Trump v Clinton

When a mature, educated society, cheers and flag waves to the rhetoric of Donald Trump, one has to wonder at the psyche of the crowd. I suppose the vibe one gets from like minded enthusiasts at a pop concert isn't far from the Republican Convention. 

The mood music, "Make America Strong Again" is a rallying call that few would disown. 

The route to this strength seems to lie in the exclusion of immigrants particularly Muslims and Mexicans "who are taking our jobs and are seen as a security threat to our community". It's the same old, same old. Blame the poor, blame the itinerant, blame the foreigner but never examine the part big business and Wall Street plays particularly in the States through the portals of Globalisation to shift resources to the far flung corners of the word where profits are highest. Where is the plight of the workers of Seattle or Boston in the decisions of these City Executives, rather keep focused on the shareholders many of whom reside where the jobs now reside.

The Messiah hath comeath. Trump walks on to the stage amid rapturous cheers from his followers.  His following is emotional not rational, its swayed by the sound bite not the process.

He has the knack of choosing the females at his side. His wife Melania, a very beautiful 46 year old woman born in Slovenia she epitomises the benefits of excessive wealth.  Her beauty must have played no small part in her decision to link her future with him. He is no film star, he is no philosopher, he isn't eloquent but he is very rich and her beauty is well provided for. 

I saw and listened to their equally beautiful and assured daughter Ivanka the other night and was amazed to be won over by her poise and the youth and the simplicity of her massage,- well not quite !! Schooling and the poise that money can produce is there in bucketfuls.  It only seems missing in Dad who has none and seems to disdain the need. 

As the music plays out, this has become more like Dallas, these saintly women hug and show affection, as he luxuriates in the setting, everything is perfect until "he opens his mouth". There seems no logic only populist sound bites, no policies only propaganda. He seems bereft of any sort of compromise only rejection of everything that has gone before. 

The convention loves it, the convention wants to 'kick ass' wants to go back to the time when the world trembled when America spoke. For most, the world is at best a holiday destination,  at worst an inconvenience, and an expensive one at that.

Clinton has wormed her way, after years as the also ran, the one who bathed in the glow of her husband and ate humble pie when he was discovered as a womaniser. 

Kennedy was the same, its the power of high office and the willingness of some women to try to use that oldest ploy, their sexuality for thirty minutes of fame.

Hillary Clinton played the long game, she was close to fame and power and saw herself as heir to what Bill had. But she is no Bill Clinton. His silvery tongue, his demeanour, his charm, she has non of this. More like a wind up doll she keeps repeating the same old motions on stage, the coy wink, the pointed finger into the audience as if she has just seen an old friend, she projects all that is false. Her intensity is that of a person going through the motions but at the end of the day, what else have we to stop Trump.

I liked Bernie Sanders, he seemed genuine with policies which addressed the social problems in America but the political machine which is so powerful in the USA was afraid of his quasi, left wing background and the potential effect on the capitalistic fundamentals enshrined into the American psyche. 

Too dangerous, they let him run and gather a tremendously enthusiastic following only to let him wither in the intricacies of the Primary voting system and the even more opaque Caucus system. 

It might still come back to bite them since rather than unite behind Hillary Clinton they, the Sunders supporters, are threatening to withhold their vote regardless of the danger that the Republican nominee Trump wins.

It's rare that a parties Presidential candidate is so disliked and distrusted by those who should be the rank and file of the Democratic cause but if it were not for the spectre of Donald Trump looming in the wings, then they might just welcome a Republican into the White House, this time around.