The US Presidential Election and the Drive toward Political Apathy

Published in Fukui Shimbun
(Japan) on 12 October 2016
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Chris Hennessy. Edited by Alexandra Mullin.
Suppose you were to have something like the U.S. presidential election implemented for choosing the Japanese prime minister; how would Japanese citizens react? We are less than a month away from the Nov. 8 election date. The [second] televised debate – in typical American one-upmanship fashion – ended not in high-level political discourse, but in character assassination and mudslinging. The result was a creation by the media, which had set the parameters of the debate and fueled the mood surrounding this election.

The Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, developed her argument with a feeling of stability, highlighting her abundant government experience and abilities. She had a look of ease about her, and you could feel her skill in campaign strategy. As the potential first female U.S. president, expectations for her are high.

On the other hand, Republican candidate Donald Trump is a businessman with absolutely no government experience. How a fly-by-night candidate was able to come this far is explained by an inability with the current political climate to hammer out effective policy in the midst of expanding inequality and poverty.

The clash between Mr. Trump’s inward-looking principle of America first and Mrs. Clinton’s principle of international cooperation provides a clear illustration of a beleaguered America. Yet, what they both share is advanced age and being hated by the American people. You might say it is a battle between the hated ones. Attacking each other’s weakness, deficiencies and character, it’s like they are competing over which one is “bad” over which one is good.

In addition to suspicions of tax evasion and illegal fundraising in his foundation, an issue involving misogynistic comments toward women by Mr. Trump has come to the surface and Mrs. Clinton has been doggedly pursuing it. Republican heavyweights and party leaders have pulled support one after the other, putting Mr. Trump in a tight situation. Even traditionally Republican-leaning newspapers have risen up in revolt against him.

In the debate, Mr. Trump brought up philandering issues involving Mrs. Clinton’s once-president spouse and verbally attacked her, stating, “You’d be in jail,” in connection to Mrs. Clinton’s issues surrounding her use of a private email account when handling classified, work-related information during her time as secretary of state. But there is no doubt according to the polls following the second debate that he is the underdog.

The once-in-four-years presidential election is an important chance for deciding the course of the U.S. There need to be enriching and substantial debates from many policy perspectives about the issues faced by this world superpower.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is broadly agreed on by 12 nations under U.S. guidance. President Obama is looking to have the bill passed in the U.S. Congress before he vacates the office in January, but both candidates have clearly shown an opposing stance to it. Will the U.S. choose free trade or will it choose protectionism?

Furthermore, can the U.S. increase income for middle- and lower-income earners and recreate a strong middle class? How to deal with a China that is expanding economically and militarily, or a provocative North Korea developing nuclear weapons and missile technology? There is a mountain of thorny issues. President Obama’s announcing that “America is not the world’s policeman” will have an effect on policy in the future. If, as Mr. Trump demands, there is a change in the current situation and burdens are completely shifted to allied nations such as Japan, it may destroy otherwise cooperative relationships.

To talk about it in terms of political hues, Mrs. Clinton is an internationalist who seeks a policy in which inequality is corrected through the redistribution of wealth. Mr. Trump is a protectionist and isolationist who would be passive in military intervention. Unless, with the whole world watching, both candidates announce policies clearly and concretely during this election battle, the international influence of the U.S. will merely fade into the shadows.


米大統領選  これでは政治離れに拍車

もし、米大統領選のような形で日本の首相選びを実施すれば国民はどう反応するだろう。選挙は11月8日の投開票日まで1カ月を切った。いかにも米国らしいショーアップされたテレビ討論会は、質の高い政策論争ではなく、誹謗(ひぼう)中傷合戦に終始。それをメディアが優劣を付け、選挙ムードをあおるという構図だ。

 民主党のクリントン候補は豊富な政治経験と行動力を全面に、安定感のある戦いを展開する。表情にも余裕を見せ選挙戦術のうまさを感じさせる。初の女性大統領誕生への期待も強い。

 一方の共和党トランプ候補は全く政治経験のない実業家。泡沫(ほうまつ)候補がここまで台頭してきた背景には、格差と貧困が拡大する中で既存政治が効果的な政策を打てないでいるからだ。

 トランプ氏の内向きな米国第一主義とクリントン氏の国際協調主義の激突はまさに悩める米国を如実に表す。ただ、二人の共通する特徴は高齢と国民に嫌われているという点のようだ。いわば嫌われ者同士の戦いだ。互いに相手の弱点や欠点、人格を攻撃し、どちらが優れているかというよりどちらが「ワル」かを競うがごときである。

 トランプ氏は、税金逃れ疑惑や財団の違法募金に加え、女性蔑視発言問題が表面化し、クリントン氏が厳しく追及。党内の重鎮や有力者も相次ぎ支持撤回を表明し、窮地に立たされている。伝統的に共和党を支持してきた地方紙も反旗を翻し始めた。

 トランプ氏は、夫の元大統領による不倫問題を持ち出したり、クリントン氏が国務長官時代に機密性のある職務関連情報を私的メールで扱った問題を取り上げ「刑務所に入るべき」と口撃するが、2回目の討論会調査でも劣勢は否めない。

 4年に1度の大統領選は米国の針路を決める重要な機会だ。大国が抱える問題について政策面で中身の濃い議論を深めるべきだ。

 米国主導で参加12カ国が大筋合意した環太平洋連携協定(TPP)。オバマ大統領は来年1月の退任までに実行法案の議会可決を目指すが、両候補は反対の立場を明確にしている。米国は自由貿易と保護主義のどちらを選択するのか。

 さらに中低所得層の所得を伸ばし、分厚い中間層を再形成できるのか。経済と軍事面で拡大する中国や核・ミサイル開発で挑発する北朝鮮にどう対処するのかなど難問山積だ。「もはや米国は世界の警察官ではない」とオバマ大統領が明言した点も今後の政策に影響してくる。トランプ氏が主張するように、日本など同盟国に負担を転嫁する方向に転換すれば協調関係は崩れかねない。

 政治的な色合いで言えば、クリントン氏は国際関与派であり、富の再分配を通じて格差を是正する政策を主張する。方やトランプ氏は保護貿易主義であり、軍事介入に消極的な孤立主義者である。世界が注目する選挙戦でその具体策をしっかりアナウンスしなければ、米国の国際的影響力が陰るばかりではないか。
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