The
Presidential primaries and the conventions are over. Unlike in the past, this
year two major political parties, especially the Republican Party failed to
present a clear choice. The nominees of both parties do not have the leadership
that the country is looking for at this critical juncture. The voters are left
in a dilemma and compelled to choose between the best out of the worst. Let us
analyze some of their distinct personalities, why Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton
are the worst Presidential nominees, American voters were presented with in the
recent past.
Donald Trump: The Republican Party
voters were presented with 17 Presidential hopefuls. The voters choose Donald Trump
rejecting the other 16 seasoned professional politicians. Donald Trump secured
this victory despite a series of effort by the party establishment to block him.
Trump did not offer a manifesto except picking up some sensitive topic like
religion based ban on immigration and the often repeated illegal immigrant
issue. Trump did not have a solid
economic agenda and a credible foreign policy. His speeches weren't polished,
nor were close to diplomatic norms. Trump kept on making crude statements. Trump
was ridiculed by the neighboring countries, the national & international press,
political pundits all over the world and some of the stalwarts within his own
party establishment. Trump continued his rhetoric unmindful of all the ridicule
and scoff. Trump gave enough postures which made good caricature of him. The
press and TV had a good harvest of titillating news material every day.
The Republican Party did all in its
power to block Trump from becoming the nominee of the party. The party engaged
the media, fielded a host of seniors, leaders of faith and others to dissuade
the voters from choosing Trump. The GOP establishment worried about the
candidature of Donald Trump. The party could not make out what Donald Trump stands
for. The party could not make out whether Donald Trump is conservative,
liberal, both or nothing. If at all Trump stands for something, the party did
not know whether his position on those issues will be stable at least until the
election in November.
The voters
knew that Trump can't deliver what he is promising, be it the ban on religion
based immigration, deportation of illegal immigrants or building the replica of
Berlin type wall on the border with Mexico. Despite all these, the primary
voters continued to rally behind Donald Trump and placed him the front runner
of the Republican Party presidential hopeful. The voters credited him for
speaking without political correctness. Donald Trump finally secured the
Republican nomination against all the odds.
The GOP
worry was genuine and continues to be so. It is the worry of all ordinary
Americans. Americans do not see Donald Trump as a credible and reliable person
to be entrusted with the World’s most powerful political position, the
Presidency of the United States of America. Some even suspect Trump’s
understanding of the American Constitution and his ability to make the right
decisions when confronted with critical national and international issues.
The
Republican Party, however, failed to introspect why and how the party brought
itself into this pathetic situation. The party failed to own the responsibility
for the situation, instead continued to offer choices which the people already
had, but rejected. The party failed to accept that the voters did not vote for Donald
Trump for his manifesto or political agenda. The voters did not vote Donald Trump
for his personality or leadership style. The voters did not vote Trump for his
record as a successful business man. The voters did not vote Trump for his
national security stand. The voters did not vote Trump for his family values.
The voters did not vote Trump for any conservative values. On the other hand,
the voters preferred Donald Trump over the rest of the 16 Republican hopeful as
Trump was the only person in that lot who was not a practicing professional
politician, the lot they think betrayed their trust over the years.
Why do the
people choose someone who has no record of Public Service, never been part of
the administration, never served in the military nor was a law maker? The
answer is simple. The American people are fed up with the politicking and
logjam in Washington. The American people are frustrated with the partisan
politics in the Congress and between the Congress and the White House. The American people are fed up with the repeated
threat of Government shutdown every now and then. The American people are fed
up with the Gun violence targeting innocent school children and law abiding
ordinary citizens and the Congress and President doing nothing to stop it. The
American people are fed up with the increasing divide on race and religion and
the crimes associated with it. The American people are fed up with young boys
and girls crowd prisons when they should be in schools. The American people are
fed up with the excesses by law enforcing agencies and the retaliation thereof.
The American people are fed up wasting its tax-payer money fighting insensible wars
abroad, destruction of humanity and then spending their money for the reconstruction
of the devastation caused by the war in which they see no improvement to their
life. The American people are not willing to accept that America follow the
world, instead want it to lead from the front. The American middle class is
concerned about the lowering wages. The American people therefore are frustrated,
if not hate, with professional politicians. The voter sees all politicians
insensitive, unmindful and incapable of addressing their concerns and live up
to their hope and aspirations. The voters see the politicians as a bunch of
self-serving individuals, no matter which party they belong to.
Hilary Clinton: Hilary Clinton comes with her own baggage. The
Democratic Party voters had already rejected Hillary’s ideas in 2008. In 2008, Hillary's
ideas were considered second to that of Obama. The party choose Obama over
Hillary in 2008 because Obama had a much more progressive agenda and enthused a
large number of young and independent voters. Hillary Clinton continues to stand
for the same what she stood for in 2008 and offers the same ideas. This means
two things for the voters:
1.
