No matter who wins the election, the US will be more divided than ever
If Hillary Clinton wins then Trump and his supporters will believe that the elections are rigged allowing a corrupt person, or as Trump insists ‘crooked Hillary’ to become president. Conversely, a Trump victory, many fear, will lead to a more xenophobic and inward looking state. Either way, much of the electorate will remain angered at the result, with many having abstained from voting or voted for a third-party candidate.
This election has brought about the worst in US politics. Both candidates are deeply flawed and neither can seem to sway independent or each other’s voters. The election results will bring a sigh of relief with many viewing this electoral process, as John Kerry has put it, as a ‘national embarrassment’. The race should have been used by the running candidates to debate the merits of each other’s ambitions for the country, not to simply insult each other’s personalities.
The electorate have turned against the electoral process as both Trump and Hillary are the most disliked candidates in election history.
Violence has already occurred outside Trump rallies by the altercations between anti-Trump and Trump supporters. Also a Republican office in North Carolina has been attacked by a fire bomb. Despite who wins, tensions will run high and if supporters of either candidates do not support the result, greater divisions will ensue.
The Presidential Election is a democratic process and the results of the election must be respected. However, whoever becomes the next US President must ensure they not only represent their own supporters but most importantly their critics too. Only then can the US rebuild trust and trigger reconciliation between the two deeply disunited ideologies that exist in the country today.
These election results will be a watershed moment in deciding what kind of country the US will be: one that remains deeply divided along ideological grounds, or a leader that can bring all Americans to at least respect the right to value divergent opinions.
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