Demystifying Trump’s paradoxical victory

The November 8, 2016 presidential election in the United States of America has come and gone but the political antics and gimmicks observed during the campaigns and debates leading to the victory of the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, remain a shock not only to the American electorate but also to the world.

It is therefore not surprising that both indigenous and non-indigenous Americans alike from all shades of political interests took to the streets protesting the collective choice of the foremost democracy, especially in view of the fact that the incumbent president, Barack Obama, had put all his weight behind the loser, Hillary Clinton.

Perhaps, one may be tempted to align with the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, who likened what happened in the US to the result of the 2015 election in Nigeria. Except that President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory was not greeted with a similar protest. Against all odds and without prejudice to the consequences of the widespread protests and vote recounts in a few of the states where Americans electoral history appears to have been re-written, change is likely to begin with Trump.

The constancy of change seems to dominate those factors that contributed to the emergence of the billionaire business mogul just as it happened in Nigeria in 2015 where the voters were bored with the Peoples Democratic Party’s 16 years in office. Probably, depending on the performance of President Buhari, Nigerians may recruit the next president from another profession outside the military and the academia.

Hence, one can equally claim that Americans are becoming uncomfortable with career politicians in the White House to which Trump does not belong. Some political pundits believe that a completely non-career politician may not have imbibed the tricks and expressional tendencies of the career politician.

One force which might have swayed the pendulum in favour of Trump was the speculation that he is wealthy and could be described as one of the wealthiest Americans having floated over 500 limited liability companies some of which are outside the US and providing jobs for many unemployed people including black Americans.

One cannot discuss Trump’s victory which seems to have polarised the US without remembering that his wealth could have influenced the voting pattern. Finally, racism which has defied America’s statute books has often been described as American’s dilemma. The fear of Americans might have been that a woman might not be able to handle the enormous responsibilities of the US, a world leader, contributed to Trump’s victory.

Americans and the whole world are watching.

• Uche nwadialor, Asaba, delta state