James Deahl on Trump election

January 20, 2017

Dear Chris,

         Here we are, Inauguration Day 2017. Having listened to President Trump’s speech, with The Cookers on the stereo, and a glass of Elijah Craig Straight Bourbon at hand, I welcome our new President with my second Trump letter. (My first Trump letter was well received, except by a couple of Trump supporters. But, hey, you can’t please everyone.) Eleven days ago Senator Sanders made an important observation:

“Donald Trump did something extraordinary. Trump took on the Republican establishment, took on the Democratic establishment, took on the media establishment and he ended up winning the election to become President of the United States.”

                  — Bernie Sanders, January 9, 2017

         What the good Senator does not comment on is why. First off, Secretary Clinton lost because she deserved to lose. She carried too much personal and political baggage, she represented “more of the same” when voters were looking for change, she failed to campaign well and her style was off-putting and elitist, and finally, she — and the Democratic Party brass — developed a poor election strategy. She was Washington “royalty” when that was poison to many citizens.

         Mr. Trump won because he was the other choice. That is perhaps mainly true, but it cannot be, and is not, the entire truth. Three people went after the chance to stand for office as a Democrat. An amazing 17 people sought the Republican nod. Yet, no one but Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders spoke to the American people about the issues that mattered to them. Of twenty possible presidents, only two — only two — consistently addressed the citizens of their nation. The other 18 candidates, including Mrs. Clinton, were content to speak to and for the political establishment and the coastal elites. Candidates Trump and Sanders were the only ones who seemed to be concerned with the citizens in “fly-over America”. But “fly-over America” is where national elections are won and lost.

         In my view, this election would have been more interesting if it had been Trump vs. Sanders. But the Democrats went in for “royalty” and that truly sealed their fate. Once I saw what was happening, I called for a Trump victory.

         When I said above that Hilary Clinton lost because she did not deserve to win. That was true. But that does not mean that Donald Trump deserved to win. My view is that neither deserved to occupy the highest office in the world. But, of course, like it or not, one of them had to get it.

         If Trump’s speech this noon is anything to go by — and no one but Mr. Trump knows if it is — things might not be quite as bad as many liberals think. Then again, it is one thing to announce policy and another to enact policy. Much of what President Trump proclaimed will have a difficult time with Congress. I strongly expect that there will be very few drastic changes in the status quo before the congressional elections of 2018. Major change will only come after the 2018 elections, and only if the Republicans do better in both the House and the Senate.

         So be happy. The world does not end tomorrow. Nor next year, either. The sun will rise. Trust me on that.

         While I am not pleased with a Trump Presidency, which could prove to be dangerous, it has brought my on-again/off-again romance with the United Stated to its conclusion. Finally, after 47 years, I am a Canadian (not an American ex-pat living in Canada or an American-Canadian). Since my wife is a Canadian and my three daughters are Canadians, I am OK with this. And, really, all but three years of my adult life have been spent in Canada. So claiming some sort of “Americanism” was quite a stretch.

         While I am unhappy placing “President” before “Trump” as I have been doing, would being able to write “President Clinton” make that big a difference? And at least I can say “I called it right.”

Cheers!

         . . . James (Deahl)