Derisively dismissed as a clown, a buffoon and a person who would give 24x7 comic relief in the years of his presidency on Pennsylvania Avenue, Donald Trump has become the most “feared” personality in the November 8 showdown for the simple reason that he might actually make it. Americans have not yet started packing their bags and heading across the border to Canada, but both conservatives and liberals are wondering about something once thought impossible: what would the consequences of a Trump presidency be for America and the world. Nothing can be more disingenuous that conservatives’ wailing over Trump’s dramatic rise in opinion polls and their trying to find ways to end the billionaire tycoon’s political campaign. In recent weeks Trump might be trailing in the polls against Hillary Clinton, but that’s beside the point. Several political writers in America and elsewhere have noted that the blame for Trump’s rise should be laid at the Republicans’ doorsteps — for the past eight years or more they sought to tightly compartmentalise issues into extreme positions, and belittled Barack Obama as if he had no moral right to be President. Now the conservatives are finding that there’s no easy way to stop the Trump “Party”, with or without the “Tea”.
If conservative politicians are worried over the GOP’s prospects, it has everything to do with the other aspect of the November 8 polls — the congressional polls, in which all 435 members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate are up for election, a not so comforting thought for Republicans trying to retain their majority in both chambers. The numbers are scary to any serious conservative: 24 Republicans are seeking re-election in the Senate, against 10 Democrats. Seven Democrats and 21 Republicans are seeking re-election, and three Democrats and an equal number of Republicans are retiring. The Republicans now have a 54-44 majority in the Senate, with two Independents generally voting with the Democrats.
Hanging on to Trump’s coattails could go either way, specially in some large liberal states like California. This is why most top Republicans hesitate to come out swinging against Trump and his policies. The argument that Trump’s extreme views cannot be the order of the day if he manages to win the presidency against the backdrop of constitutional protections is nothing more than a cop-out, and a weak one at that. It’s easy to call Trump every name in the book and ridicule him over the way he speaks. But his rise to popularity is due to the fact that he speaks the exact language of his backers, specially those from hillbilly areas and the redneck groups. Listening to Trump gives you the exact lingo you can expect from those of his group who feel and speak about people and politics without restraint — how else could you explain the litany of expletives, whether to do with women, the minorities or broad statements about anti-terrorism and immigration policies?
On top of this, he has been able to effectively tap into the fears of paranoid sections of society who have been made to feel their way of life is in jeopardy due to terrorism and the misguided impression that has been created that every terrorist is a Muslim from “outside” America who managed to enter the country due to weak immigration laws or a Democratic President’s wrong policies. About the only thing the Trump campaign has not said yet is that Osama bin Laden is still alive! The big question is: has the recent carnage in Orlando, Florida, by a Muslim extremist actually tipped the election in Trump’s favour, as has been said in some quarters. One hopes not! Most of Trump’s proposed policies have been trashed, whether on denying entry to Muslims into America, throwing out the 12-million-odd illegals (mostly Hispanic) or reneging on American strategic and financial commitments. If the nuclear nightmare is not enough, a Trump presidency may see further proliferation. A sobering reminder and a chilling thought is the endorsement the New Yorker has from North Korea’s Kim Jong Un!
But this American presidential election is not just about Donald Trump; it’s equally about Hillary Rodham Clinton and her track record in various roles linked to husband Bill Clinton. Hillary has questions to answer, not just about her email account at the state department or her perceptions on the Benghazi attack on the American mission there; it has a lot to do with the presidency of Bill Clinton, the Monica Lewinsky affair, Bill Clinton’s peccadilloes during his time as Arkansas governor and the contributions made to the Clinton Foundation. For every charge that Hillary Clinton can level against Trump, he can be expected to come back swinging. Much of it will be on the personal front, questioning the former First Lady’s judgment on many aspects, not just her email account. Bill Clinton is as much a liability to Hillary Clinton as he is an asset in her White House race.
In more ways than one, Hillary has faced a tougher primary season than her Republican rival; all of it to do with Vermont’s Bernie Sanders, who wouldn’t give up till the former First Lady reached her magic numbers. Even then there wasn’t the kind of outright endorsement, despite President Obama coming around to back Hillary and forcing Sanders to see reality. The bruising primary season for Hillary Clinton means there’s going to be some soul-searching on key issues that have been forced into the open by Sanders at the time of the Democratic convention.
For quite some time, the two parties’ national conventions have been pretty boring affairs — the usual policy planks and the tone and rhetoric of speeches. But it remains to be seen if 2016 will be any different — particularly for the GOP. Trump has certainly not mesmerised the GOP, but has baffled even seasoned veterans at the inroads he has made. There will certainly be more huffing and puffing before the curtain comes down on what will certainly be an election of a different kind. Trump may or may not become the next President of the United States, but he has surely done one thing few politicians have in America — put the fear of God in not only the establishment but also the electorate!
