PRELUDE
Is The End Coming?
Finally, we have a new president. But what an election year it has been.
The long drawn out affair between Clinton and Trump has been like a
soap opera. Mostly, they dished out dirty laundry- rather than give suggestions on how to improve the economy; both presidential candidates
spent too much time bashing each other’s personal and professional lives.
Trump, a businessman with no political experience, acted more like a
hired gunslinger. At the beginning of the year he captivated the voters
with what they wanted to hear- “make America great again, improve the
economy, stop immigration and kick out illegals”- and the Republican
base loved it. Trump got more primary votes than any Republican in history but later polls revealed that he struggled to seduce voters from outside his loyal base.
Clinton, on the other hand, with years of experience in politics, was
slow and methodical. She made practical promises-improve security, create jobs and have better healthcare. But the public did not trust her: why
did she remain with a husband who had cheated on her is a question that
has always remained and some people see her as opportunist.
By the middle of the year, it appeared that Trump had the keys to the
White House, but he just could not control himself. Spending early morning hours on twitter, he criticized and defamed everyone, including Republican leaders. The Clinton people then started to expose Trump’s personal life and what a Pandora’s box it opened up. Yes, the self-righteous
Trump was caught on tape making disparaging sexual remarks about
women. What followed was an avalanche of his secret lifestyle. At least a
dozen women came forward and said he sexually groped or kissed them.
He appeared on the Howard Stern show saying that he would date his
daughter (based on her looks – if she wasn’t his daughter); he took every
opportunity to have sex with women, even though he was married. Initially he denied he had done anything wrong but later stated that his comments were "just words" and denied ever having groped a woman. Unfortunately for him, it was on tape.
Then Trump went a step further and
stated that the elections were rigged and
he would not accept the results unless he
won. He said that he would sue the women who have accused him of sexual molestation.
With his fraudulent Trump University,
failed bankruptcies, failure to pay contractors and constant threats of lawsuits,
the American people began to see the REAL Trump-yes; they recognized that he
was a con man, another opportunist who
only wanted to get enhance his businesses. He did not give a crap about anyone.
But his right-wing base (Hillary referred
to them as “deplorables”)was not deterred. Trump spoke their language and
articulated the vision they embraced.
Mind you, Clinton has her own baggage
and dirt. Scandals have plagued her continuously. Her husband’s past sexual history has always been a noose around their
necks, and she has never been completely
honest. Most people think she is full of
deceit. The Clinton Foundation has been
involved in a “pay for play” scheme, with
both the Clintons using their political affiliations to shake down foreign governments for millions of dollars.
Trump has always bragged about his
wealth and yet he has never released his
tax forms. Turns out, he has not paid federal income taxes for as many as eighteen
years. Hillary has released her tax forms,
but she has used her political stature to
enrich herself and her family.
So, where did this leave the voters? We
had two flawed candidates for the American presidency, both with high unfavorable ratings. Voting for either candidate
was difficult. Still, it was important to
vote because it is the foundation of our
democracy. We help to shape our futures.
If we had not voted, what right do we
have to complain?
Now that Donald Trump has been elected, whether we voted Democratic or Republican, our Democracy dictates that we
must put up with him for at least the next
four years. Of course, if we despise him
to the extreme, the other choice is to
move to Canada or elsewhere.
God Bless America!