Johannesburg – Donald Trump has defied all odds to emerge as the Republican Party (GOP – Grand Old Party) nominee for the next United States of America (USA) Presidential elections in November 2016. The property billionaire topped the list of 12 candidates vying for the party ticket to be the last man standing in the race, setting up a potentially explosive encounter with Hillary Clinton in the November 2016 general election.
The “Make America Great Again” candidate stands a good chance of becoming the next president even though he is the least favourite outside the US. His opponents and his own party have bashed him for his seditious rants including his comments on the Mexican-American judge presiding over the Trump University case, his call to build a wall between the US and Mexico, his accusations that Mexicans are criminals and rapists, his call to ban Muslims from entering the US. In all he seems to be against every external US dealing and yet GOP Americans have voted for him in large numbers. Even President Obama has criticised him for his reckless comments and inexperience in foreign policy.
Trump has struck a chord as an anti-establishment candidate with a rock star personality, who does not care much about the rules of the game. His message of creating Jobs for the Americans, the Economy and Security reverberates well with the electorate that is yearning for change. He lives up to the 1992 Bill Clinton campaign strategy that, “It’s the economy stupid”. He has made history in his own right to become the first GOP nominee who has amassed the most popular votes in modern day history.
Trump has styled himself as a tough talker and action man against a Clinton campaign that has portrayed her as a slow, calculating and politically correct candidate. The race is now a hawkish candidate and a status quo candidate.
Hillary Clinton as the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party for the US President elections has inspired women all over the world. What a milestone for women worldwide!
She boasts of an impressive resume as she holds a Doctor of Law Degree, a former first lady of the US, a former first lady of Arkansas, a New York Senator (only first lady in elective office), US Secretary of State (Foreign Minister),
Eight years ago, she lost the fight for the Democratic Party nomination to Barack Obama who went on to become the 44th President of the US. Now she has secured the nomination by amassing an assailable lead from her challenger Bernie Sanders.
Bernie Sanders has managed to build sizeable support based on his socialist policies and his anti-establishment rhetoric. He has run a good fight and consciously advocated for other alternatives and the inclusivity of campaigns funded by the masses and individuals rather than Wall Street and big corporations. He has taken politics to the people. The biggest challenge lies in the continuous divisions that his prolonged fight to the end (last primary election) divides his party creating an enormous task for Hillary Clinton unify the party and rally those supporters to support her.
Hillary will make an exceptional president and preserve the Obama legacy having served in his cabinet and as both belong to the same party – Democrats. She has extensive foreign policy experience as Secretary of State in the Obama administration and as First Lady when her husband Bill Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States. Bill was dubbed the first black president and drawing on this Hillary is likely to garner the majority of the minority votes in the elections. Further compounded by President Obama endorsing her and joining her on the campaign trail shortly.
On the other hand Trump will focus on the many scandals that have been hovering over the Clintons heads from the affairs of Bill Clinton as president to the funding/donors of the Clinton foundation and the government emails on a private server for Secretary Clinton.
Once elected Trump will no longer play to the gallery and world leaders will soon face up to the reality of the return of the “hawkish policies” under a Trump presidency and reach out to him to mend bridges with the possible leader of the world’s super power.
The world awaits with abated breadth for the Americans to make the right choice in November 2016 presidential elections, as the decisions they make have repercussions for the whole world.
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