En tu idioma / In your own language

Eduardo del Buey
Foto: Afp
La Jornada Maya

Martes 25 de octubre, 2016

Thank God!

The electoral debates in the United States ended last Wednesday, and we can now sit back and wait until November 8 to see what fate holds. While we live and enjoy lives in Merida, there is no doubt that, wherever you are, the US election outcome can affect us. Hence my focus (bordering on the obsessive) over the past few months.

A few questions.

Did Trump requalify himself after weeks of disastrous polls?

No. He was as undisciplined as ever, biting into Clinton’s bait throughout, interrupting at every turn, and making faces despite being on the split screen for 90 minutes. He demonstrated lack of knowledge with respect to whatever plans he may have: indeed, I was left to question whether Trump had any real plans besides making everything “great again”.

When pressed about his economic plans, Trump just said he would create a massive economic machine that would address jobs and debt. Nothing realistic in that. No details, no plan on how to do it, just pure rhetoric.

He forgot that the United States has always depended on strategic alliances to meet foreign policy threats and challenges. From World War Two to Gulf War One, strategic alliances with a good number of countries helped ensure victory. Yet Trump doubled down on whittling NATO away and reducing alliances with strategic allies such as Japan and South Korea.

And when Clinton accused Trump of not paying his taxes, he referred to Clinton as a “nasty woman” and sealed the debate in her favor. Socrates once said that when the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.

Did Hillary defend herself against the WikiLeaks campaign?

Fairly well. Trump was so undisciplined he did not pin her to the mat on the emails or on WikiLeaks. Her pivot towards Russian involvement was excellent, and Trump bit.

Did Trump show himself as presidential after weeks of railing against a rigged system?

No. Trump’s demeanor throughout was that of a petulant child not getting his way. His refusal to accept that he will subscribe to the will of the people on November 8th was completely unstatesmanlike and goes against the grain of any thinking American. Wrong move, and it will cost him. His claim that he would keep the country in suspense was the work of a reality show host, not a candidate looking to defend the core values of the nation he purports to lead.

Did Hillary convince people to trust her after polls indicating a lack of trustworthiness on her part?

She did not cause herself any damage throughout the debate, which is as good as she could expect. She was prepared and feisty without being overbearing.

Neither moved the needle much. Independents will not be swayed by Trump’s flippant lack of preparation or lack of solid detailed plans. His base would vote for him even if, as he once claimed, he shot someone on Fifth Avenue. His criticism of NAFTA is not borne by facts – the trade deal has been good for all three countries, and the jobs lost would have been lost anyway through globalization that is here to stay.

Trump also lost the independent women’s vote once again, a constituency he dearly needs if he has any chance of victory on election day.

Clinton worked her way throughout well, outlining a positive vision of the United States she would lead. Vision is what independents are looking for in this election. It has been far too negative for far too long.

No country as negative as Trump paints it could survive and still be the most powerful nation on the globe, drawing immigrants in search of a dream from all over the world. That is a fundamental fact of life. The majority of Americans are optimistic by nature and seek positive solutions to the challenges they face.

My verdict: Clinton won hands down and Trump has a hard road ahead if he is to make up ground this late in the campaign. The voters will decide, but as of now, the chances of their voting as a majority for Donald Trump appears to be in doubt.

Mérida, Yucatán

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