Used to be you had to know how to talk and be able to pass 'I'm not an outright fraud test' to be president but that bar has been removed too.
Pundits were at it before and now they are at it even harder. But Trump presidency was one of two bad outcomes neither of which will solve core problems of American economy, politics or society.
I did not think he had a chance to win http://iroon.com/irtn/blog/7627/ but that does not change the fact that people wanted change and in the process a snake oil salesman rode their wave of anger to victory. While race was a factor, Sexism was just as important; majority of Trump supporters however are neither racist nor bigots, rather they are mostly pretty much same people who usually vote republican. They just came out despite Trump not for him; for the reasons I had outlined last year. And many democrats just stayed home.
This election was lost by Hillary more so than won by Trump. His numbers were similar to Romney, give or take, but Hillary's did not hold up like Obama's. Democratic party's sand bagging Bernie cost also since majority of his supporters did not come out for Clinton. And a lot of men and even women still have a problem with a woman as Commander in Chief.
All and all the glass is half full. Hillary presidency would have been more of the same while Trump has house and senate and no excuses. Strangely enough he is as powerful as any president has been for a very long time and gets to dictate whatever he wants and there lies the upcoming clusterF%$^.
He only understands power and winning and that means he'll wheel and deal and just like he did with his casinos and Trump University; and likely create the kind of corruption that makes financial crisis look like child's play. And by the time mid-term elections comes around the tide may turn once people see the mess he is creating. We've seen this movie before and the only thing new is the lead actor. So 'Let's make America Great Again' is really code for let's fleece whatever is left. That's why a 1000 points down dow futures in fear of his election suddenly turns into a big up day and 'optimism' in wall street there is talk of growth by the same people that handed us financial crisis.
In short, people were screwed with Clinton or Trump and while one can argue for and against each, it is not a productive conversation. The unknown is whether democracy is dying or dead already and the difference is how long before we see the really ugly stuff that Trump has already advertised for the past 18 months. As for Iranian or other nations hoping a 'tougher' U.S. somehow improving their lot, keep dreaming.
One of the peculiarities of this election was Bernie Sanders and his supporters.
Sanders, a self-proclaimed socialist with no party affiliation, came under the Democratic Party tent to basically promote his socialist views, and not necessarily to win the party candidacy. But as time went on, he became more relevant and his supporters more assertive to the point that many of them refused to vote for Hillary when Sanders dropped out. And in the case of the millennials (18-30 yr-olds) many just stayed home and didn’t vote.
As you stated, the Republicans (some 60 millions) voted as they have done in the previous elections. It was the Democrats who didn’t show up in millions.
Honestly I think you see the glass half full. Its too early to say what his administration will look like and what he can achieve or not . (Sadly we don't have access to nosterdamous!)
Stock market will go down and will bounce back and that is normal. Trump is also a deal maker so I suspect he will make a deal with Mullah's but time will tell.
Faramarz, Had Dems not screwed Bernie, he would have lost fair and square in nomination and then most his supporters would have come out for Clinton against Trump. But the shenanigans that caused the DNC chair to resign reenforced the its rigged idea that Trump rode and got many Bernie supporters too.
MRX, look at where he has been and who his friends are (NY Mob, gambling industry, Trump U,...), what he said (people-those who voted for him-less educated whites- are dumb and will believe anything), then look at his current circle that is gonna be his cabinet and advisers (Christie, Juliani, his sons...) and his international friends (Russia, UAE...) and then put in balance his utter lack of any worldview, policy (not political) experience and his mindset, and future gets more and more murky. Miracles are possible but with him financial and social disaster is probable.
I voted for Mr. Trump and am delighted with his victory. My stocks are up already 15%, thanks to his victory.
The liberals need to relax
Shashoo, Jesus is not going to run for U.S presidency and no one is that perfect. Hillary Clinton was/is a disaster and with Obama she managed to ruin Mideast specialy in Libya and Iraq after premature pullout from Iraq and making Libya a failed state and let millons of refugees pouring into Europe and Syria well that another issue by itself.
Obama himself was a junior senator with no experience in anything be it in buisness or foreign policy , so you work with what you got and its not idle!
May be its east coast thing verses West coast, but I tend to like Juliani, christie, gingrich and so on , they are capable people in buisness and politics even if their personal life may not be to our liking.
I sense your frusturation is this blog but its reality verseswhat we hope should be the reality.
MRX,
I do not think assumption of my frustration is appropriate or justified based on what I have written that is projecting based on relatively well established facts. Second, I do not like nor voted for Clinton which I think is implied in your assumption and I think you could have derived that from last year's blog I linked. Now for the topic at hand:
Trump, is good for my personal pocket for a slew of reasons. Just like the rapist republic is good for a small percentage in Iran for a slew of reasons. Perhaps you have heard the really old expression: "اثبات شی نفی مأدات نمیکند" roughly translated it means when you prove one thing, it does not disprove something else.
American Foreign policy has been wrong footed since fall of Soviets because it could not properly shift from cold war policy to a fragmented single polar world and it's clearest attempt peaked with Bush and Iraq war and the disaster that includes how it has dealth with the rapist republic continues. I think the foreign policy with Clinton would have been more of the same disaster and with Trump would be an even bigger one. It'll be more muscular but as they say the harder they come the harder they fall.
Internally, what America needs is more balanced economics (regardless of politics and party) and less corporate mongering. Neither is going to happen with Trump et al. Indeed the bulging stock market of the last two days is the clear indication that business and corporations feel like they got the blank check they thought was never gonna come after financial crisis.
We need not agree on policy or politics, but there are a lot of assumptions being made that have little to do with my broader point.
Shashoo, I think you sort of answred your dielma or your borader point as you call it but honestly what can be done? not much really! There is a system out there and that's how it functions. What are you suggesting takes time and may be some evolution of mind and soul which I don't see it out there, not in my life time at least.
My uncle used to say this phraze a lot "Haminy ke hast" I didn't get it when i was young but now I am getting it.
Best you can do is to live your life , enjoy and just watch the show!!!!
MRX, I somewhat agree and think these conversations are often sharing some insight rather than solve any problem as no one is listening anyway. I'm not worried or concerned for me but the next generation/my kids.
Trump, Brexit, Pe pen, Duda, Duterte...are are part of a broader wave that is the leading edge of new fascism. What I see with Trump is massive social and economic dislocation a few years down the road. Much like Bush and his Iraq war that drained and weakened global norms and bounds. Obama, was not much better in social or economic policy just less extreme. It is good to have some perspective on broad trends of future for some marginal planning. Post Soviet Francis Fukuyama's "The End Of History" was fairly prophetic and one could see shades of what is happening in that view.
"....leading edge of new fascism........."
Well-said.
It isn't 1939, so what would this new wave mean now that earth has twice the populaiton and sooner or later most of the masses will be competing for what's left?
Ex_Cop,
What you suggest is already happening. Parts of ME, Most of Central Asia and various sections of Africa. Technologies of control and manipulation have advanced enough that much can be accomplished without need for massive force.