TRUMP IS THE CLEAR WINNER, HILLARY LOST IT

Mukesh Devrari 

If anyone will be asked to pick President of United States on the basis of this second Presidential debate, then Donald Trump will be the clear winner. We all have heard enough Trump bashing in mainstream media. Donald Trump is not fit to become President of the United States of America. He is just not fit. He does not have the experience to lead US foreign policy regime. He has no value system. He disrespects women. He is a corrupt businessman who did not pay his federal taxes. He is racist. He is xenophobic. He hates Muslims and Islam. He hates immigrants. He hates Latinos. He hates Hispanics. He only talks about the interests of corporate houses. He favours tax cut for rich and so on.

In the second debate, Trump answered each and every question. At the same time, he raised many questions on Hillary Clinton and his inefficient past as a New York senator and foreign secretary of state. Even at the end of the debate, he showed magnanimity to his opponent. Both the Presidential candidates were asked to mention one good quality in each other at the end of the debate. Hillary did what a politician does. She answered the question but did not mention any good quality in Trump. Instead, she chose to praise Donald Trump’s children. She said, “His children are incredibly able and devoted and I think that says lot about Donald.”   

On the other hand while answering the same question Trump was direct. He said, “She does not quit. She does not give up. She is a fighter. And I consider it a very good trait.” It was an amazing end to a debate where candidates refused to shake hands at the start.  

Democrats are still trying their best to corner Republican candidate Donald Trump. They are trying to highlight his remarks and statements which are irrelevant and cannot sway public opinion in elections. Second Presidential debate started with the questions on a decade old recorded conversation which Trump has already dismissed as backstage banter.

While moderators along with Hillary tried to corner Trump on this decade-old tape in which Trump is talking about women rather in a non-serious manner. He apologized for his remarks and dismissed it as backstage banter. At the same time, he requested everyone to look at his record and highlighted how Clinton’s husband sexually assaulted and harassed women.     

Initially, Trump was rattled by moderators who tried to unsettle him by asking the opening question on his backroom banters. Within a few minutes, he was composed and debated like a statesman. He did not allow Hillary to prevail, not even for a second.

When Hillary could not respond to questions raised by Trump, she used the overly used worn-out phrase ‘when they go low, we go high’. She describes Trump’s attack on her as low but considered her attacks on Trump high. American voters might not buy these overt double standards.

On the policy issues also, Trump prevailed over the Clinton.

She tried to demonize Russia and declared that Russians are trying to help Donald in the elections. It is not even accepted as conspiracy theory yet. Trump made it very clear Syrian crisis is the result of failed American foreign policy. It is not a crisis created by Russians and Iranians. Very boldly he also highlighted the fact that Syrian government along with Russians and Iranians are fighting against ISIS.

When Clinton tried to corner him how a Muslim American soldier lost his life in Iraq. He said if he were a President. He would have been alive today. He reminded the audience that Hillary supported the Iraq war which he opposed.

On the healthcare issues, Clinton declared that she will continue with Obamacare with slight changes. On the other hand, Trump openly advocated the abolition of Obama health care and replacing it with a better plan. He hinted at using market competition among health insurance companies for the advantage of the general public.

In the middle of the debate, the most important question was asked. In one of her speeches to American power elite Hillary Clinton said, “US Presidents must have a private and public position on issues facing the nation.” She was asked to clarify her statement.

She gave an amazing response. She gave the example of Abraham Lincoln. He stood of racial equality. At that time American Congress was openly racist. So he asked to piecemeal changes so that Congress works in that direction. If he would have sought all the changes in one go, Congress might have blocked his proposals.   

This twist did not find any takers. People understood it in a different way. For us, it means US president can have a commitment to one set of policies as an individual and can publicly advocate and execute another set of policies. It is a very dangerous idea. Perhaps she is proving the critiques of western democracies right.

Her statements can also be interpreted like this. As a President, she will be personally committed to the welfare of Wall Street, which paid her heavily for Presidential campaign. She will be committed to the welfare of donors of Clinton foundation. However publicly she will favour middle classes and fair foreign policy. She will talk about raising corporate tax issues but will try to help corporations make more and more money at the cost of masses.  

At another point in the debate, Donald also said, “Hillary Clinton compromised national security by using the personal email account for official communication. You deleted your thirty-three thousand emails. If anyone else would have done it he would have been in jail. You did not respond to the US Ambassador in Libya who died in Benghazi attack and under your watch Libya collapsed into chaos.”  

In one sentence Donald himself rapped the debate for every American. Hillary Clinton means only talk. Hillary Clinton means the continuation of Obama’s policies for the next four years.

Trump clearly highlighted the abysmal record of Hillary Clinton as a New York senator and secretary of the state. Hillary could not even mention one achievement which would have convinced anyone on this planet she will be better President. She had nothing to show.

This author thinks it’s a clear choice the US is not in a position to have it any longer. Trump must become the President of the United States of America.   

After this debate, the conversation on CNN was highly problematic. New York Times and Washington Post have publicly declared that they will be supporting Democratic Candidate Hillary Clinton. CNN and BBC have not declared their allegiance to Clintons, however, they are openly doing the same under the garb of neutrality.  

Trump has to go a long way. It will be very interesting to see what happens in the next debate and how Americans respond to this challenge of picking a lesser idiot among the two.

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