The Democratic Party has nothing better or new to offer than the
second choice which they had eight years ago.
2.
Obama failed to deliver what he promised and Democratic party did
not choose the right candidate in 2008.
It will be
suicidal for the Democratic Party to accept either position. Instead, the party
is painstakingly explaining that Hillary will be a continuation of Obama’s
eight years in power. The voters are aware that both the above are true.
Neither Obama delivered what he promised nor the Democratic party has anything
new to offer. Hillary’s refurbished image is not able to enthuse the voters.
This was clearly evident from the support that her primary opponent, Bernie
Sanders was receiving. Hillary is unlikely to draw large number independent and
young voters towards her despite the effort by Bernie Sanders to project a
united Democratic Party. Moreover, it is a conversation in every American household
that Hillary is very low on trust factor, which was one of the major reason she
was rejected in 2008 by the people. On top of all this, the e-mail
controversy and the Clinton foundation is definitely going to be used against
her by the Republicans. People do feel that the verdict on this would have been
different if it was not the Clintons.
With all the negatives, there are
two major items helping Hillary Clinton:
1.
The History that she may make by being the first Women President
2.
The extreme unpredictability of her opponent Donald Trump
Let us examine each of these
one-by-one and see whether it will make any positive impact in the American
People’s life:
Women President: Hillary
Clinton is not one of the most respected women among American Women. A significant
section of American women, especially the conservative women, considers Hillary
as an opportunist, a power hungry, self-serving politician. Hillary, they think
can compromise on any values when she finds it disadvantageous for her personal
agenda. With all this, Hillary may get a few additional women votes more because
some voters may not want to lose an opportunity for a Women President, which
America was waiting for long. The voters like creating history. America made
history in 2008 by electing a black President. But will creating history alone
enough for a country as important as America in the world. The question also remains,
did it the History created in 2008 anyway change the life of ordinary
Americans? Similarly, will a Women President make any significant changes in
the life of Women? There is no record of a Women President or Prime Minister
improved the conditions of Women in the countries where women had the
opportunity to lead for decades, India, Sri Lanka, Great Britain to name a few.
But it is definitely an emotional issue with some Women and will work in
Hillary’s favor.
Donald Trump the opponent: The
significant item favoring Hillary as of today is her opponent. Trump is doing
more damage to himself than to his opponent and indirectly benefitting Hillary
Clinton. The GOP is further aiding in this mess by working against their own
chosen Presidential Candidate.
When comes to the Interest of
America, both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are far below the stature of the
American President that the people of USA would like to see in their leader.
The Democratic camp is euphoric on the recent surge in poll numbers. These poll
numbers suspicious and appears to be tactically driven by vested interests to
be able to bargain with Trump and bring him to sing the conventional tune of the
party line. Trump on the other hand knows very well that the moment he starts
speaking the party line, his core support base will erode further. Trump is
therefore trying his level best to be the original himself, speaking the voice
of the sections who have been betrayed by professional politicians over the
years and the one speaking without political correctness. After all, why should
Donald Trump change his style? To benefit those party politicians who worked
closed doors to deny him the nomination? His trusted advisers must be telling him
that he should not change and stay the real Donald Trump. The establishment Republicans
ultimately will have no option but to come in line with Donald Trump and
support him. The alternative of supporting or voting for Hillary will be
suicidal for the Republicans as this may even lead to a loss of majority in
House and Senate at the same time. Many republicans seeking reelection is fearing
that the continued standoff between the party and the top ticket (Presidential
Nominee), will be counterproductive. Republicans therefore has no option but
support Donald Trump at the end. This realization is likely to close the gap in
polls between Trump and Hillary over the months to come.
So the common question everyone ask
is whether Donald Trump is the answer. Will Trump be different from the
professional self-serving politicians? The voters are still unclear of that
answer. What the voters know and decided is that they want to punish the professional
politicians for the years of breach of trust. A vote in the primary therefore
was a punitive vote, neither in favor of Trump nor a vote for change. The
voters clearly know that Trump is incapable of leading the change they want.
Trump is strengthening the voters point of view with all his ill-advised
choices and sound bites. Trumps family members are further providing fodder to
that belief by their over enthusiastic interference. The entire convention was
a family drama with no policy statement nor any statesman like speech. The subsequent
Trump events also added fuel to the fire. Though, a large number of people
will still vote for Donald Trump, a good number of them are still evaluating
the risk of a Trump Presidency. It
appears to be advantage Hillary Clinton at this time. The dilemma of the voter continues
at the moment.
