"As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying it. Words are to confuse, so that at election time people will solemnly vote against their own interests."
- Gore Vidal
Let us Consider this... what exactly happened in America this past week?
At first glance, it appears that a rabid racist, misogynistic, predatory, crotch-grabbing, anti-Muslim, anti-Latino, homophobic, anti-handicapped, tax-dodging billionaire was elected to the world's most powerful office, accompanied by his former model, plagiarist wife who worked illegally in the United States (and lied about it) who will become the America's First Lady for the next four years. Truly amazing!
However, when we delve more deeply into the events of last Tuesday, the bold truth is that Donald Trump was the only politician who listened intently to the fears, anguish and disappointments of the American electorate. Trump heard the roar of the average American voter. The king of reality TV, which has become the mainstay of modern American culture, listened acutely to the populace and then capitalized on their fears, disgust and anxieties.
The election results
The election results tell an interesting story. Although Trump won the election by garnering more than the requisite 270 Electoral College votes, 306 to be precise, compared to Hillary Clinton's 232, Clinton received 59,861,516 votes, or 47.7 percent, versus Trump's 59,639,462 or 47.5 percent of total votes cast. Clinton was supported by 31 percent of white men compared to 63 percent who supported Trump. She received 43 percent of white women's votes versus 52 percent who went for Trump. Clinton received 80 percent of the black male vote compared to 13 percent for Trump. Black women voters overwhelmingly supported Clinton with 93 percent of that voting block as compared to a meager four percent for Trump. Sixty-two percent of Latino men voted for Clinton compared to 33 percent for Trump, and Clinton received 68 percent of Latino women versus 26 percent for Trump.
Many post-election pundits and average citizens alike have suggested that Trump's victory was primarily based on deep-seated American racism. But that is far too simplistic an analysis to be considered a comprehensive assessment. While Trump cleverly capitalized on the fears and racism of some Americans, we should appreciate that many persons who voted for Trump also voted for Barak Obama in 2008 and 2012.
A considerable amount of time will be spent in the months and years ahead determining what accounted for Trump's success. Books will be written, movies will be produced and universities, think tanks and even pollsters who got it completely wrong will focus their attention on this historic race for the White House.
In the meantime, there are several obvious reasons we can now provide for what happened on Tuesday.
Americans were tired
Trump acutely appreciated that the average American was tired of government gridlock and the inertia of the inside Washington elite. They were tired of politics as usual, tired of losing their jobs to foreign workers, both inside and outside the United States, tired of the sense of entitlement of those who held positions of power, both in government and in business, with the latter seemingly fully supported by the Democratic presidential candidate.
Trump especially understood that white Americans were tired of losing their country to persons who did not look like them, and tired of being locked out of the benefits that they were told were their reward for working hard and fastidiously applying themselves to their education and vocations. Americans were tired that their jobs were being exported to foreign lands, tired of being taxed for their efforts, tired of losing their and their children's futures.
Americans were also tired of being dismissed by politicians, tired of being disconnected from those who were supposed to represent their interests. The electorate felt disconnected, disaffected and disillusioned by Washington insiders and wanted the latter to hear them roar.
In short, Donald Trump understood and played on the fears of the American electorate, convincing them that he, and he alone, could assuage their fears, solve their problems and implement the policies necessary to "make America great again".
Lessons for The Bahamas
Are there any lessons that we in The Bahamas can learn from the United States elections? We believe that there are several.
Given our proximity to the United States and our propensity to emulate Americans, it is neither inconceivable nor farfetched to believe that Bahamians will reject the incumbent government for many of the same reasons that American voters did.
Bahamians are tired of politics as usual, tired of losing their jobs to foreigners, and are also tired of the sense of entitlement of those who hold positions of power.
Bahamians are tired of the government's veil of secrecy regarding many of its policies.
Bahamians are especially tired of being locked out of the benefits that they are promised if they work hard and steadfastly apply themselves to their educations and vocations. Bahamians also fear that opportunities will not be available for them after obtaining an education, so much so that parents are now advising their children not to return to The Bahamas after graduation because there is a real sense that there are diminished opportunities for them when they return.
Bahamians are tired of being taxed by a government that does not adequately account for the use of those taxes and the excessive waste that they observe in government expenditure.
Bahamians are tired of the high rate of crime and the fear of crime.
Bahamians are tired of the high rate of unemployment and the reduced prospects for expanding the real economy to foster the growth in jobs. Bahamians are also tired of the lack of opportunities to easily access capital to realize their entrepreneurial aspirations.
Bahamians are also tired of being dismissed and tired of being disconnected from politicians, the very ones who are supposed to represent their interests.
Bahamians are justifiably concerned about the state of the economy and the entrenched fiscal deficits and national debt that can adversely affect their prospects of a higher standard of living.
Although we have traditionally experienced a high rate of voter participation in general elections, our leaders should be concerned that the low voter registration to date is symptomatic of some of the similar sentiments that Bahamians share with their American counterparts. We believe that voter registration will pick up over the next few months to record levels, which should also alert the governing party that the electorate is preparing for a Trump-like surprise.
Conclusion
The events of Tuesday past in America should be a wake-up call for anyone who is engaged in elective public service, and particularly for the governing PLP. If they ignore the roar of the electorate, that party will suffer the similarly shocking surprise that so many of us who wanted Hillary Clinton to win experienced on November 8, 2016.
There is still a little time left for politicians who wish to listen to hear the roar and make the changes Bahamian voters want to see in their next government so that 2017 in The Bahamas will not be a mirror of 2016 in the United States.
o Philip C. Galanis is the managing partner of HLB Galanis and Co., Chartered Accountants, Forensic & Litigation Support Services. He served 15 years in Parliament. Please send your comments to pgalanis@gmail.com.
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