Hillary Clinton didn’t lose the US election because she’s the first woman to fight for the presidency, she lost because nearly half of America is in financial pain and she didn’t hear it.
This morning as 55-million Americans shake their heads at the thought of Donald Trump officially becoming their president in January 2017, I too am equally shocked as are many Australians given that the polls and US media said Clinton was a shoe in.
But they were wrong because they failed to get out of city streets and into the American heartland and ask more questions.
US financial markets haven’t sold off as savagely as expected, instead shares have risen in solid trading on speculation that Trump’s policies will be friendly towards business.
The main benchmark index the S&P 500 Index rose to nearly a one-month high, as investors bought into shares of banks and manufacturers.
Australian shares were smashed yesterday but today are expected to rise on the back of those US gains. The Australian dollar could also reverse some of yesterday’s losses.
It all comes as the world sits in a precarious place and many people are still hurting from the global financial crisis.
Many Americans lost jobs, lost their homes and have struggled to rebuild since the crisis, all the while they continue to look upon Wall Street, mainstream politicians or dynasties in the US with distrust – unfortunately this is where Clinton positioned herself.
Despite the developed world being plagued by low growth and low interest rates, many Americans are becoming frustrated and they want the quickest fix they can get out of the pain they are in.
For Clinton’s part, to become the first woman to challenge for leader of the free-world is still a victory and one that was never going to be easy.
But it is also something which paves the way for other women to follow suit, and shatter that glass ceiling. That will happen.
But it’s almost certain that the next woman that challenges will come from different stock – maybe not even politics.
While he’s no Barack Obama when it comes to speaking, Trump on the other hand was surprisingly gracious in his acceptance speech and even diplomatic.
While this doesn’t remove his disgusting comments about women, his own daughter, migrants, muslims and the disabled, it at least gave me hope that maybe, just maybe he might do an okay job, before an inevitable new challenger presents her or himself.
