A call for unity at a time of change
The past 18 months have been a hell of a ride for Americans and the international community at large. The United States’ presidential campaigns have left all of us in shock and awe. Throughout these ruthless campaigns, I’ve followed the developments anxiously; I have personally responded to the election cycle in nervous laughter, tears, and anger. Over the past few years, the political climate in America has shifted very rapidly, from the mundane to the uncomfortably tense, in what seemed like a blink of an eye. And with this shift came one of the most high-stakes and emotionally charged election cycles of our lifetimes. Even more shocking than the presidential campaigns themselves were the results: a resounding victory for Donald Trump.
Throughout the primaries, we saw a common theme on both sides of the aisle: a thirst for significant change. On the Republican side, we saw Donald Trump stand up as a political outsider, whose message of change received overwhelming support. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders also had a revolutionary message, one that resonated with so many Americans and international bystanders alike. Donald Trump wanted to watch the political establishment fall and Bernie Sanders hoped to see Wall Street’s filthy hand taken out of the political pot.
Photo: Daniel Zimmermann/Flickr/CC BY 2.0
I dwell on the primaries because they hold the key to understanding exactly why Trump was elected. America’s public was far more eager for a revolutionary champion to shake up Washington, despite what political commentators, pundits, and the international community were willing to believe. As a result of the establishment’s fear of a shakeup, Bernie Sanders, the Democratic party’s single hope for a victory, was denied the nomination. And for the years to come, the Democratic party will be forced to come to terms with this result and realize that the people want progression, yes, but not at the cost of turning a blind eye to a corrupt system. I truly hope this was a lesson learned for the Democratic party and come 2020, the party will listen to their constituents.
The general elections began with the nomination of the two most highly contended and unpopular candidates in American history: Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. As August 2016 came upon us, we saw a significant shift in the political conversation: the Democratic party shifted their focus onto Donald Trump’s character. And the people who supported Trump continued to focus on the issues, in spite of all the horrific charges made against Trump. Donald Trump managed to marginalize millions of Americans and still, he won the vote of nearly 60 million people. Why? For so many Americans, this election was about change and Hillary Clinton represented exactly the opposite of that: maintenance of the status quo.
Upon reflection of the initial moments of the election, I realized the significance of the aforementioned desire among Americans. The exit polling, which asked voters what influenced their decision, demonstrated why the call for change was so much more pertinent than we could have ever imagined. It is important to keep in mind that 39% voted based on which candidate they thought would bring about more change and 52% were prioritizing economic issues as the deciding factor on who they wanted to elect as president. These numbers, coupled with the hidden vote and its implications, demonstrate that Americans were voting for Trump in spite of the social issues and social progression at stake. The hidden vote is evidence of exactly that: these are people who wanted change, especially economic change, and were willing to get it at the cost of social progress. An easier choice to make for those who were not personally marginalized by Trump, but seeing as how he out-performed Bush and Romney in African-American and Latino votes, it was not impossible for some of those who were marginalized by him.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
Let me make it clear, I am not denying the existence of Trump voters who filled in their ballot based on a shared perception of social issues, but we cannot boil down half of America’s population as racist, sexist, and so on. It was irresponsible when Hillary Clinton did it, using rhetoric along the lines of ‘deplorable’ and ‘irredeemable,’ and it’s irresponsible to do it now. Van Jones’ sound bite from last night describing Trump’s election as ‘whitelash against a changing country’ is indeed an important post-election development that rings true in part and has become viral all throughout social media. However, as frustrating as it is to watch a candidate like Donald Trump be elected, it is also frustrating to see that Jones’ important message of the need to come together has been largely ignored. Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, they’ve all said it: now is a time for Americans to come together for the sake of the country and for the world. Turning on each other with disdain and hateful rhetoric only further delays America’s progress.
It was truly sobering to witness something so spectacular and frightening at the same time. Donald Trump has called Mexicans drug dealers and rapists, he’s proposed a Muslim ban, he’s mocked disabled Americans, he’s been accused of over ten counts of sexual assault, he denies global warming and climate change, among other horrendous things. As a result, Americans in these groups are living a very different reality today than they did yesterday. This proves more so than ever before that coming together is imperative to the survival of America’s democracy. At this point, all we can hope for is that Donald Trump stays true to his victory speech and makes a conscious effort to bring the scattered pieces of America back together. Indeed, to make America great again, for everyone.
By Stephanie Yaacoub
Please note that opinions expressed are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the views and values of The Blank Page.
