His connect with aam aadmi helped him win
The US presidential election result has astounded the world and many in the US as well, though not those who had refused to allow themselves to be influenced by liberal intelligentsia talk (which is very similar to what we have in India) and had their ear to the ground. Several explanations are being forwarded for Donald Trump's emphatic victory and Hillary Clinton's shock defeat. But how is it that a candidate accused of misogyny, of being a braggart, of being divisive, of being clueless about international relations, of having lost support of most of his Republican colleagues, of window-dressing his financial dealings, of not possessing the temperament to be the President of the world's still most powerful nation, has won public mandate so overwhelminglyIJ There is just one simple explanation. The people voted against the Establishment of which they saw Clinton as a most unwelcome representative. Therefore, the more President Barack Obama endorsed her, the more she spoke the cliché so characteristic of Washington, DC chatter, the more the voters were put off.
Nothing, not even revelations of Trump’s alleged sexual misconduct or his supposed, admittedly cheap, jibes at Clinton, calling her “crooked Hillary” or “that nasty woman”, mattered. It is obvious that the voters were deeply dissatisfied with the state of affairs that have unfolded over the last four years. They, or at least a significant majority of them, felt themselves short-changed and of being pushed to the margins under the garb of promoting ‘inclusiveness'. Additionally, they believed that their country was being made to pay a price for being ‘too generous' , which is what the likes of Clinton have advocated. Trump, the rank outsider, realised the angst early on in his campaign and exploited it to the hilt. His comments against the Hispanics and the Muslims may have been crudely put, but the underlying message was one that reverberated with the ordinary American citizen: There must be greater diligence and aggression in dealing with issues which have threatened the security and interests of the nation. Trump's stand conflicted with that of an Establishment obsessed with being politically ‘correct'.
How will India-US relations pan out with President Trump in officeIJ The ties are too robust to be suddenly impacted by a change in leadership. In any case, Trump has given enough indications that he will work closely with India and that he considers India a genuine friend. His strong stand against terrorism should comes as a major boost to India's campaign against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. It should not be surprising if under President Trump, the US acts more decisively against Islamabad by, say, reviewing the generous financial assistance and military deals it has been extending to its ‘ally' for years. Within the US, there has been increasing realisation of the folly of soft-peddling on Pakistan and being taken for a ride, of the need to shed the old ‘balancing' act between India and Pakistan. Only weeks ago, an Obama Administration official said the days of such balancing were over. Perhaps President Trump will emphatically demonstrate that. New Delhi will also closely watch Trump's actions on the immigration and job front. But it is unlikely that he will do anything to hurt Indian interests.