Last night, as I was waiting with a few thousand of them outside the venue for the Donald's final campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan there were certain key phrases that will haunt an incoming administration whether Trump or Clinton. The first is "Lock her up!"
A combination of the confusion over Hillary’s email accounts and the Clinton Foundation and its funding have left many deeply suspicious of how the couple operate. Large sections of the American public do not view the couple as either honest and/or trustworthy.
They will be hounded at every turn if Trump wins and blocked by an angry legislature if he loses. Oh but we've been there before with Obama no? Nope. This is entirely different from how Obama - a leader with an impeccable record from the vantage point of corruption - has been viewed even by right-wing circles hitherto.
Moreover the fact the call is for them to jailed immediately is indicative of the visceral nature of this allegation.
For Trump supporters, there is no need to prove anything because the Clinton's have already suborned and perverted investigations. This underlines Trump's angry impatience with and disregard for the law.
The second phrase that was being handed repeatedly and with a great deal of passion was "Drain the Swamp". Once again, Donald Trump's sweeping allegations have won over millions who are now convinced that Washington is an entirely corrupt and immoral city, dedicated to destroying the livelihoods of ordinary Americans, and especially white, working-class Americans.
When you bear in mind that Trump and the Republican Party should comfortably rack up well over 40% of the popular vote the challenges moving forward will be huge. Such sentiments mean that whoever will occupy the White House next year will have their work cut out for them.
The 2016 Presidential Elections have been the wildest ever—take it from me since I was in the thick of things here in Michigan! At the time of writing, voting has just begun.
We may be in for a very long night or, God forbid, a repeat of the recriminations of the disputed 2000 contest. Or it will be either a very swift and decisive victory for either Trump or Clinton. Whatever the case, the 45th President of the United States of America will inherit a country that has severely been divided.
Despite outgoing President Barrack Obama’s promise to bring “hope and change” to his country, a number of factors—including Republican recalcitrance, growing inequality, renewed threats of religious extremism as well as rapid cultural, technological and economic change—have only exacerbated the various gulfs in the world’s premier superpower.
The sentiments I saw in Grand Rapids exemplified this. The white working-class is angry with what they see as an erosion of their ability to influence their country’s direction. America’s minorities—especially the growing Hispanic population—will likely feel just as embattled should Trump come back and reverse the gains made since 2008.
Clearly then, whoever becomes President will have to calm such passions and unite the country. But it’s hard to see how this will be possible given how bitter the campaign has been.
Moreover, we have had two very remarkable but also flawed candidates: Trump with his racist, sexist bluster and Clinton with her baggage that stretches since when Bill was President.
Will either of them really have the authority—political or moral—to get Americans behind them?
Will governing even be possible if the Senate and House of Representatives split between the Democrats and Republicans? And what does this mean for us here in Southeast Asia?
For the above-mentioned reasons, I think we must prepare for an America that is increasingly inward-looking, if not insular no matter who wins. Obama’s “pivot” to Asia will become a distant memory.
Southeast Asians like having two super-powers on hand. We want China’s trade and investment, but also want the US’ reassuring military and political presence to balance the Middle Kingdom. Bear in mind that Xi Jinping is consolidating his power base in Beijing so as Washington fractures and splinters over issues of race, governance and business China will look ever stronger and more determined.
In years to come we may end up looking back on Trump and his chanting mob as a Grecian chorus heralding the inevitable decline of a once great state and its founding principles.
