Let’s examine where we are now.
We’ve just had a presidential election pitting an experienced, qualified candidate against a convicted felon.
The felon won. This represents an astonishing precedent in American politics. Never before has someone convicted of a crime and accused of many others been chosen to serve as President of the United States.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the two candidates. Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, has a degree in political science and economics from Howard University, one of the most respected in the nation, and a Juris Doctor from the University of California. She was a lawyer in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, the first woman to serve as District Attorney for San Francisco, the 32nd Attorney General of California, a U.S. Senator representing California, and is the current Vice President of the United States, the first woman to hold that office as well.
Most essentially, concerning this particular election, Kamala Harris has no criminal record.
Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He was the 45th President of the United States and will soon take office as the 47th President of the United States.
Just as important, concerning this particular election, Donald Trump does have a criminal record.
He is the first U.S. president to have been impeached twice for unethical behavior while in office. He has been found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records, been indicted for attempting to overturn the results of a presidential election, conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, violating the Espionage Act, mishandling classified documents; been held criminally liable for sexual abuse and defamation, and has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by at least 25 women.
In total, 88 criminal charges have been levied against Donald Trump.
Even a cursory pursual of the backgrounds of these two presidential candidates should clearly indicate which of the two is more qualified to serve as the leader of the most prosperous and powerful nation on earth.
So, why did the least qualified candidate win? Here’s a clue: This is Donald Trump’s third bid for President of United States. He lost when he ran against a man. He won twice when he ran against a woman.
More than 72 million Americans voted to send someone who couldn’t pass a common criminal background check back to the Oval Office. They listened to a female candidate of Black and Indian heritage, who promised to serve the American people and preserve American democracy, compared her to a white, male opponent who vowed to prosecute his political opponents and declare himself a dictator “on Day One,” and chose the man.
This should speak volumes to all women and all people of color, and that includes anyone who is of African, Asian, Indian, Native American, Hispanic or Middle Eastern heritage. To all these people, Donald Trump’s victory is far more than a slap in the face.
It is more akin to being slugged in the jaw, thrown down a flight of stairs, and kicked in the gut!
It says without a doubt what many Americans think of people who aren’t white and male, which is that they are not admired, not respected, not trusted and not valued.
But there’s more.
Donald Trump’s campaign promises are so draconian and frightening that it is reasonable to assume that a lot of people are going to suffer. Women are likely to lose more reproductive rights, families will be decimated as immigrants are deported, people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender could lose their civil rights, as could African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans, as universities and corporations back away from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
But an analysis of voter totals reveals that a majority of white women voted for the man who has a documented history of sexually assaulting and defaming a woman, as well as accusations of sexually assaulting and harassing many more.
Against all of this is another startling revelation: a larger share of Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and a slightly larger share of African Americans, voted for Donald Trump. Trump has vowed to deport thousands of mainly Hispanic immigrants and has a dismal history in race relations regarding African Americans and Native Americans.
But quite apparently, there are members those ethnic groups who are not only willing to accept Trump’s threatened transgressions against people who could be their friends and family members, but even against themselves.
The debates, arguments and pontifications about what went wrong and what went right with this election will continue until and beyond Inauguration Day, but one thing is abundantly clear: Americans have told the world that a treacherous, felonious white man is a better choice for leadership than an accomplished and experienced woman of color.
We in this nation are about to take a giant step toward embracing racism, fascism and misogyny.
The questions is, what are we going to do about it?