Election 2016: The Calm After The Storm

As a Canadian intimately interested in the political scene, it is always particularly intriguing to notice how the American presidential run-up is far more closely followed even within our borders than the Canadian election season. The campaigning for the US Election 2016, with the polarizing candidate of Donald Trump, took on a fervor unlike any I’ve seen before.

Trump supporters rallied around the many tag-lines attributed to the campaign. Two of the most popular ones include:

• Make America Great Again
• Drain the Swamp

Trump naysayers insisted the man actually had (and still has) the capacity with his brashness to launch World War III. Strong words indeed.

Election 2016 Comes to an End

My first reaction to the election with Trump winning so comprehensively was to write an article detailing how I was not surprised by the result. I waited, however, as I wanted to allow some time to pass and see how things developed.

What would the immediate reaction of the general public be?

Over the past few days, I have seen many individuals distraught by the fact that Trump won. Moreover, they are shocked by how far off the predictions had been. The media, a slew of celebrities, and the general public buying into these outlets had themselves entirely convinced that Donald was a 5-to-1 underdog in the race.

This is a poignant reminder of just how bad a decision it can be to blindly believe the press. Reading newspapers only confirming one’s own view just leads to a circular belief system. It is important to challenge your views and take in a variety of sources.

Why Did Trump Win?

How can the pollsters get it so horribly wrong? How could Trump pull this off in the face of all of the data?

The fact of the matter is that Trump tapped directly into the pulse of the American public who for so many years have grown disgusted with the system. He awakened the consciousness of the masses who desperately wanted real change. People who have been losing their jobs as companies outsource. People who are sick of the establishment.

All too often over the course of the election, I have heard people say that “Trump supporters are just rednecks and hillbillies”. Given how things turned out and the resounding victory Trump posted, are we left to believe that the American public in general should be lumped into these derogative categories?

I would think not. There was more to this elections than a few gun-loving zealots.

Watching the polls come in on Tuesday night, it was clear that the nation was voting against a political system they’d become tired of. Michael Moore called this out on his blog. It was one thing for Trump to take battlegrounds such as Florida and North Carolina with relative ease. It was quite another when it became apparent that former Democratic strongholds were also falling by the wayside. Pennsylvania, for instance, hadn’t gone Red since 1988.

While Clinton was doing well in heavily populated urban areas, it simply was not enough in the wake of Trump support virtually everywhere else.

A Few Remarks about Election 2016

I’d also like to highlight a few other off-the-cuff points. Just some food for thought.

• Many have been pointing out that Clinton won the Popular Vote while Trump simply won on account of the Electoral Votes. They claim that the people voted for Clinton while Trump only won due to the system. It’s a tad ironic that this is the same system Clinton has been a part of and benefited from for decades.
• There is word that Russia would like to rekindle connections with the U.S. following the election. There was plenty of opposition to this from the Democratic side in the runup to the election. Wouldn’t it make sense, however, to have positive relations with another superpower such as Russia? It certainly makes more sense than trying to reignite the Cold War.
• What will Clinton’s gameplan be now? This is her second defeat in running for President. First by Obama for the 2008 Democratic nod. Now, second, head-to-head with the Republican candidate in Trump? Does she hang around the political scene and try again in 2020?
• The markets slumped on the initial news of Trump winning Election 2016. It did bounce back shortly thereafter. While short-term volatility should always be expected, I am not anticipating any prolonged weakness based on the election results. Trump has been a highly successful businessman and has a strong understanding of what it takes to run a large enterprise. While governing a nation has its differences, there are also a huge number of similarities. Namely, it is necessary to balance conflicting priorities, to see the forest for the trees, and being able to manage and delegate the right people to the proper positions and let them succeed.

Conclusion

Like it or not, at this stage Trump has earned his way into the premier job in America. He ran an unconventional campaign and managed to catch the attention of the populace. His understanding of the social media and reality television world we live in allowed him to remain front-and-center over the course of the past year and a half.

His ability to shake off any controversy and still press forward was his strength. Nothing could deter his supporters. The freshness to his approach won votes from the middle of the aisle.

The question now will be whether Americans from the Democratic side are willing to rally behind their new President. I feel, now, similar to how I did when Obama took the Oval Office by storm in 2008; hopeful that fresh blood can shake things up and make a real difference. Let us indeed hope that Trump can fulfill his promise to deliver greatness to America.

What are your thoughts on the election results? Can Trump “Make America Great Again”?