The greatest political upset in American political history came without warning soon after polls closed on Tuesday in America.
It was that kind of surreal event where you wonder whether you’re awake or dreaming.
Unfortunately, as a Hillary supporter, it was a nightmare.
The result of the most dramatic election in the history of the almost 240-year old Republic was foreseen only by Donald Trump and a few of his closest associates.
The pollsters, the commentators, the experts, were all utterly wrong, while the political consultants might well have been helping a candidate for Outer Mongolia’s tribal council.
A policy of dividing people and setting them off against each other often leads to political victories in an election. But governing them is a different matter and how Trump exercises his mandate is the critical question.
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His acceptance speech was decent and inclusive.
The shock eclipsed the Brexit vote in Britain, where a huge vote for leaving left Britain departing the European Union after an arrogant government thought they could push a decision to stay.
The British have quickly come to rue that vote as the European project is in mass confusion.
Donald Trump’s supporters may also rue the day too they put him in the White House, but he deserves a chance to prove me wrong.
Donald Trump had a message that stuck to its central theme throughout his campaign, that he would stand up for the little guy against the big corporations and lobbies.
Join my family in this incredible movement to #MakeAmericaGreatAgain!! Now it is up to you! Please #VOTE for America! pic.twitter.com/8vz7qhGHwl
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) November 8, 2016
That, along with his slogan “Make America Great Again” and his brilliance as a television performer, were his signature ploys to drive his campaign.
The reality has yet to hit home to millions of Americans that Donald Trump, yes The Donald, will be president. He will be the first businessman, with no political experience and a mixed resume to say the least, to be President.
It was a desperately close election, one where Democrats ended up an equal percentage share of the popular vote but not the White House.
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His election had one bizarre consequence – it led to a fright night for many liberals with Canadian immigration reporting their website was down because of so many queries.
The Canadian Immigration site is down. Sorry, Americans #ElectionNight
— Meena Nowrattan (@meenanow) November 9, 2016
Democrats were extremely confident they would win given the exit polls and the internal polling and the ground game they had honed so perfectly for the battle ahead.
The media narrative was clear. After a wobbly campaign Hillary Clinton had seemingly put it all together in the final days and was going to run out a winner.
The beating heart of Middle America obviously felt very different. They were tired of hard times and a system that seemed hopelessly weighted against them.
The Clinton campaign never saw them coming.
Trump hit them with a hay-maker campaign that flattened the Clinton challenge and proved himself one of the greatest political operators America has ever seen.
Whatever you thought of him and I didn’t think much, he stayed true to himself throughout his campaign, refused to be stage managed, and emerged as the most unlikely winner in the history of the presidency.
He proved that the economic anxiety, so many Americans felt, overcame any doubts they had about his crude remarks about Mexicans, women, the disabled, prisoners of war or fears about his discipline under pressure.
It was the Upper Midwest and the working class white men and women so badly affected by the recession that proved Hilary’s Achilles heel.
Perhaps the Clinton campaign took them for granted.... after all the polls showed a steady and clear lead during the last week in the polls.
But there was clearly a hidden Trump vote which preferred not to say to pollsters they were voting for him.
Eight years ago I was immensely proud of this country for electing an African American president. Now they have elected a man who is his direct opposite.
He proved himself an extraordinary campaigner. Let’s hope he finds the courage to be a leader who brings America together not pull it apart.
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