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THE ELECTORATE OF the United States has voted in tens of millions to return former President Donald Trump to the White House. This election was always going to be close but the realisation that their fellow citizens, their neighbours, friends and even family, have voted for a convicted felon who ran a campaign on division is a body blow for supporters of Kamala Harris. They are despondent, depressed and in disbelief.
The day before the election, there was a quiet, hopeful expectation that America was on the verge of making history, electing the first woman to the office of president.
Harris did not run on breaking the glass ceiling like Clinton did in 2016, but a woman in the Oval Office resonated with many of the voters I spoke to on the ground in Illinois and Indiana regardless. That hope has given way to a question; is it that any man is preferable to a woman? How deep-seated is misogyny in America?
There is no shortage of emotionally charged videos of women voting for Kamala Harris, but it wasn’t just about the symbolism of a woman holding the top job; it was the importance of protecting women’s rights.
Abortion rights were on the ballot in several states at the same time passing in Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Missouri, Colorado, New York and Maryland. In Nebraska a vote to further ratify the state’s 12-week abortion ban passed, in Florida efforts to amend abortion law are set to fail despite a projection of 57% in favour, 60 percent is required to pass.
Many women are scared, they know that women are at risk of being disproportionately impacted by a second Trump term with expectations that Republicans will bring forward a national abortion ban and other Project 25 – a far-right blueprint for deconstructing long-established norms, rights and governance in the US – aspirations including bans on contraception and access to IVF treatment. Instead of waking up to the first woman president, women face a potential erasure of their rights that will literally put their lives in danger.
Trump ran on ideology – we know how identity politics can resonate with an electorate that feels disconnected from the political system, Brexit being a prime example. His campaign benefited from inflation; the cost of goods and services are higher than they were four years ago – explaining that this is due in large part to global factors is not going to reach a disenfranchised voter.
The success of populism as a political vehicle is in its simplicity; all of your ills and problems can conveniently be attributed to one person or community. There is a slide towards populism in America today, and some analysts believe the environment is now ripe for dictatorship. The new president-elect has repeatedly heaped praise on authoritarian leaders, calling President Xi a “brilliant man”, Russia’s Vladimir Putin “very smart”, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un a “tough, smart guy”, and Hungary’s Viktor Orban “one of the strongest leaders anywhere in the world”.
This was another election that pitted American against American, the impact of which will continue to be felt within communities and families. People know the US is becoming more polarised – they feel that polarisation, but don’t know how to stop it.
Accepting that the Democrats have lost and that millions of voters sat out of this race will take a long time to sink in. An autopsy of what went wrong has already begun, but there isn’t only one smoking gun. There will be some who will seek to pin blame on those who voted for the 3rd party candidate in protest over Israel’s war in Gaza, but Jill Stein’s vote would not have changed the outcome.
At play here was the economy, immigration, ideology, misinformation and disinformation online, social media, Biden’s late drop-out which limited Harris’ campaign and Harris’ inability to distance herself from Biden’s administration, as well as sexism and racism.
Trump will take office with a Republican majority in the Senate, a conservative Supreme Court, and as we await results, an outside chance of a Republican House. He will have almost unchecked power, and fear is palpable among those who do not support him that he will action on some of his most alarming campaign pledges, including mass deportation and threats to prosecute and imprison political opponents.
This isn’t going to be the same as 2016; more moderate voices have long left the Trump camp and in their place, the American people will have shapeshifter JD Vance as vice-president and a cabinet that includes conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr and the ego-driven, unpredictable billionaire, Elon Musk.
The landscape of America is shifting, and its seismic impact won’t only be felt in the United States but globally.
Emma DeSouza is a writer and campaigner. She is in Chicago for the US election results.
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The 2015 mark is unachievable – Then again on current form they can extend it whatever year they like. Gilmore isn’t yearning away the problem for the people left to carry the can – he’s part of the problem.
He is feathering his own nest egg to protect his pension and salary. Kenny is the same, they live in a world of pillaging the Irish people.
Time for us to withdraw from the Euro and print our new currency. The Irish Pound was a better currency.
7 years to get the deficit down to 3% is a complete abdication of responsibility. Haughey/McSharry did it in one year after FG/Labour time-wasting. Most of the McCarthy report remains unimplemented, incremental pay rises still occur, our political class are overpaid, and ultimately the less our deficit, the lower our borrowing costs. The cuts/tax hikes need to be front loaded in December
Exactly, Conor. I have never understood why austerity is being dragged out like it is. If I was spending way more than I was earning, I’d fix it straight away. Same with a country’s budget. Eight years is ridiculous. It’s like pulling off a plaster slowly. Just do it in one clean swoop, and have it over and done with. It would be painful, very painful in fact, but we’d get over it a lot quicker than eight smaller pinches, though I imagine at this point it will take more than eight years to get under 3%.
Conor. Completely different economic situation from the 80′s to now. As different as now to the Celtic Tiger. Look at personal debt levels, look at international growth rates, look at options available to the state here via self control of central bank at that stage.
The IMF think that the current schedule is too fast and is destroying the economy.
I know that you are a FF’er but even this most basic of economics should be understandable to you.
Admit it Eamon.
You care nothing for your people.
You care only for your own ego, salary and pension.
Traitor.
He looks like a nasty vice-principle.
what does he care about what the people want.
The target of 3% is totally unachieveable. This is a given! Why is Gilmore coming out with this now? I’m sick and tired with the spin and lies from this shower!
