The gaffes keep happening, the lies keep getting exposed, the scandals erupt all around him, and the misogyny and racism hang over him like a bad smell… Yet Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, continues his march to the White House.
It gets harder to ignore the thought that on January 20, 2017, a largely horrified, disbelieving world would witness the inauguration of a smirking President Trump.
Indeed, the thought looms ever larger and more substantial. Pundits ranging across the board from left-wing film maker Michael Moore, to history professor Allan Lichtman, who has correctly predicted every election result since 1984, have tipped Trump to win.
Their gloomy assertions are echoed in the latest polls.
While this week’s stats show Trump’s opponent, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton ahead overall, they also show Trump currently gaining in swing states like Nevada, Ohio, and North Carolina, which have proved crucial in the past.
A key moment will be next Monday’s debate between the two candidates, which is expected to be one of the most watched TV events in history. It is widely assumed that Clinton, a seasoned debater who is reported to be working hard in readiness, will easily outpoint the blowhard, off-the-cuff Trump.
But still, she has to be careful. As Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland commented:
“If she calls him a liar, he’ll hit back over her use of a private email server, calling her Crooked Hillary, knowing that some 60% of Americans believe she’s dishonest. The risk is that he’ll use her experience and expertise against her, casting her as the boring know-it-all against the freewheeling, entertaining guy who relies on good old gut instinct.”
That comment contains two vital facts. It has been verified that the majority of Americans doubt Clinton’s honesty. At the same time, history shows that his habitual lying and making up facts on the spot has done little damage to Trump.
This brings us to Clinton herself. She is simply not as popular as she could be or would like to be. Millennial voters, for instance, appear to widely detest Trump, but are unconvinced by her.
The substantial number of supporters for her defeated opponent for the Democratic candidacy, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), don’t seem to have switched allegiance, even though he has thrown his weight behind her.
There are also lesser presidential candidates such as the Green Party’s Dr. Jill Stein and the Libertarians’ Governor Gary Johnson, who could win enough votes to affect the outcome of the major party races.
So what is the single most effective thing that we, the everyday people, can do to stop Trump? The answer is simple: vote for Clinton.
As current Vice President Joe Biden is reported to have said:
“Don’t compare her to the Almighty. Compare her to the alternative.”
In case you needed any reminding, here’s a sample of what that alternative is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zGpcbWqGE0
Featured Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video.
