I want to reflect briefly on one of the seemingly biggest shocks to the world and that is Donald Trump’s triumphant exploits in the race to White House in the hitherto biggest and most developed democracy in the world. At the risk of sounding monotonous I still felt I should just add my take to what many have already said, but with a slight twist. That the world has been shocked at the United States of America Presidential Election results is now common cause but the biggest question for me is how we seem to have all missed key aspects that we always in the open and to some extent even rooted in historical perspectives. I will discuss two main issues in that regard and these are, firstly that USA presidential elections have a history of real sharing of power between the two political parties and rooted in that history is the unwritten rule that its very unlikely for any of the two parties to get a third term in office. Secondly, the liberal American and the world over seem to have never imagined a somewhat retreat to values that in part were abhorred and disdained in the progressive era towards the building of the American dream and reverence to the melting pot, been different nationals from all over the globe transcending into this great land to generate a democracy that was destined to be the torch bearer of freedom, equality, fairness, respect for civil and human rights and a zeal to offer each and every individual an opportunity to excel and be as wealthy as you wish.
Firstly, it would seem to me that when the Republicans demanded presidential term limits for presidents in 1947 following a disdain for the more than two terms served by Franklin Delano Rooservelt, they inadvertently sealed the two term rule for the parties as well. This demand was followed by the 22nd Amendment where the Republicans, joined by Southern democrats and a few Northern democrats (amongst them John F. Kennedy), which sealed the deal. This was supposed to be a limit on presidential terms and not party terms but it is on record that the ever since then this was somehow extended to party leadership and in effect juxtaposed to the presidency. It is from this brief perspective that the 2016 presidential could have been understood as one where come nook or crook Republicans had to win. This was their turn and irrespective of who stood from both sides in principle it had to be a Republican going to the White House. It could be argued that when voter registration turn up were reported to be high, it was, as exit polls showed later, mainly the historical conservative right wing whites getting ready to ensure a republican win.
The Republican Party has historically gained much support from rightists, conservatives and middle to lower class white Americans of the Southern, Mid-Western and North Western States. This is quite clearly evident from the 2016 results because in these states Trump won by very comfortable and huge margins. Whereas we misread the increase in voter registration to be for mainly minorities who had reason to punish D. Trump for the reckless statements he made, reality seem to suggest that the core and base of the republican party was actually re-emerging to fly the red side of the USA to victory. It is true that Donald Trump’s electoral message resonated well with these very group of traditional republican support base and that could only mean victory for him.
The second aspect has to do with the values that emerged from Donald Trump’s messages. Whilst the liberal and progressive Americans and the entire world saw these messages as typical “red neck” and anti-American dream rhetoric, coupled with appeals to return America to Americans and restore employment opportunities to the displaced and street bound Americans, these turnout to be exactly what the 67% conservative electorates wanted to hear. This got further impetus from what now appears to have been a strong desire to effect change and anti-establishment sentiments that Americans harboured. The building of walls in the USA-Mexican border, chasing/deportation of immigrants or at least detention for this groups, tightening of immigration laws to restrict entry by immigrants into the USA, departure from the old nucleus of capitalism been free trade and related outbursts by Donald Trump are the issues that seem to have re-inverted, if not re-generated old values systems that were ironically the basis for the American dream and emancipation of both women and the black communities through the civil and human rights movements. It is this messages that the liberal and progressive Democrats and some progressive Republicans did not believe have a place in the American dream and actually ran counter to what the great USA has come to be known to be. This was the misreading of not only the progressive Americans but the world at large.
A combination of these two main aspects and others pointed to Donald Trump been the president elect he is as we speak. This was indeed a serious shock and all progressives across the world are wondering how Americans of all nations could elect someone of the calibre of the current president elect. It is even more difficult and embarrassing for the liberal and progressive American to believe and accept that indeed come next year Mr. Donald Trump and Melania Trump would be in the White House as USA’s first citizen and first lady. The current protests across most of the USA cities reflect this shock and difficult to fathom the reality that the 2016 presidential elections have brought to the most advanced and developed democracy. If President Trump pursues his electoral campaign promises, liberals’ in the USA and the progressive world envisage a digression and serious affront on democratic principles and possible anti-world approach which will redefine the contours of globalization and the world economic order that has hitherto, had free trade as part of the core values of a world market economy.
Belt up USA and the world, Donald Trump is the president-elect and barring any natural and who knows human calamities, come next year he will be Commander in Chief and President of the USA, so let’s deal with that reality.
*Molaodi teaches Public Administration at the University of Botswana
