I have read a few diaries these past days discussing why Trump won. There seems to be two pretty clear sides. Those that feel largely racism and sexism carried the election for Trump or those that feel largely that the Dems ignored the economic concerns of work class whites.
As a black woman, I just can’t understand how anyone can miss the simple obvious truth. Trump won because he is white. He represents the “norm” that so many in America long to return, they fell in love with his packaging.
Let us for the sake of discussion put aside Trump’s racist and sexist mutterings. Just on the surface Trump is a person every American should be embarrassed to have as president:
- He seems to have a habit of lying and not paying for the goods and services he receives. Not exactly an honest businessman.
- He has a habit of speaking in barely coherent statements peppered with obvious lies, all topped off with a 4th grade vocabulary. Not exactly a projection of intellectual prowess.
- He, at the very least, has a very loose relationship with the law. To him, taxes are for suckers, and loopholes in laws are golden. Lawsuits follow him like a lovesick puppy. Not exactly someone you would think should be the figurehead of the law of the land.
- He is vulgar. He publicly curses and bullies those that cross him. That video of him mocking the disabled reporter? Not exactly the picture of a president, the representative of our supposed civilized nation.
- He really is not successful at anything but promoting and enriching himself. He runs his business ventures into the ground and sometimes bankrupts the small businesses owners that work on his projects. Not exactly someone we should want in charge of our infrastructure projects or making trade deals. Not unless we’re okay with stiffing other countries right and left.
- Real talk. His current wife. Could you imagine if Bill Clinton or Obama were married to a woman who lied about her educational background, blatantly plagiarized a speech, and used to pose naked for a living? No you couldn’t, because they would have never been elected. That alone would have disqualified them. This is the same country that never forgave Hillary for being too involved and Michelle for daring to bare her arms. Trump’s wife is not exactly the projection of wholesome family values that this country claims to love.
So why is this man who is so unqualified to be president now the president elect if not for the isms?
I could wrap my head around Hillary losing the election to Romney, McCain, Bush, Kasich, or even Ted Cruz. Those guys are at least well spoken, have concrete policy positions, behave in a presidential manner, and have managed to at least keep their human mask on in public — I wouldn’t like any them being president, but I wouldn’t be ashamed. With any of those guys, I could be pretty easily convinced that perhaps Hillary’s message misfired, maybe Sanders would have been a better choice. But you can never convince me of that with Trump.
Trump is a buffoon unfit to run even the businesses he keeps running into the ground again and again. He damn sure isn’t fit to be the leader of the free world. What plausible reason could anyone have for voting for that idiot? Why would anyone believe he could do anything but lie, steal, and grift? Trump himself doesn’t even pretend to be anything other than what he is — a conman.
I’m surely not the biggest Hillary fan. But I feel her pain. I watched her choke up as she talked about the election. How humiliated she must feel to lose to...Trump. He is not even close to her equal in any way. She’s smarter, has a greater grasp of every issue, is more prepared and experienced, has a better temperament and on and on. It more than stings. It hurts to the core. No explanation about her message, or emails, or the DNC covers the gap between him and her.
I just have one request of the racists and bigots in this country. If you would like a white president, I’m okay with that, but next time could you at least pick someone at least remotely qualified? You know, so at least us black and brown folks could pretend it wasn’t about us. That bit of denial makes our lives just a smidgen easier psychologically. Thanks!
