Night in the City on a Hill

What a catastrophe.

I am not going to row back on what I said yesterday. I still maintain that Donald Trump is singularly unfit to hold the office of President of the United States of America. He is a racist, misogynistic demagogue. He has cut a path to the US Presidency by insulting minorities, women, and anyone who has stood in his way. He has threatened to use the organs of the state to put his political and media opponents on trial. He has incited violence, and undermined confidence in the political process. He has threatened to pull America out of it's commitments around the world, removing the defensive umbrella that provides the security of the Western world. And his economic policies, if he follows through on what he says, will do enormous harm to the world economy. The day America defaults on its debt is a day we will all become poorer.

And the message he has sent around the world is this. You can insult your way to the highest office in the land. Sexual assault, fraud, inciting violence, insulting anyone who disagrees with you, none of these are barriers. What he has promised to do is virtually impossible, therefore letting down those who are already feeling powerless and alone. All you have to do is say what people want to hear, and it will get you power.

What a terrible message to send round the world. From January, the leader of the free world be a rapist, who doesn't pay his taxes, and has insulted and lied his way to the Oval Office. It is utterly, utterly shameful.

On a purely technical note, if this election was held in any other country, Hillary Clinton would today be celebrating a knife-edge victory over Donald Trump. As I write, she holds a 1% lead over Trump in the popular vote. But it is virtually meaningless. For the second time in my lifetime, the Electoral College has delivered the loser of the popular vote the ultimate prize. Last time, we ended up with Dubya. This time, we got the Donald. Neither of those are compelling arguments in favour of the system.

I am going to write a piece soon about this tidal wave of populism which is sweeping the Western world, and how those of us who say we are on the left can start try and work out a way forward.

But that is for the future. Today is for looking aghast at the fear and loathing that the 2016 election has wreaked.

It is now night in the city on a hill. The dawn will be a long time coming.