focus
expectations from Trump, a 70-yearold real estate billionaire who promised
changes in the present tax structure,
decent wages to workers, bringing job back
to the US, protecting gun culture, banning
entry of Muslims to the US, putting a
halt on immigration and others. Results
show a clear overwhelming support for
Trump who won 290 out of 538 electoralcollege votes, while Democratic Party
candidate and former Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton could win merely 218 votes.
Thereby, it never turned out to be a close
race election as some exit polls showed.
Rather as demographic breakup shows
53 percent male voted in favour Trump,
while 41 percent supported Hillary Clinton.
However, contrary to the expectations,
only 54 percent women cast their votes in
favour of the first ever female Presidential
candidate. In comparison, despite making
anti-feminist rants several times during
539-day campaign, Trump could get the
support of 42 percent female electorates.
But then she maintained her popularity
among youths belonging to 18-29 and 3044 age groups as more than 50 percent
of them voted in her favour. In contrast,
majority of 45 and above age group
supported the Republican candidate.
All this points towards what went wrong
with Hillary Clinton during election. First
of all, she had long had a trust problem
and this was the reason the email scandal
loomed so large. Secondly, despite being
an avowed Democrat, she did not jell with
working class people who rather saw her
as the high priestess of elitism. It is said
that vast riche s that she accumulated since
leaving the White House in 2000 did not
help; her limousine travel and jet set life
did not go well with electorates even as her
rival was a billionaire and a property tycoon.
Thirdly, bowing out of Bernie Sanders, a
left-to-the centre individual who was one
of the Democratic Party’s Presidential
nominees was not taken well by liberals
and Democratic Party supporters; they did
not vote of Hillary in revenge. Fourthly,
her campaign managers, according to
poll analysts, misled her on many counts.
If they are to be believed, she was led to
believe in generation of resources, instead
of making her focus on states which
needed shoring up of Democratic wall.
She rather spent and time in strengthening
her chances in Ohio and North Carolina
rather than those 18 states which have
been voting for Democrat for the past
several elections. Ultimately, Pennsylvania
and Wisconsin, the two states which have
not gone in favour of Republican since the
1980s, suffered demolition partly at the
hands of Trump. In fact, with the help of
White working class voters he was able
to demolish that great wall Democrats
had built up over the years. Fifthly, her
speeches were often flat and un-inspiring.
Also, there is a need to understand that
American society is still dominated by
male chauvinism; they didn’t like a female
to be at the helm of affairs of the country.
Male disparage breaking of glass ceiling
even though America is considered as the
most liberal and egalitarian country. Lastly,
Hillary’s defeat sent across one definite
message and it was that voters rejected
Democrat’s policies and in particular those
of Barack Obama on domestic and foreign
fronts as well.
But question is: Will Hilary’s defeat not
prove a counterproductive for the US?
Donald Trump, going to be sworn-in as
45th President of America on January 20
next year, is not only a political novice,
but also the one who has never handled
administration even at a lower level.
Trump predecessors had been not only
educationally well qualified, but were also
equipped with administrative skills. Before
becoming the US President, Obama was a
senator as such he was not a green horn like
Trump. In fact, billionaire businessman is
the first President-elect to never have held
political office since Dwight D Eisenhower
who won election in 1952. Similarly, George
Bush, Obama’s predecessor, was Governor
of Texas in his earlier career. And, perhaps,
this is the reason Indians in general have
not welcomed Trump’s victory. In the last
phase of campaign, though, he visited
Indian Americans organized charity event
in Holmdel in New Jersey and also praised
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and India as becoming the top place for
investment, he didn’t make any policy
announcement. Yes, a consolation point for
India is that he called Pakistan “the most
dangerous country in the world today,”
and said “the only country that can check
Pakistan is India.” He also pitched high
against China, but then in the context of
trade. He has not been heard on the issue
of contentious South China Sea. However,
he loves Russian President Vladimir Putin
and wants friendship with Moscow. He
also wants a freeze on new green cards
and restricting of the H-1B visa programme
to make it a tougher for US firms to hire
talents from India and other countries
of the world. However, it is too early
to comment about Trump. Proof of the
pudding is in the eating. India could assess
him only when he sets the ball rolling from
January 20 onwards.
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November 16-30, 2016 The Dayafter
17