Governor of New Jersey - when he was the Governor of Vermont. He is ignorant about science, NATO, the law, Mexico, Islam and the nature of the law of contract. He insults everyone, often for no reason. He has no idea about foreign policy - wasn't even sure if Putin had walked into the Crimea.
But he might win. Clinton is the establishment candidate; Trump is the entertainment tonight candidate. Right now, Trump could win, despite connecting his mouth with his foot on a daily basis. While the current "spat" with the Khan family is an obvious sign of his inability to shut up when all around him tell him to, his own voter base doesn't seem to mind. Hence the best joke of the week: the new Trump sandwich - all white bread filled with loads of baloney then smothered with Russian dressing.
As a Canadian, all I can do is draw attention to my American friends to the dangers they face. But they already know. Many of them greatly distrust Clinton, and with good reason. She and Bill have played the game for so long and made millions doing so that people no longer have confidence in her, despite the fact that she is one smart lady. They see her as duplicitous, dangerous and devious. She is. It is called being a politician for a long time.
Clinton has to win. A Trump win will be disastrous for the US and the world. The time to call a Trump a Trump is now – he is a liar, cheat,incredibly ignorant, vicious and dangerous man. A total narcissist, vain and deceitful man. Trump is just too dangerous to be President of the United States.
So, friends, think. Look eight years from now and ask what will happen is either Clinton or Trump wins – not just for the US but for the world. Now worry.
1 comment:
With just cause, you add colourfully to the flood of appalled commentary about this surreal and unimagined emergent property of the US political and cultural systems encapsulated in the GOP candidate. It is tragic that the challenge to the 'Wall Street driven' business-as-usual framework that Clinton would maintain and that will continue to fuel exponential human impact on the sustainability of planetary life-support systems, is being challenged by an even worse alternative. Let's hope that the worst will self-destruct in time for the least worst to prevail.
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