Clinton or Trump?

Published in Le Devoir
(Canada) on 29 April 2016
by Claude Poulin (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Beth Holding. Edited by Bora Mici.
The worst is never certain, and yet, with the results of the latest U.S. primaries just in, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Trump and Clinton will battle it out in the election campaign next November, and that Donald Trump could very well become the next U.S. president.

According to the more serious publications (such as The New York Times or The Washington Post), it seems that in light of the current political situation, voters will make their decision depending on the candidates’ abilities to move and entertain, rather than convince.

As such, despite being largely qualified for the role she so desires, Hillary Clinton lacks both the charisma and capacity to manipulate the current socio-economic issues and the resentment of the lower classes toward the political elite to her advantage, a skill that Trump has mastered among his audiences. So, for the Democratic candidate, this is a weakness that will prove difficult to overcome.

Buoyed by his own success, Trump will most likely succeed in using these same tactics to condemn his opponent’s far-from-perfect political past. And yet, with the worst never being certain, we remain ever hopeful that this won’t happen, and that Trump will instead crash and burn. As Canadians, we remain more hopeful than most. For us, neighbors and allies, the disastrous potential outcome of this theatrical election could lead to extremely severe consequences.


Le pire n’est jamais certain, mais compte tenu des résultats des dernières primaires américaines, il devient de plus en plus clair que Donald Trump et Hillary Clinton seront adversaires dans la campagne pour l’élection de novembre prochain et que Donald Trump pourrait bien devenir le prochain président des États-Unis.

En effet, si on se réfère aux journaux sérieux (entre autres le New York Times et le Washington Post), il semble que, compte tenu de la conjoncture politique actuelle, le choix des électeurs dépendra plus de la capacité des candidats à les émouvoir et à les divertir qu’à les convaincre.

À ce titre, Hillary Clinton, même si elle est amplement qualifiée et douée pour assumer la fonction qu’elle convoite, ne possède ni le charisme ni cette capacité d’exploiter à son profit les problèmes socio-économiques et le ressentiment des classes populaires à l’égard des élites politiques, ce que Donald Trump a réussi de manière magistrale avec son auditoire. C’est là une faiblesse qui sera difficilement surmontable pour la candidate démocrate.

Dieu sait que, fort de ses succès, Trump saura utiliser les mêmes tactiques pour condamner le passé politique de son adversaire, qui est loin d’être sans failles. Mais le pire n’étant jamais certain, il est hautement souhaitable qu’il ne se produise pas et que M. Trump morde la poussière, notamment pour nous, Canadiens. En effet, pour nous, voisins et alliés, l’issue désastreuse de cette élection théâtrale pourrait entraîner de très graves conséquences.
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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2 COMMENTS

  1. The writer of the above article sincerely regrets that hawkish, Wall St. Hillary, pro-death penalty Hillary,anti-Palestine Hillary Clinton, might not be able to deceive the anti-establishment, ” angry American working class ” into supporting her-rather than right wing demagogue Donald Trump – in the 2016 presidential election ?
    I just voted for ” socialist ” Bernie Sanders in Rhode Island’s open primary. His ” political revolution ” won here by a landslide. Expect some big surprises.
    [ http://radicalrons.blogspot.com ]

  2. Don’t mind Le Devoir, Mr. Ruggieri; it’s merely an organ within the MSM of French-speaking Quebec, so you’re more likely than not to hear things from that publication that sound a lot like what you’re used to in the States.

    I do hope you’re right about those “big surprises.” If nothing else, Bernie brought the millions of American democratic socialists out of the closet (just as Trump has unearthed a strong tendency on the right to lean in the direction of fascism. And if you think that’s hyperbole, go to your nearest library and sign out a copy of Hitler’s speeches — there may even be one on the Internet.)

    To ensure those “big surprises,” you’ll need to be prepared for the size of the effort to bury Bernie — just as soon as he can be made to leave the race. If you doubt the power of that effort, consult Paul Street,”The Bernie Fade Begins” at the CounterPunch site.

    Best of luck to you and the revolution.