TRIUMPH, victory, achievement, success, conquest, feat, accomplishment — whatever superlative you wish to use for the new American President, Donald Trump. Here is a man who has never held any political office and now is the 45th president of America. It is a feat to be recognised and written in the annals of history probably not to be repeated for many generations.
Mr Trump’s rise to political power in an unconventional manner, conjures goose bumps and is an emphatic statement by the electorate of the rebuke of elite political establishment, political incumbency and the rejection of traditional politicians busy with party and grid-lock politics.
It is also a clear statement of the need of politicians not only to evoke a feeling of nationalism for the electorate but also to summon a true spirit of bipartisanship and a sense of inclusiveness, for the welfare of the citizens who put them in office as their representatives, in the first place.
The new president delivered the greatest shock to the American political system and proved one does not have to lick anyone’s boots, nor have social or political acceptance, be conventional, or even be articulate as his opponents to reach the pinnacle of political power beating Hillary Clinton for the ultimate prize — the presidency of arguably the greatest superpower and nation on earth.
Mr Trump threw all conventions of political correctness and niceties out of the window, and rewrote a new political reality for many political commentators, media organisations, and the entire American political establishment – none of whom were even remotely expecting such a turn of events, despite the use of very sophisticated models and polling systems to guide them.
He often used the slogan “Make America Great Again”, which aroused a feeling of nationalism. His win foreshadowed an America more interested and focused on its own affairs while leaving the world to take care of itself.
The outsider revolution that propelled him to power over the Washington establishment of both political parties also reflected a fundamental shift in international politics where nations were more eager to better their own nationals than be driven into a new global economy, security pact or another of the many international treaties or agreements.
During his campaign, the new president ignored conventions of common politeness, engaging in off-the-cuff vulgarity and pouring personal humiliation on his political opponents and critics in the media. He finally emerged triumphant by summoning a tidal wave of support from less educated white displaced by changes in the economy and deeply resistant to the country’s shifting cultural and racial tones.
There is no such thing as a popular vote in the US. People talking about Hillary Clinton receiving the popular vote do not know much about American politics and the rationale behind the Electoral College system of voting.
The Electoral College, as part of their system, ensures voters in a handful of densely populated urban regions cannot hand the presidency to a candidate that a significant majority of the States oppose.
That is why it takes agreement of the States, not merely a popular majority, to elect a president or amend the Constitution. That is why America has a Senate, in which States, not voters, are equal and why that undemocratic Senate is empowered to ratify treaties, confirm judges, and try cases of impeachment.
The inauguration of Donald Trump will be held on the West Front of the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC. The inauguration will mark the commencement of the four-year term of Donald Trump as president. The presidential oath of office will be administered to Trump by Chief Justice John Roberts.
Trump was born on June 14, 1946 and will be 71 this year. He was elected president on November 9, 2016. His education is in economics and he studied at the University of Pennsylvania. His net worth is $F9.4 billion (2016 Forbes estimate) making him the wealthiest US president.
Before politics Trump was already a household name in the US, as the star of TV show The Apprentice. His best quote appears to be: “I’m the most successful person to ever run for the presidency, by far.”
The presidential inauguration is supposed to be a day of pomp and ceremony dictated by tradition stretching many decades. However Trump will be no ordinary president and while abiding by tradition in the swearing in ceremony, it is expected that he will break from the past inaugurations in many ways.
It is also suggested that against the backdrop of President Barak Obama’s inauguration in 2009 which recorded 1.8 million supporters celebrating the event on Capitol Hill, the Trump inauguration is rumoured to possibly have as many as 750,000 protesters instead, because of the acrimonious nature of the recent election.
As President Barak Obama marked the end of his two-term (eight years) presidency with a farewell address in Chicago, it was unambiguously apparent as to the difference in style of the outgoing president compared with the incoming president.
While Obama’s speech often raised to great heights of political philosophy most laymen and women could hardly follow, at least it was abundantly clear as to the striking contrast between him and that of the anti-elitist and populist incoming president.
This will mark the greatest departure in style between the two men, as we transition to the new presidency as the world watches with caution as to what will unfold in the next four years with the House of Representatives, the Senate and the presidency — all being controlled by the Republican Party for the first time in many years giving them unprecedented powers to do as they please.
* Dr Sushil K Sharma is an associate professor of meteorology at the Fiji National University. Views expressed are his and do not reflect the views of FNU or this newspaper.