Today is election day in America. Let’s all breathe a collective sigh of relief that the outgoing and mentally-out-to-pasture President Joe Biden can finally embrace his true self: a dwindling and oft-confused grandpa who startles us into nervous laughter with a “smack in the ass,” a bite on the thigh, or even an unprompted toe suckling. The world has not perceived Biden as presidential for far too long (because he isn’t). This is not tenable for a global superpower wanting to remain as one. May Biden enjoy a graceful exit from stage left.
Whether Americans are now praying for a Harris-Walz or a Trump-Vance win, they can agree on one thing: if their candidate loses, they fear it’s game over for America. Logically, both sides cannot be right about this; if they were, the entire election would be held merely to determine whether it would be the Dems or the Grand Old Party who would get to arrange the catering — and pick a sweet music playlist — for the coming Armageddon.
In actuality, the situation is not so dire; however, if one side is “more” correct than the other in asserting that a loss would devastate America — it’s the Republicans. A Harris presidency would undoubtedly be worse for America than a Trump one would be.
We have already lived through a Trump presidency, and we have already seen that the man did not descend that golden escalator in 2015 adorned in Nazi regalia. Nor did he don any fascist costumes throughout his term. That has not stopped presidential-hopeful Kamala Harris from outright calling Donald Trump a “fascist,” or from falsely accusing him of “invoking” Adolf Hitler, though.
One of the biggest issues for American voters is immigration: the country saw unprecedented levels of illegal migration across their southern border at the end of last year. The election discourse has recently centred on an as-of-yet unproven claim that Venezuelan migrants and gangsters have taken over an apartment complex in Colorado. Whether it’s true or not, there’s no denying that America has a problem with an astounding amount of illegal immigration. On the issue, Harris has only offered insufficient placations: a few more border guards here, a slightly more stringent asylum system there, and even some judges to address backlogged immigration cases. That is not enough.
Trump offers far better solutions to the immigration problem. He’s willing to detain and deport. He wants to vet the type of immigrants — skilled, educated ones — that will “Make America Great Again.” While his rhetoric on the issue is often abrasive and offends many, his proposed policies are sorely needed. Americans need to look past his shortcomings and ask themselves how many more years of unchecked immigration their country can handle before they are culturally and economically destroyed. It might not be very long.
The American economy already took a lashing, in the form of (at its peak) nine per cent inflation, largely led by the federal spending of the Biden-Harris administration. Under their rule, federal spending as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) jumped up by six percentage points. The two have kept inflation above target levels for nearly two years straight.
Americans are displeased, to say the least. Current polling places Trump well ahead of Harris when it comes to economic confidence. Harris, meanwhile, has revealed she will continue to spend, spend, spend if she wins today’s race: in a ploy to nab voters, she has promised to gift USD $25,000 to first-time homebuyers. A costly policy that would benefit the average American as much as a free government umbrella during a hurricane. And will certainly do nothing to help bring down inflation.
Harris and the Democrats are also the purveyors of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and critical race theory (CRT): ideas that sow racial division and create discriminatory laws and policies, such as affirmative action — which was struck down, at least in the university system, by a U.S. supreme court judge last year. The ideology behind DEI and CRT is destroying the fabric of Western nations, America included. It is similarly destroying women’s sex-based rights across the West. Trump recognizes this. Harris does not. She is either lying, or oblivious.
Trump is not without disastrous ideas, either: his proposed trade tariffs, for instance, will likely backfire on America, elevating the prices of consumer goods and tarnishing relationships with trade partners (including us Canadians). He is also not a stranger to sowing division: while his supporters love his peculiar brand of charisma, he is both a poor speaker and prone to inflammatory thoughtlessness. (Though he is arguably better at stringing complete sentences together than Harris.)
Whether Trump’s pompous attitude about his ability to wrangle foreign leaders — and dictators — is warranted, we will hopefully get the chance to find out. Beyond question, he is the stronger of the two on foreign policy. Harris has been uselessly chattering about a Gaza ceasefire since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack — need I say more?
Like Canada with its first past the post electoral system, the U.S.A.’s electoral college system also allows the possibility of a winner who did not secure the popular vote. This was the case when Trump won his first presidency against Hilary Clinton in 2016.
After Trump’s attempted assassination — the first one — and when the photograph of him bloodied, pumping his fist before an American flag, went viral, it seemed unquestionable that he had sealed a victory in that moment. Maybe it is a sign of our times, of our constantly-refreshing news cycles, and of our collective decrease in attention span that the power of that image attenuated so quickly. We’ve moved on from it.
Today’s election looks as though it will be won or lost in swing states. For now, it is too close to call.
Best of luck, America.
National Post