US Presidential Elections: The Trump matrix
Our writers give their thoughts as the news about the next US President-elect…
I can’t quite believe the news I woke up to this morning – I half-expected it to come to this, but I never really believed it would. I said Trump would win; but with the incertitude of a man not really believing his own words.
I see a lot of people moaning, complaining that the world will end and other such hyperbole, and saying they can’t understand how this has happened – and that, my friends, is half of the problem.
For you see, Trump listened to and gave a voice to people who had been ignored for far too long, and felt that nothing could possibly be as bad as their present – he spoke to people who were never spoken to before.
I said Trump would win; but with the incertitude of a man not really believing his own words
And if they dared voice concern about anything, they were dismissed as racists, stupid, any word that could be thrown at them, because it’s easier to do that rather than engage with people who have different backgrounds and different views to you.
We’ve seen Brexit, and now we’ve seen this. This is a result of refusing to listen to and engage with people who don’t fit into your blinkered worldview, or simply dismissing their concerns as if they were nothing.
This is a result of refusing to listen to and engage with people who don’t fit into your blinkered worldview
A lot of the most visceral reactions have been from people who simply do not understand that there could be any other way of looking at things, and so any other viewpoint must be completely wrong and not worth paying attention to. You can only ignore someone for so long before they stop talking to you.
Coupled with a fundamentally uninspiring opponent, and Trump’s path to the White House should have been more obvious than it was. Hillary has spent the election being as arrogant and aloof as ever, unable to offer any good points in her favour, positioning herself as more of the same in a time people want change.
Hillary has spent the election being as arrogant and aloof as ever
Sure, the media and the polls said that it was practically impossible that Trump could succeed, but all we take from that is that they, like Mrs Clinton, failed to really understand the mood of the country.
I wish President-elect Trump good luck, and I hope that he will do a good job in his new role. And if not, you have four years before he is gone. And although everyone is grumbling, do note that President Trump will not be an all-powerful being – things he wants to do will be voted down, he will have advisors and be forced to compromise on things.
President Trump will not be an all-powerful being – things he wants to do will be voted down
In this election, it has been clear than the two candidates have been the worst for a long time and, no matter who won, it would be America that really lost. But with a Trump victory, I can’t help but feel it lost a little less than it could have done.
Reece Goodall
Donald Trump being the new President-elect brings disappointment and fear to a whole range of demographics: people of colour, immigrants, disabled people and of course, women. While each of these sections of society deserve their chance to mourn any progress made on their behalf in the past few years, it is women I speak for now.
What does this result teach our children? Quite simply, this result shows young girls everywhere that, in this world, they are worth nothing compared to a man. They can be highly educated, overly qualified, graceful and accepting and yet, they will still lose to a bigot/racist/sexist/narcissist with no relevant experience in the role.
This result shows young girls everywhere that, in this world, they are worth nothing compared to a man
I’m not arguing that Hillary lost based solely on her gender. A lot of people in America saw her as the quintessential establishment candidate – One half of the Clinton power couple that have dominated American politics for more than two decades.
However, I seriously question whether Trump would have won had it been Bill he was up against. When presented with two males – both highly educated and rich, one with extreme amounts of political experience and diplomatic tactic – would the country have decided differently? A large part of me believes so.
When presented with two males would the country have decided differently?
We can make the result of this election about race, gender or class, but the outcome remains the same. Every woman in the United States, and possibly the entire world, has been degraded, demeaned and disappointed. When the self-proclaimed ‘land of the free and home of the brave’ elect a man with multiple sexual assault allegations against his name, we really have to question whether that expression can still apply to the US.
As put by @darrenhayes on Twitter, ‘[W]e ask women why they don’t come forward when sexually assaulted. It’s because we live in a society where their abusers become President’.
Every woman in the United States, and possibly the entire world, has been degraded, demeaned and disappointed
The result cannot be changed; Trump will become President of the United States. The only thing we can do now is pray that young women do not grow up to believe what this election has taught them.
America has taught its daughters that a man can outwardly disrespect women and still become the most powerful person in the world. America has taught its daughters that they can work for 40 years in a profession and still lose out on the job to an under qualified male.
Most crucially, America has taught its daughters that their gender still defines them, even in 2016.
Charlottle McGing
In the aftermath of Brexit, I often had to remind myself that the opinions of those who had voted differently to myself were valid, and that one of the hallmarks of a functioning democratic society is that we cannot silence the views of those we don’t agree with.
Back in June, it was easy to dismiss Brexit voters as racists and bigots, but to do so was incredibly unhelpful in addressing the wider issues that the referendum brought into our national political spotlight.
I often had to remind myself that the opinions of those who had voted differently to myself were valid
Now, to dismiss all Trump voters as racially-motivated or bigoted is to do something similarly damaging. These people should be listened to in order to address the fear that is becoming a worryingly central part of Western politics.
But while I’m unwillingly to simply dismiss the views of every single Trump supporter, attached to his campaign was something much darker than Nigel Farage or Boris Johnson managed to cook up regarding Europe.
These people should be listened to in order to address the fear that is becoming a worryingly central part of Western politics
Despite being the Republican candidate, Trump went far beyond the conservative social politics of the GOP. His candidacy, as we are all far too aware, was fuelled by racism, homophobia, sexism and ableism, and even if you do not share his views, to support him regardless is to accept and validate hatred on one of the biggest stages in civilisation.
To have lent your voice to the Trump campaign, however quiet you think that voice might have been, is to legitimise his bigotry, and to allow others to spread those ideas.
His candidacy, as we are all far too aware, was fuelled by racism, homophobia, sexism and ableism
I’m not naïve enough to believe that anything I say here is enough to make a long-term difference by itself – the readership of The Boar is limited, and I’m one privileged white man saying the same things as countless better writers then me.
But if what I’m about to say can change one person’s outlook at this much scarier world then I feel like that will help.
I’m one privileged white man saying the same things as countless better writers then me
Don’t try to silence Trump, or those who would vote for him. Hear what they have to say, get angry about it, and then fight it.
Embrace the minorities that they would silence, volunteer for the groups that they would shut down, and show the world that love and acceptance is a much more powerful force than fear and hatred can ever be.
Alistair Jones
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