The US Presidential election is just days away now. This will bring to a close a long, brutal contest dominated by a theatre of the absurd, character assassination and fear-mongering. Many polls suggest most Americans believe they have two unpalatable choices and Hillary Clinton is the lesser of two evils. The former secretary of state and career politician may have the experience and smarts to wrangle the Sisyphean rigours of leadership but she doesn't have enough charisma to light a candle. To be fair, anyone coming after Obama the charmer, will find it tough to fire voters' passions. But then, this isn't entirely true.
Real estate tycoon-turned-political typhoon, Donald Trump, whipped up tremendous support among disenfranchised Republicans. Many of them feel abandoned by the blue blood politics of the right. Trump brands himself as a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps brawler with an abhorrence for Washington cliquishness. He sells himself as an outsider, in the same breath condemning outsiders in every xenophobathon he stages. Donald Trump isn't charismatic in the conventional sense. His strength lies in his toxic rapport with disaffected supporters.
While allegations of sexual misconduct have harpooned his campaign's buoyancy, Trump was unsuitable long before tapes of his grab 'em talk with a television personality were publicised. He openly peddles xenophobia, sexism, racism and shocking prevarications; his supporters cavort in the puerile and putrid. Finally, here is a candidate who understands them!
They don't care that their messiah hasn't the slightest grasp on foreign affairs. They aren't bothered by the fact that Trump doesn't seem particularly knowledgeable. His supporters love him all the more for it, because it also describes them. For all his innumerable foibles and offences, his supporters use, not merely twisted, but braided logic to come to his defence.
Ben Carson, himself a former wacky presidential candidate, says it doesn't matter if Trump is guilty of the sexual abuse of which he has been accused. Pennsylvania resident, 65 year old Vickie Myers isn't bothered by the things Trump says. She explains, "The standard of what people can say has changed. That started with social media. People say whatever they like."
Antonio Sabato Jr, a former actor and now Trump supporter, told a CNN journalist," Barack Obama isn't a Christian, he's a Muslim." When corrected by the journalist, Sabato's response was, "Well that's your belief. This is America and I have a right to my belief."
Donald Trump is the blood supply for a cohort in the US which conflates the right to an opinion with verifiable fact; I believe it is so, therefore it is so. This exposes a dysfunction which is by no means exclusive to American society. Dismissing Trump supporters as sub-educated country bumpkins is as dangerous as Trump's rhetoric. The bronze billionaire's road march about rigged elections resonates like an exhortation to loyal supporters to do all they can to "level the playing field." At least one Trump supporter told a reporter if the democrats win, he will "take Hillary out."
An edifying perspective on current US politics comes from an unlikely source. Mike Rowe is an American television celebrity. He's also an every-man savant who recently weighed in on the election debacle. Rather than harangue people to vote, as his other celebrity friends have done, he has a more practical suggestion for the American electorate.
"Read...spend a few hours every week studying American history, human nature and economic theory. Develop a world view that you can articulate. Then vote for the candidate who best shares your world view." It is a diplomatic way of saying many people who wield this tremendous responsibility simply aren't equipped to do so.
There are many lessons for us here in T&T. If we, like Trump supporters, continue to make excuses for our politicians, what won't we excuse them for?
It is evident all around us, the outrageous contortions made by party supporters in defence of misdeeds in public office by elected officials. More confusing is our undying willingness to leap in front of a flying bullet for politicians whose lives are insulated from unremitting murder, rape, robbery and economic peril; conditions which affect most of us to varying degrees.
This unrequited love exists on both sides of the political divide. "So dey overspen...but look at de progress we get fuh dat!" Or "Whey you was fuh de lass five years? Allyuh people was doin' de same thing!" This is the ideal set up for politicians. Their blind faithful reinterpret the law or offer alternative translations for morality in public life so that it chimes best with their political allegiance. Selective culpability is the norm in this society.
Like Trump supporters, political drones in T&T, with little understanding of the country's history, law and basic economic principles fall back on raw emotion and racial bias. What was wrong in 2009 became right in 2010 and what was wrong in 2015 became right in 2016.
The Americans have quite the reckoning to face, regardless of election outcome. Ours is already here, but we are too blinded by our political allegiances to see it.