Welcome to a new State of the Union. Where one half of the nation rejoices and the other wallows in disbelief.
Once past the phase of the numb horror of defeat, the latter split into two distinct camps. One camp joined the protesters, carrying "Not my President" banners, signing petitions to overturn what they viewed as an insufferable result. The other camp, cornered into optimism, proceeded to rationalize that the American system was strong enough to resist the more extreme of Trump's plans. After all, their idol, Hillary herself, conceded that the country owed the new President an 'open mind'.
And now, as the media and sundry intellectuals embark on an election autopsy, out tumble the convenient nuggets of wisdom that hindsight bestows.
"We underestimated the number of stupid people in this country" (Yes, the stupid inner-city voters who are so out of touch with the Ivy League-educated 'real' world).
"The voter ID requirement hurt the turnout of (Democrat-supporting) minority voters" (Seriously? Care to try explaining to someone in, say 'third-world' India why asking for an ID is racist and should be discouraged)
"He didn't really win, the electoral college system is imperfect. She did win the popular vote!" (This takes the cake. Go on, question the very foundations of the celebrated American democracy. The bastion of civilised governance and preceptor to the world at large, since 1776).
Instead of falling into the trap of lazy rationalizations of this variety, one cannot help but wonder why the intellectual American, does not put her (or his) razor-sharp mind to understanding why a large section of the population found eight years of Obama's policies wanting. Why they were unhappy enough that they were willing to settle for a man who has been hauled over the coals by the media over charges ranging from not filing tax returns to unsavoury 'locker-room' talk.
None of this, from my vantage point thousands of miles away seems to get to the very roots of this tumultous transfer of power. The pivotal issue in this election does not appear to have been political pedigree or gifted oratory or familiarity with foreign policy. Or playing to baser instincts (though that may have been a tactic). This election appears to have been all about a significant section of the country turning resentful precisely of being thought witless, moronic and incapable of 'seeing the obvious'.
Can it really be true that 'that half' of the country is the ill-educated, boorish, bigoted lot that is out of sync with what is pronounced 'good' by the elites? We're not talking about a third-world country- this is a nation that led the world into democracy with its example, which has a centuries-old tradition of liberal values. If the people in such an enlightened nation are tired of status quo, it's not caprice or whim. They are saying something about the state of the nation. And unless mainstream politicians with valuable experience to offer understand the causes and try to address them, wildcard results like these should not surprise.
All over what used to be called the developed or First World, there is a movement towards reclaiming ethno-nationalism and strengthening the voice of the people through participative, in addition to, representative democracy. At the same time, there is a movement against multilateral agencies and experts, who are viewed as self-serving and conflicted. All of which has stirred up a desire for change and sense of disaffection with the establishment, however heedless or misguided it may seem in some cases.
The politics of disaffection cannot be played by pushing more of the same policies down angry throats, but by working to solve the real issues. By not stooping to name-calling, and branding them a 'basket of deplorables', but by genuine concern over why they turned 'deplorable' in the first place.
It is important to be concerned about climate change, energy-efficiency and policy continuity and intergenerational stewardship- all of which the Hillary camp has predicted would be wrecked to pieces by Trump.
But it also helps to focus a little more on the here-and-now. Like understand why blue-collar workers feel they have been made significantly worse off by globalisation. Find out how the much-touted benefits of free trade can be reaped by everyone, and not a select few. How prestigious colleges can be made accessible to all Americans instead of an ever-narrowing circle. Don't dismiss worries about changing social fabric as xenophobia. Or of disappearing jobs as anti-globalisation. Or worse, label a large group of people as deplorable simply because they don't subscribe to your point of view.
When diverse groups of people come together, constitute themselves into a democracy and decide to subordinate their individual sovereignty to a government, they do so with a presumption of faith - in one another and their elected representatives. The unity in such a setup is only as strong as this faith. When people speak in a democracy, they mean something. Don't wish away the epidemic of rage and disaffection by mocking its symptoms.
As the country rides out this presidency, there is much to be done apart from petitioning and protesting.
Democracy doesn't work by shutting out opposing voices, and doling out insulting labels to those who think differently. It works by getting together to hear all the voices, even when they go against your worldview. Withdraw from the echo chamber of one-sided media coverage, and from the people who share your biases. Engage with those who voted against your side, find out how the other half lives and what they worry about. Maybe next time, you (and your candidate) won't find their views alien, and may learn to work with and for them, and not have to watch in despair as they fling themselves into the arms of an 'undesirable'.
For now, he may not be the leader you need, but perhaps, is he the one you deserve?
