By the time this piece comes out, a new US President will likely be already known as the fearless projections of poll watchers based on post-voting surveys and early returns would be declaring the 47th leader of the US, perhaps as efficiently as our Smartmatic election count.
Who will be the kingpin or queenpin of the world after 5 November? Will it be Trump or Harris? Tweedledee or Tweedledum?
Of course, there is always the possibility that because of the perceived tightness of the race, whoever will be on the short end of the count will loudly proclaim that he or she was cheated and could legally demand a protracted recount that will drag the decision as to who is the rightful next president.
And then again, heaven forbid, with the Great Divide now prevailing in the US, there could be a nightmarish repeat of the 6 January 2021 self-styled coup d’etat invasion of the US Capitol in Washington tearing to shreds whatever reputation there is left to the heretofore paramount US role as the bastion of democracy, a model that is emulated by aspiring democracies around the world.
The world will be keeping its fingers crossed that patriotism, common sense and adherence to democratic principles will prevail and that such a scenario will not come to pass. Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un will be rolling in laughter at such an event.
Last March as the US elections started to warm up, when Biden was still the Democratic Party’s nominee, the laughable scenario of two geriatrics with very distinct philosophies slugging it out nevertheless provided Americans a clear cut choice between a liberal, anti-big business, tax-the-rich, socialist leaning, pro-choice, free spending Biden and a conservative, anti-abortion, pro-business, low corporate income tax, isolationist, oil drilling Trump.
Although the contrast was quite distinct, presumably making it easier for US voters to make a choice, I believe there was a general feeling of frustration and disappointment that the options were sorely lacking in more inspiring candidates.
I guess my view was colored by my US passport-toting daughter, Patricia, who was so passionate that the best candidate for the job was staunch anti-vaccine, environmental activist, big business-military conspiracy theorist RFK Jr., the son of the slain should-have-been president, Robert F. Kennedy, the younger brother of assassinated Camelot King, John F. Kennedy.
But alas as I would repeatedly admonish her, an independent third party candidate in the US is like a Don Quixote quest tantamount to Pinoy voters electing distinguished, intelligent, sensible candidates to the Senate and the House of Representatives.
True enough, RFK Jr. faced up to reality, eventually folded and forthwith moved over to the Republican Trump going against the Kennedy Family’s traditional, generations-long Democratic Party roots. JFK and RFK must be rolling in their graves with RFK Jr.’s capitulation to the enemy.
I believe there was a general feeling of frustration and disappointment that the options were sorely lacking in more inspiring candidates.
As to why he folded, my head-strong daughter idealistically insists it is to save the world from the machinations of Big Pharma because Trump supposedly promised RFK Jr. a lofty Cabinet position, presumably the Health Services portfolio. I told my daughter to say a boatload of prayers that if such a scenario ever comes to pass, that partnership will follow in the footsteps of the now forever dismantled Marcos-Duterte Unity Team.
As fate would have it, with the disastrous debate performance of Biden against Trump in June, the Democratic kingmakers — read Nancy Pelosi, among others — finally pulled the plug, unanimously acclaimed sans any apparent consideration of other possible candidates, and promptly installed Kamala Harris as the new Democratic Party nominee.
Immediately, the youthful Harris reversed the rapidly descending voter preference trend of the Democrats due to concerns over Biden’s failing cognitive condition and she edged ahead of the older Trump in the polls.
But then, barely a month after in July, fate again intervened when Trump, bloodied in the ear after a failed assassination attempt, emerged from the phalanx of bodyguards surrounding him with his arm raised shouting repeatedly to the mesmerized crowd, “Fight, fight, fight!”
Wow, that was like a made for movies scene. That’s the kind of fervor the Blue Eagles currently need, sigh! Instinctively, I felt Trump suddenly now had the upper hand. That act erased all qualms about his character, vividly portraying the courageous tough Marine who will lead the way to victory against all comers.
My bet is that he will likely be the next US President. As we wake up on Wednesday, our time, let’s see if this one act of fate will indeed install Trump in the presidency.
Until next week… OBF!
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