As the U.S. election winds down and puts a merciful end to a bitter struggle, it's instructive to look at the campaign, examine the towering pile of entrails and reflect on what the American electoral process says about the land of the free and the home of the brave.
For openers, it sure has been messy, replete with name calling, ad hominem attacks and misleading characterizations. As an aside, and looking at both presidential candidates, it's fair to say that neither of them would have done well on the Canadian political scene.
Hillary Clinton has too much baggage, she's too old, and although I would never say she's crooked, she seems to As the US election winds down and puts a merciful end to a bitter struggle, it's instructive to look at the campaign, examine the towering pile of entrails and reflect on what the American electoral process says about the land of the free and the home of the brave.
For openers, it sure has been messy, replete with name calling, ad hominem attacks and misleading characterizations. As an aside, and looking at both presidential candidates, it's fair to say that neither of them would have done well on the Canadian political scene.
Hillary Clinton has too much baggage, she's too old, and although I would never say she's crooked, she seems to have a manipulative side.
Donald Trump has far more liabilities. He's also too old, he's run a truly offensive campaign, yet his success is troubling as it does reflect on what Republican America wants and how it sees itself.
In winning the GOP nod, Trump offended Hispanics (17 per cent of the U.S. population), women (51 per cent of the population), African Americans (13 per cent of the population) war heroes, and the parents of a U.S. serviceman killed in action. He's also taken on long-standing international trade agreements. Yet in a nasty hit-to-pass nomination fight, he won. One more sidebar: in a 2012 election autopsy (their term) the Republican Party said it had to become more inclusive and welcome minorities.
Trump's business-practises record is also suspect. As a billionaire, at $4.3 billion, Trump's a piker. According to Forbes and in U.S. dollars, B.C.'s Jimmy Pattison is worth as much as Trump and Pattison is self-made while Trump is a third-generation rich kid. Bill Gates is worth $79 billion and Warren Buffett is worth $72 billion. Both Gates and Buffett are also self-made.
Reported evidence also shows Trump has had multiple bankruptcies, avoided taxes, defaulted on loans and has been successfully sued for racial discrimination. He's truly a nasty fellow, yet one with a substantial following.
Are Americans really that nasty? That upset with their lot in life that they endorse bigotry, mistreatment of women, questionable business practises, mass deportation and closed borders? Sadly, it would appear that some of them are.
More importantly to Canada, what does this newly exposed nastiness mean to us and our way of life? Quite a bit, I would say. First, the border issue. While Clinton has said little about Mexicans, both presidential candidates are inclined to tighten trade agreements and are staunchly opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In addition, Trump has also promised to tear up the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Ripping up NAFTA would have a disastrous effect on Canada as well as the U.S. The Detroit auto industry has said a repeal of NAFTA may be compelling in some sectors but it would take a terrible toll on the U.S. auto industry. NAFTA - with all its faults - has brought about linked manufacturing agreements where components are made in Canada and the U.S. while the final car assembly takes place in Mexico. In other instances the roles are reversed with parts supplied by Mexico for Canadian or U.S. assembly. Plus, some auto makers - Ford for example - have low-end models manufactured in Mexico, with the now-vacant assembly lines in the U.S. dedicated to higher-value products. Rip up NAFTA and that whole scenario becomes an expensive manufacturing fiasco. Trump also ignores the evidence that under NAFTA, 2015 was the best year the Detroit auto industry has ever had.
Finally, no matter what happens next Tuesday in the U.S., nastiness is sure to prevail. If Hillary Clinton wins, Trump will set his hair on fire (wow, there's an image) and claim the whole election was rigged. His supporters, who seem just as nasty, will no doubt cry foul and attempt some sort of protest.
Who knows what form that will take but I'll be happy to be in Canada that night.
If Trump wins, it's predictable his supporters will go just as wild and quite probably add some retribution to their celebrations. These people are fixated on guns, on changing America and cleaning out Washington. They seem like a vindictive lot and anything could happen.
And at the end of the day in Canada, we can sit in front of the TV, sip a glass of wine - it ought to be over by about 9:15 p.m. our time - and be happy the tone and conduct of politics in our country is so much more civilized. In our last federal election the nastiest comment concerned a candidates hair and his supposed lack of experience.
Only in Canada you say?
You bet.
Nice, isn't it? have a manipulative side.
Donald Trump has far more liabilities. He's also too old, he's run a truly offensive campaign, yet his success is troubling as it does reflect on what Republican America wants and how it sees itself.
In winning the GOP nod, Trump offended Hispanics (17 per cent of the U.S. population), women (51 per cent of the population), African Americans (13 per cent of the population) war heroes, and the parents of a U.S. serviceman killed in action. He's also taken on long-standing international trade agreements. Yet in a nasty hit-to-pass nomination fight, he won. One more sidebar: in a 2012 election autopsy ( their term) the Republican Party said it had to become more inclusive and welcome minorities.
Trump's business-practises record is also suspect. As a billionaire, at $4.3 billion, Trump's a piker. According to Forbes and in U.S. dollars, B.C.'s Jimmy Pattison is worth as much as Trump and Pattison is self-made while Trump is a third-generation rich kid. Bill Gates is worth $79 billion and Warren Buffett is worth $72 billion. Both Gates and Buffett are also self-made.
Reported evidence also shows Trump has had multiple bankruptcies, avoided taxes, defaulted on loans and has been successfully sued for racial discrimination. He's truly a nasty fellow, yet one with a substantial following.
Are Americans really that nasty? That upset with their lot in life that they endorse bigotry, mistreatment of women, questionable business practises, mass deportation and closed borders? Sadly, it would appear that some of them are.
More importantly to Canada, what does this newly exposed nastiness mean to us and our way of life? Quite a bit, I would say. First, the border issue. While Clinton has said little about Mexicans, both presidential candidates are inclined to tighten trade agreements and are staunchly opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In addition, Trump has also promised to tear up the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Ripping up NAFTA would have a disastrous effect on Canada as well as the U.S. The Detroit auto industry has said a repeal of NAFTA may be compelling in some sectors but it would take a terrible toll on the U.S. auto industry. NAFTA - with all its faults - has brought about linked manufacturing agreements where components are made in Canada and the U.S. while the final car assembly takes place in Mexico. In other instances the roles are reversed with parts supplied by Mexico for Canadian or U.S. assembly. Plus, some auto makers - Ford for example - have low-end models manufactured in Mexico, with the now-vacant assembly lines in the U.S. dedicated to higher-value products. Rip up NAFTA and that whole scenario becomes an expensive manufacturing fiasco. Trump also ignores the evidence that under NAFTA, 2015 was the best year the Detroit auto industry has ever had.
Finally, no matter what happens next Tuesday in the U.S., nastiness is sure to prevail. If Hillary Clinton wins, Trump will set his hair on fire (wow, there's an image) and claim the whole election was rigged. His supporters, who seem just as nasty, will no doubt cry foul and attempt some sort of protest.
Who knows what form that will take but I'll be happy to be in Canada that night.
If Trump wins, it's predictable his supporters will go just as wild and quite probably add some retribution to their celebrations. These people are fixated on guns, on changing America and cleaning out Washington. They seem like a vindictive lot and anything could happen.
And at the end of the day in Canada, we can sit in front of the TV, sip a glass of wine - it ought to be over by about 9:15 our time - and be happy the tone and conduct of politics in our country is so much more civilized. In our last federal election the nastiest comment concerned a candidates hair and his supposed lack of experience.
Only in Canada you say?You bet. Nice, isn't it?
