The American election is a 4-year affair. In addition by an amendment to the US Constitution, an incumbent is restricted to just 2 terms. This is wonderful as it acts as a check to unbridled power. This amendment was passed in the late forties after the demise of Roosevelt the US president who won for a record 4 terms.One wishes that such a proviso can be incorporated in the Indian Constitution as well. The American political world is pretty insular and non-inclusive. There are only 2 mainstream political parties and the choice is just between these two, namely the Republican and the Democratic party. Each of these parties has now finalized their nominees. They will be given the seal of approval at the forthcoming conventions of the respective parties. Barring a miracle the Republican contender is Donald Trump and the Democratic challenger will be Hillary Clinton. The final seal on these two candidates will be in the month of July this year.
The American political world is pretty insular and non-inclusive. There are only 2 mainstream political parties and the choice is just between these two, namely the Republican and the Democratic party. Each of these parties has now finalized their nominees. They will be given the seal of approval at the forthcoming conventions of the respective parties. Barring a miracle the Republican contender is Donald Trump and the Democratic challenger will be Hillary Clinton. The final seal on these two candidates will be in the month of July this year. There is no bar on any other candidate or anyone standing as an indelendent, but his or hers chances can be desscribed as zero as the American electorate prefers only these two parties.
Donald Trump is a billionaire and a man with strong views. Many in his own party, in particular, the old guard led by Mitt Romney are opposed to him. He looks to divide US society with acerbic comments about Muslims and Hispanics. Muslim extremists are wary of him as he has promised to take the sword into the heart of Islamic terrorism. Hillary is the most conventional politician. She had tried for the nomination in 2008 against Obama but was defeated. She is the wife of Bill Clinton who was president for 2 terms earlier and narrowly missed impeachment for impropriety in the Oval office for having sex with a girl on his staff, Monica Lewinsky. Unfortunately she has a Congressional indictment on using her private emails for official purposes hanging on her head.
The election is a touch and goes affair and though Hillary has a slight lead in the opinion polls, she is yet nowhere home and dry. But it will be, I presume a close election and Donald with his rhetoric is not a pushover. Donald is handicapped as the entire republican caucus is not with him. His rivals from Jeb Bush to Ted Cruz and Kasich have refused to endorse him.Partly this is due the fact that Donald is too dynamic a man and all know that in case he wins the GOP caucus will become a cipher.
What of the American people? I have feeling that the status quo represented by Hillary will be her draw back. I could sense this mood when I was in Chicago last week. Many associate her with indecision and cover-ups like the Benghazi episode that resulted in the killing of the US Ambassador. Donald has tremendous appeal to the white diehard racial supremacist. He won't get the votes of the blacks and Hispanics. It will in all probability be a close affair, but will have a tremendous bearing on the world in the years to come. Perhaps Hindus will be happy if Donald wins and that is the reason, the Hindu Sena held a prayer meeting for the victory of Donald Trump.