America: Dragged through the gutter

By Kokulan Mahendiran, FRSA

With the United States’ 58th presidential election less than three weeks away, the world’s foremost economic and military power stands in an immensely precarious position. Only two candidates stand any chance of winning the election to be held on 8 November. 

Hilary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, more or less represents a continuation of the Obama administration (in which she served as Secretary of State between 2009 and 2013). On the other hand, her Republican opponent Donald Trump epitomises everything that is awry within the vile underbelly of America.

Donald Trump’s shortcomings, in his own lexicon, are both “huuge” and “tremendous”. Trump commenced his campaign with a highly inflammatory speech in which he referred to Mexicans as rapists. Soon after, he called “for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States”. 

He then moved on to attacking the children of immigrants when he claimed that Judge Gonzalo Curiel was unfit to oversee a case against him due to his Mexican heritage presenting an “absolute conflict”. Then came the speech where he mocked the disability of a reporter in front of a raucous audience. Not long after, he made what was widely interpreted as a veiled threat of violence against Clinton in front of an even more boisterous crowd.

Sexual assault

The list goes on and on – but what came out on 7 October has moved the conversation in a decidedly different direction. The Washington Post released the now infamous tape in which Donald Trump bragged about how his stardom allowed him to commit acts of sexual assault against various women to Billy Bush (a cousin of George W). 

While the Trump campaign immediately tried to brush off the whole affair as “locker-room banter”, the backlash in the media and the polls has been remarkable. Making matters yet worse for Trump, a growing number of women who claim to have been sexually harassed or assaulted by him are going public with their stories. 

Given the canyon that has since formed between Clinton and Trump within the polls (she currently leads by between 5-11%), a Trump win on 8 November would be entirely unprecedented if not impossible. Yet a Trump loss, regardless of the margin, will not in-and-of-itself salvage the nation from what he (and his followers) have sewn. Much of Trump’s campaign has become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy and ironically enough, Trump’s famed motto – Make America Great Again – will have to be adopted by Clinton come Inauguration Day. 

Weak and divided America

Trump spoke of an America that was weak and divided. While America is now undoubtedly both, it is not on account of Obama’s presidency – it is on account of Trump’s candidacy. 

Trump stoked up fear, inflamed prejudices and brought the discourse to such a low as to make parents think twice about allowing their children to watch the presidential debates. He is now responding to the ever-growing list of women accusers by saying they’re not attractive enough to merit sexual assault. 

Unfortunately, the real problem is much larger than Trump. No country is without its racists, sexists, demagogues and fascists. What is worrying is the sheer extent of the support Trump is getting despite everything he has said and done – around 40% or 50 million odd potential votes, along with continued support from the higher echelons of the Republican leadership.

While a handful of prominent Republicans have made it clear that they cannot endorse Trump, ranging from former Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush to former Republican Nominees Mitt Romney and John McCain, today’s party establishment remains fanatically loyal to their nominee. Various important republican leaders like Governor Chris Christie and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani continue to not only stump for him but defend his indefensible actions in the media. 

Reince Priebus, the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, continues to support the campaign both privately and publically while the highest-ranking Republican, Speaker Paul Ryan, has refused to rescind his endorsement of Trump despite saying that he is no longer able to defend him.

As President Hilary Clinton will have her work cut out for her in trying to restore and unify the country that Trump has so thoroughly dragged through the gutter. She can only take solace in knowing that through its self-interested fealty to an indisputably abominable candidate, the Republican Party has ensured it will remain deep down the gutter for years to come.