By Ron Cheong
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. November 6, 2024: These were the most unusual choices — from Donald Trump’s antics as a “trash” complete with reflective uniform and real-life garbage truck, to his staged video appearing as a McDonald’s server, handing out chips in the car through the window. for the two assassinations against him and his status as a convicted felon pending charges of inciting the uprising of January 6, 2020; and Harris’ late entry into the race as the Democratic presidential nominee after President Biden withdrew and her historic status as the first black female presidential candidate.
Ultimately, it came down to a choice between Harris’ staunchly pro-democracy stance, in contrast to Trump’s fascistic ways, her commitment to a woman’s right to make health care decisions about her own body. , her plans to build the middle class and her positive hope. positive message; vs. Trump’s dark, disjointed divisive behavior, anti-immigrant crusade – despite 2 out of 3 of his wives being immigrants; and his agenda to cut the social safety net by giving billionaires more tax breaks.
Against all this, the American voter still chose Donald Trump to be the 47thth The President of the United States.
Campaign Unfolding
Just 16 days after President Biden withdrew from the race following his poor performance in the debate against Trump, Harris won the Democratic nomination for President. And with just 75 days left between the end of the DNC convention and Election Day, she hit the ground running with a well-oiled, organized team, and a theme of “Joy” as her campaign’s central stance.
Less than 3 weeks later, on September 10, 2024, she stood up to challenge Trump, an experienced campaigner in his 3rd campaign.st presidential candidacy, on the stage of the presidential debate. This was Harris’ first attempt at this very high stakes level, but she brought a lot of experience, talent and discipline.
In the first half of the debate, she was definitely feeling her way, adjusting and finding her feet. But she was well prepared with a well-conceived strategy to go after Trump’s Achilles heel — his deeply dysfunctional narcissistic vanity..
About half an hour she struck; Returning to the spotlight, she fueled Trump’s vanity and obsession with crowd size, directing her remarks to viewers, she said: “I’m going to ask you to do something really unusual. And I would invite you to attend one of Donald Trump’s rallies, because it’s a really cool thing to watch. You will see during his rallies, he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about windmills causing cancer. And what you’ll also notice is that people start leaving his rallies out of exhaustion and boredom.”
The narcissistic injury was too much for Trump, and he went on a tirade about Haitians in Springfield eating people’s cats and dogs. It was all downhill in the debate from there for Trump. He couldn’t look at Harris, who turned his head towards him with a confused look. It also marked a spiral in his campaign, which just got weirder, darker and more incoherent. He couldn’t stay on message, despite the pleas of his staff, and just stuck to personal attacks and personal appeals. Trump refused to debate Harris again; saying he won the debate – 63 percent of debate watchers said he lost, and winners never seek a rematch.
After that came another defining moment for the campaign at Madison Square Gardens, in which speaker after speaker denigrated Puerto Ricans, Palestinians, blacks and Latinos, among others, to cheers, laughter and applause from the crowd. And Trump threatened “the largest deportation program in American history” and to continue to fight “the enemy from within.”
Things continued to get murkier with dark delights, including delights against Liz Cheney: “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, okay? Let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when guns are trained on her face.”
He also stated that he would have no problem if someone shot through the press box at his rally. He even lashed out at his staff when the microphone at his rally didn’t work.
On the other hand, Harris continued with her positive, hopeful vision for the future, promising help for homebuyers, childcare, lower food prices and a stronger border. She welcomed everyone into her tent, including disgruntled Republicans who disagree with her policies, but she couldn’t take the disgruntled Trump any longer and decided to put country before party. But all this was in vain.
The voters have spoken
Amazingly, Trumps despicable behavior, documented misdeeds and chaotic campaign rallies have been rewarded according to the Associated Press with 277 electoral votes representing 51% of the total vote as of press time, and the title of President-elect of the United States United States of America.
His victory appeared to match a Gallop poll a month ago that said Trump had slight favorability on the economy (54%), immigration (54%) and foreign affairs (52%).
The top 5 concerns of voters reported by the BBC from a poll of voters are:
State of Democracy 35%
Economics 31%
Abortion 14%
Immigration 11%
And foreign policy 4%
Concerns about the state of democracy, which the BBC reported as the top concern of voters in the exit poll, was no deterrent for him. Nor was his involvement in the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe Vs Wade, which stood for 50 years and ruled that the decision to end a pregnancy is an individual’s right, not the government’s.
In addition, Republicans also regained control of the Senate and aim to hold the House of Representatives.
The Free World will sleep less well
It was hoped that the election would begin to reverse Trump’s normalization of lying, deceit, criminal activity and misogyny. Instead, it looks like the country will be saddled with Trump for another four years. There is some consolation that if Trump is unable to serve out his full term as a result of his advanced age, JD Vance would be his successor.
One glimmer of hope in this for the country’s future is the extraordinary actions taken by a number of leading Republicans, former cabinet members and aides to come out and publicly reject Trump as unfit for the Presidency, including a number who gave their support. behind Harris, despite disagreeing with their policies. They put the country before the party.
Trump is still a defendant in a number of cases before the courts, including his handling of classified documents from his last term. NATO allies should be worried. As will all countries in the free world – European allies, trading partners, G7, G20, not to mention Ukraine.
Putin has already started playing Trump. He has yet to congratulate Trump on his victory. But through his press secretary Dmitry Peskov said: “It is practically impossible for things to get worse, relations are historically at their lowest point.” Peskov further slyly inserted an exhortation, surely directed at Trump, that America was still a non-enemy country that is directly and indirectly involved in the war against their state. Let the head games begin!
Trump will seek to settle many accounts. The only one the thing is that rather it is with those who would harm the interest of America; it would be with what he calls “the enemy within.”
Everyone will sleep less well after this news comes out. Life goes on but with a little tremor.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Ron Cheong, born in Guyana, is a community activist and dedicated volunteer with an extensive international background in banking. Now residing in Toronto, Canada, he is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto.
