Donald trump is the man we all love to hate, yet he has just become the 45th President of the United States of America. He is accused of being racist and xenophobic not to mention anti-gay, a believer in highly-controversial conversion therapy, yet he has still won the race for the White House resoundingly. How?
An unpopularopponent?
Firstly, let's look at his adversary, Hillary Clinton. Trump's victory proves that Hillary Clinton is deeply unpopular with the American public. Whether it was her husband Bill's highly-documented affair or her involvement and support of the Iraq war, this isa lady who has not won the people over.
Bored of Celebrity?
Yet she has had a great deal of celebrity support. Jon Bon Jovi, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga all came to her aid, not to mention that symbolic persona of Americana, Bruce Springsteen. If the campaign was going to be won via social media and celebritypower, Clinton should have been home and hosed. However, here inlies the polarizing issue for the vast number ofAmericans who voted yesterday.
Winds of Change
It seems that thevast majority of Americans wanted, no needed a change in the way their politics has been run up until now. In the early running, it was Bernie Sanders who breathed new life into the political system, professing t create an America based on fairness and equality for all.
Ultimately,it appeared he was too much of a sea change at this juncture and Bernie fell out of the running. But it indicated something important and that was Americans wanted something different. They wanted the end of thePolitical dynasties and the control and manipulation of the people by thenational corporations thathave seemingly had far too much sway inrecent years.
So a different style, a different approach andup steps thepolar opposite of Sanders, DonaldJ Trump. Maligned by many for being dim-witted and having extreme right-wing views, yet Trump has batted away the criticisms, negative press and allegations like flies and stomped all over the history of American Politics. Whatever we think of Clinton personally, she is a smart woman who has been the Secretary of State.
Her husband was a successful and popular President. She seemed to have the support in anumber of America's key states. Trump is a businessman with no political background, his view of women is arguably misogynistic, he has an aloof arrogance that grates on most. Despite this, the American people have resoundingly stated he is to be their next leader.
So how did he do it?
A number of people across America's great nation have felt that the American Dream is being taken away from their children. In essence, the America we see on TV is not the real America. Trump spoke to the millions of disaffected civilians who felt forgotten and lost under Obama's regime, despite his high approval rating. Like him or hate him, Trump epitomises the American Dream, albeit from a hugely wealthy family, he promised to transfer his experience as a property tycoon et al to the people and the people have listened.
The rest of the world stands stunned this morning, but America's decision is one to change the status quo and bring back the voice of the voiceless. Only time will tell whether the 45th President can do this or not.
