Trump and Clinton - The Lesser of Two Evils?

by Jamie Bradshaw

In the USA 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were recorded as two most disliked candidates in 30 years - Clinton had a 56% disapproval rating to Trumps 63% according to an article from USA Today. This means that the votes that most people made in America were not for their candidate. They were simply voting against the other candidate. In this article, I will attempt to break down why each candidate was disliked so much, and my verdict on which was ultimately the lesser of the two evils in this presidential election.

                

Hillary Clinton is not a woman without her faults. Between being accused as a liar and a cheater, she has been under investigation from the FBI due to allegations about the unauthorised disclosure of confidential emails, and she is the wife of Bill Clinton, meaning that many people believe that she has an unfair advantage, and has gained the necessary fame by simply being his wife. One specific reason that I would like to highlight is that she has been in politics long enough for people to realise that she isn’t foolproof and perfect. The American public has created the unrealistic ideal that a President should be a God-like person with the ability to know all, see all and make no mistakes. In practice no such leaders exist, but it is much easier to take a completely unknown person in the world of politics, such as Trump, and give them this caricature, than it is to do the same to a well-known politician who people have realised doesn’t fit the description above.

However, another point I would like to touch on is that of sexism. Clinton is criticized for not having a “warm enough personality” on stage, and for having a “much too aggressive personal style”. Of course, Trump isn’t criticized for these things for the simple reason that he is MALE.

Clinton is, however, rightly accused of being a liar, someone who misleads, and a person who hides the truth. In addition, she was the only candidate that actively helped get America into Iraq. With her decision to cast a vote in favour of the use of military force, and her forceful support for it, she actively helped make that happen.  With her vote, she was even more involved in getting the Americans into Iraq than Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz. Many think her support of the use of military force in Iraq was a key reason she ultimately lost the Democratic nomination in 2008. She is also seen by many on the left as tainted by big-money and Wall St ties. She is also someone who has gone back on herself about a great many things, from the war in Iraq to gay marriage to free trade to money in politics.

Donald Trump- a self-claimed billionaire entrepreneur (we don't know for sure, as he did not release his tax returns) who took up politics as a hobby last year, and is now the President-Elect of the United States of America. He is possible the most obnoxious, sexist, insulting and offensive person ever to win a presidential election. His remarks on the campaign trail have alienated women, Hispanics, Muslims, African-Americans, and fellow Republican politicians. He is a straight up liar who will say anything to gain more popularity. He has been branded as a racist. He has labelled all illegal Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals, and his comment that “Hispanics love me” was quickly debunked. A poll in July by Fusion found that 83% of Hispanics do not love the republican President-Elect. 

Furthermore, his sexism is not even remotely hidden. An example of this is that he made this comment: “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them,” Trump said. “It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything.” He also insulted Fox news presenter Megyn Kelly on live TV after being questioned on his sexism.

He acts like a toddler in an adult's body, self-absorbed and petulant. He's either the most famous egotistical person or the most egotistical famous person, it's hard to know which. His arrogance destructive and he's the personification of vainglory. His relentless self-promotion knows no bounds. He's rich yet insecure and wants everyone to bow to his greatness - the type of guy who feels disrespected if everyone around him doesn't applaud his greatness. He is the kind of person who would be irritated if someone implied he had even slightly less money, power, or success than he tries to project.

I want to expand upon that last point. His being insecure about his status in business could be a recipe for disaster. Politicians seem to insult and belittle each other on a daily basis, and some people think that Mr Trump’s finger on the red button could spell the end of the world as we know it. Realistically, however, it is unlikely that nuclear war would occur, but far more likely that he orders the invasion of a country, causing the next Vietnam War. He has an unstable personality and even President Obama says that "This guy is temperamentally unfit to be commander in chief, and he is not equipped to be president."

Overall, I would disagree that America made the right choice for their election. They have chosen a temperamentally unstable racist to be their President, and have made their country a laughing stock in the process.