Agreed the Irish people want it over with – so get on with it. Enact the tax rises and the cuts in public spending (including public sector pay and welfare) that any sane person knows is necessary and inevitable and stop fannying about
Bang on Sham. Let’s just fix it all quickly. Rip off the plaster and move to recovery faster. Enough pandering.
or we should just default & go back to the punt.this is not our debt.
I’d love to say I’m shocked but I didn’t expect anything less from him or any of the lieing sleeveens we have the misfortune to call a government.
I also see the red thumb mindless brigade have gotten back from supporting the Quinn family..
The problem with Gilmore is that he hasn’t a shred of credibilty with most of the electorate in this country. Therefore anything he has to say isn’t believed so he hasn’t the authority to talk about what we want or like….they’re acting solely on their own behalf and we’re being dragged along behind. He and his like are going one way after the next election and will be consigned to a political wasteland not so much because what they have done but rather what they haven’t (labours way…etc).
It doesn’t matter by then they will all be entitled to their ministerial pensions just like Biffo and Co.
I don’t think he’s bothered. It got him into power, so I think he’d consider it a job well done.
Another party, that’ll be biting the Dust soon. FF needs another good kicking, for good measure and I pray for that everyday. Greens/PD’s gone, Labour next and then FG. That’s progress people, be proud and keep kicking!
And who would we be stuck with then? I shudder to think.
Not SF i hope, plenty of people out there well able to do the job. Love your pic, nice and arrogant like Labour!
the under 10′s local football team would do a better job than the current lot.anyone would be better.
It doesn’t matter who you’d get to step into the government’s shoes or whether their intentions are honourable or not. History has proven time and time again that power ultimately corrupts.
Enda Kenny managed to control Eamonn Gilmore after brainwashing him!
Who said gilmore or kenny had brain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5zXU1bQ3tQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5zXU1bQ3tQ ..just have a look at this well worth a watch .Labours way our Frankfurts way.
Keep it up Eamon, don’t be deterred because a minority are too thick to understand, or even want to understand, that this is the only path Ireland has. This history books will show this was a government with balls.
I hope you wrote that in a ‘sarsasm’ font….
Take your shit spin cycle elsewhere joker.
the only reason history like this is wrote is because of fools like you!
You just aren’t capable of seeing the big picture.
Gilmore and Kenny will go down in history as the men who sacrificed their own re-election by forcing the sour medicine on the country, despite the pain it would cause.
It will be recognised, in the fullness of time, as the bedrock that Ireland recovered on.
Politicians who chose to do the right thing, even when it is painful, rather than the popular thing are hard to come by.
After the release of Gilmores comments displaying his contempt for the Irish people via Wikileaks this guy has no credibility no matter what he says.
Nice to see Labour has at least 3 voters left.
Was just about to make the same point. Add to that Quinn signing the USI pledge and you can’t believe a word these guys say.
Saw Quinn out canvassing during last election campaign and had a few friendly words with him. Never again!
Gilmore you might know what you want but we the people know exactly what we want too–get out of office and allow decent people to get the country back on its feet.
Just get it over and done with asap… Only then can we start rebuilding this country… I know it will be painfully but for our children’s sake our generation needs to take all the pain now.
I would agree 100 % with you Mike if we had an honest and partially compitentent government but we only have a bunch of self serving and lieing gombeens.
These idiots spend more time covering each others arses and slapping each others backs that they have removed any traces of honesty or value.
When they carry out their stale promises,bring their buddy bankers to justice and grow a set of balls to stand up and be counted then and only then will I support them.
That’s some cliche spagetti right there.
What are you recommending, locking up people without any legal basis?
What does stand up and be counted mean?
If some of the more passionate posters on this forum could actually try to translate their cliches into solid suggestions, they might realise that they didn’t fully understand the facts the first time round.
If only we could thumbs up away our deficit.
kenny and gilmore both need to go into a dark room with mirrors and do pistols at dawn, i think vincent brown told kenny to do that sometime ago.
€25 Billion deficit. We don’t need a bailout.we need to cop on! The sooner we stop this the better.
He is on his way out along with the rest of his party!!
Gilmore is trying to save his ass, simple as that! We all know this government won’t last, all Gilmore is doing is trying to salvage something of his now trashed political career. He won’t be missed!
this deficit is now intertwined with the lives of every person in the country, hitting one section will eventually have an affect on all the other sections ie if you cut Public Service Pay, Public Servants won’t be able to pay their bills and will default causing increased taxes and charges for the rest of Society, plus if you hit Public Service Pay you must then hit Private Sector Pay.
In a perfect world we wouldn’t be cutting anything, but its not a perfect world! Public service needs and will be cut. I know you lot think the private sector is paid by bucket load but we’re not, infact its getting to the stage its not even worth working anymore.
I am a Public Servant I come out with €500 pw so how much do you want to cut me by? I would also like to know if you are going to put me up when my house is repossessed, decisions have consequences, are you willing to pay the price?
“You must hit private sector pay”.Is unemployment enough of a hit for you?
You must hit Private Sector Pay and then Public Sector Pay, then Private Sector Pay because this is the game that is being played, Profits must be increased don’t you get it??
Oh yeah you were given the same opportunities as me Public or Private Sector, you probably wouldn’t have the stomach for what I do anyway
I was a fireman Mick,i have a fairly strong stomach went with the job.
How much public sector pay is going towards paying for luxuries
like a mortgage to a corrupt bust bank
or household or NPPR tax to an inept government ???
In the private sector if you can’t pay these nonessentials, then you just can’t pay these nonessentials.
So Norman the Former Fireman you either left before you pensionable or were sacked or you are in receipt of a public service pension so why are you on here complaining?
And you still wouldn’t have the stomach for what I do
have your say