America has spoken. And boy, did we find out a lot about America. What it wanted, what it was ready for, and what it is.
It was reputed to be the land of justice and rule of law, a place where heroes abounded, and ideals were cherished. But to our horror, we found out it wasn’t just these. It was all of these, and more. America has just smacked us in the face. And we woke up in the rudest possible fashion.
Despite already kicking him out office, America couldn’t stomach his alternative: a black woman. And we know what happens when women run against Trump. Voters simply don’t vote for the woman. We knew that with Hillary Clinton. Why did Democrats think otherwise with Kamala Harris?
We can list down all the negative things about Trump. He’s a convicted felon. He has assaulted women and wronged them on so many levels. Trump is vindictive. He’s clear that this new term is all about running after his enemies. Trump will disregard constitutional freedoms. He has vented about shutting down newspapers and deporting asylum seekers and human rights victims. Trump has showed so many facets of him that, our lofty ideals argue, he should never be allowed near any political post.
But all that didn’t matter. He still won. By over five million votes!
I spoke to a few Filipinos living in New York who were voting in the US elections. They were pretty upfront they wanted to vote for Trump. When pressed for a reason, they were focused on a couple of things: migrants and the economy. Although, these two can pretty much be tied together, with the dismal economic prospects facing Filipino-Americans being bounced off to migrants taking away economic resources and job opportunities.
Many other Filipino migrants are aghast. How could somebody who enjoyed the fruits of previous “liberal” and “leftist” policies now denounce it? How could victims of anti-Asian hate attacks now support the candidate who allowed all this hate to gush into the open?
The migrants who entered America (mostly the new ones pouring in from South America, not the old ones who already managed to get their foot in the door and have been there for a few years or even in their second generation) are proving to be a big headache for Democrats. The idealism and lofty principles inherent in apple-pie country didn’t carry the day for the Dems once confronted by those nasty migrants.
It’s no longer about making America the land of freedom and opportunity, or giving the tired and huddled homeless their fresh starts. The ones who made it inside, those who went through the rigorous immigration process, and were petitioned by relatives and who waited years for their passports are still waiting for what was promised them: jobs and opportunities. Why you gonna give it to those fresh off the boat?
Navigating grimy streets full of aimlessly-milling migrants on a daily basis will piss someone off --royally. Who wouldn’t dream of magically changing all of that to idly strolling through a nicely-paved avenue enjoying trees and quiet? Instead of stressing about beggars or snatchers, the ordinary Filipino voter might just want a peaceful walk home. And that baloney about Lady Liberty and serving as a beacon of hope to humanity because everyone is a human being and deserves a chance --not enough to win the undecided vote.
But, juice enough to vote for a convicted felon who separated kids from their parents at the borders? We found out the answer was a resounding yes.
What happens to all those cases Trump was facing about insurrection and the assault against the Capitol? What about his violation of the state secrets act when he brought home classified documents and then showed all those top-secret materials to whoever was lucky enough to be in his Mar-a-Lago home? What about the lawsuit surrounding the sexual assault on Ms. E. Jean Carroll, and the legal victory she obtained?
Lesson of the day: commit as many crimes as you can, provided you get to be powerful enough to get away with it. This is the lesson we’re coming away with after seeing Trump get a second term.
Despite his obvious mental decline. Despite the inadequacies we have discovered. Despite his willingness to flout the law. Despite tasting the humiliation of a loss, and despite being attacked on several legal fronts. Despite all the items on the list why he shouldn’t be elected president.
Apparently, we don’t know squat about what a candidate needs to win.