Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending November 11, 2016
7
A view from New York Why WITH MICHAEL DEREK ROBERTS robertsconsulting@gmx.com * (347) 279-6668 Ihate to remind people of what I've been saying for some time now - YOU CAN WIN OR LOSE AN ELECTION ON ELECTION DAY. Every political strategist worth his or her salt knows that. As a matter of fact the most nerve racking time when you second-guess your strategy and tactics is on Election Day. The truth of this old boogey that has dogged many a political campaign came home to roost when an eminently qualified candidate lost to an inexperienced hlowhard in the just concluded United States Presidential elections. Welcome to a new United States politics in the 21st Century. And it's Republican through and through. So lets get started with the immediate the fact that Trump's supporter base was 98 post elections reflections and the stunning percent white. and surprising win by Republican Donald In the end a major contributing factor Trump, who will become the next President to the Democratic Party's loss was that Reof the United States. He defied and con- publicans, especially the base, put aside founded the odds and the best pundits who Trump's xenophobia, crude and vulgar ALL called the election for Hillary Rodham racism, his anti-women behavior and his Clinton and who, for a second time, missed utter unfitness to be President of the United her final date with history. America's first States, in favor of keeping their race as the female president will just have to wait. The dominant one in American society — for political stranglehold on the US presidency now. When Republican AND white women is not so tight now but it's still firmly in in general cast their vote for Donald Trump place. America is a white male Republican in the percentages that they did, the ONLY nation. explanation is tried and true white anger But exactly what happened? How did and fear, built on a foundation of race as a the Democratic Party suffer such a terrible defining factor over all else. Sure, there defeat when things looked so good going were many nuanced attacks against Hillary into the election? Clinton. From the meddling of Julian AsSIMPLE; Republicans tuned out to sange and Wikileaks to FBI Director James vote in far larger numbers than Democrats. Comey's shenanigans in the waning days of For all the best laid plans and strategies, the campaign, there was a concerted effort you can't stay home and win an election — to thwart Hillary Clinton's winning the it's not a spectator sport. Democrats did not election. But I'm not sure that they were listen to President Barack Obama or all of enough to deny her the presidency, even the star power that Hillary Clinton com- taken together. I posit that they were not the manded and brought to the elections. In the decisive nails in the Democrats coffin. A look at the electoral map tells the end not even Jay Z, Beyonce or LeBron James could convince frazzled, disoriented story of rural America versus urban and city and spiteful Democrats to come out and America; it tells the story of disciplined and vote for their own interests. The upshot is dedicated Republicans voting for their canthat Hillary underperformed in Democratic didate in lock step, blocking out ALL of his areas, compared to President Obama in foibles, and subordinating his many weak2012. By contrast, Trump over performed nesses for the bigger prize — the President in Republican areas compared to Mitt Rom- of the United States. While the Republican ney. THAT IS SIMPLE CAMPAIGN elites pontificated and second-guessed MATH. Trump, even ran from him like the plague, Donald Trump won the 2016 US Pres- the base, long ostracized and maligned by idential elections because Democrats did the GOP's leadership, lined up and stood not turn out to vote nearly as much as Re- behind him in record numbers. Trump publicans did. They helped Trump win. So tapped into, controlled, and directed Repubno amount of Monday morning quarter- lican anger and crippling fear of the future backing, self-righteous anger, hand-wring- all the way to the White House. WHAT DID DEMOCRATS DO? ing, finger pointing and blaming is going to change the fact that Democrats sucked, First, a significant voting block that when it came to voter turnout and were not supported Bernie Sanders in the Demotoo enthusiastic about their standard bearer. cratic Primary season simply remained They found all kinds of puerile justifica- home, disillusioned that their candidate lost tions for their lukewarm support for Hillary to what they saw as the party not playing Clinton. With blinkers on, they latched on fair. Maybe they have a point. I call them to conspiracy theories and fed into Repub- the Trump Enablers. because by remaining lican distractions. This election was decided at home or voting for another candidate, not by some superior campaign strategy of they helped to depress the Democratic vote the Trump Campaign, or some late Repub- turn out. Blacks and Hispanics did not vote lican voter surge, but by plain ole voter turn for Hillary Clinton in quite the numbers that out, especially by white people, in rural many of us projected. I believe many Deareas, nursed and addicted to a diet of fear mocrats started to have second thoughts and anxiety, so adroitly stoked and pro- about HRC in the waning days of the cammoted by the Trump Campaign. Hillary and paign. The exit polls confirm this; 62 perthe Democratic Party machine NEVER re- cent of all voters said that the email ally went after the Republican Party's ob- scandals weighed heavily on them and a structionism, its endless war machine and large number of voters said that they did not
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The Republican voter turnout exceeded expectations. trust her. So the Bernie or Bust crowd must be happy today. Their man did not win nor did their political nemesis. Swell! Also the so-called Obama Coalition was never energized or triggered by Hillary Clinton for a number of reasons, not least of all was the fact that when Obama ran in 2008 he identified with this crowd because of his age,. Hillary, pushing 70 years, just could not connect with the members of this
coalition in the way that Obama did in 2008 or Bernie Sanders to some extent in 2016. This also plagued and depressed voter turn out for the Democrats, In the end. Trump won the election riding a wave of fear, anger and xenophobia. Democrats lost because they were pissed off and divided over their candidate and could not coalesce (continued on page 19)
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