The Clinton vs. Trump Race … Will It Impact the Caribbean?

Perspective: Many of us in particular the media saw the presidential race in the USA between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as a joke when it started with the Primaries. We thought that Trump in particular was a non- starter. He really started badly but at this stage we should not write him off.

Birthing Fiasco

He was haunted by repeating the nonsense that President Obama was not born in America … and by extension was not eligible to have been elected to the highest office in the commonwealth of the United States of America.

He boldly said he would build a wall to shut out Mexicans whom he described as “rapists and criminals”. Further that Mexico would have to pay for the wall to be constructed. He also broadsided Muslims and threatened to not grant them visas to America, if elected president.

Trump went to Mexico and said they agreed to pay for the wall … this claim was flatly denied by the Mexican government.

We thought he was crazy and many refused to take him seriously. Alas! We were wrong, as he has won the Republican Party’s Nomination. He is now on the ticket to be in the race as a serious contender for the White House.

Hillary Clinton the heir apparent to the White House based on projections does not appear to be unbeatable any more. She came in to the race with the ghost of Bengazi haunting her, the Clinton Foundation suspicions, the email “egate” mess. Least to mention the first woman to be so ambitious to want to break the glass ceiling to the White House. Even with those apparent negatives she won the Democratic nomination handsomely.

Hilliary Clinton, 68 is still in my perspective, has the momentum and despite her recent health scare of pneumonia, should get the nod for the White House … This would be a crowning glory for someone who has given outstanding public service as Secretary of State to the US and the world.

With issues of credibility and trust haunting her like the White Witch of Rose Hall and Annie Palmer, Hillary has a real problem… certainly not an insurmountable one.

If that was not enough she saw her 6 percentage lead evaporate to a statistical dead heat of one percent over her rival Trump.

Trump on the other hand has loss valuable potential supporters. He makes the news daily for the wrong reasons. The birthing mess, the latest gaffe. Trump seem not to know when to be silent …. he just puts his foot in his mouth …. was he ever diagnosed with foot in mouth disease?

Last big hurdle will be the debates …Trump has proven to be not so reliable with facts. To be a stranger to the truth will not be an asset for him. Hiliary is an excellent debator and should win the intellectual discourse …Trump will in my view be seen as an Apprentice and will be fire.

Former President Bill Clinton will be referred to as the First Husband and will have to be a role model having been a trail blazer creating history as the first to hold that coveted title … he did not know how to keep his zip up when he was the Commander-in-Chief. Will he now be strong enough to not respond to other commands and be faithful to his wife, should she be elected the first female President of the most powerful nation in the world ? We hope he does.

Immigration To USA

We Caribbean nationals whether in America or in the Islands of the West Indies cannot ignore the events in the USA our strong trading partner nor possible impacts the changes which may come from a change of residents in the White House. A wall my not be our immediate concern, but other imaginary walls could be erected. Deportations may increase and it could become more difficult to rejoin loved ones in the USA.

They often say when America coughs we in the Caribbean get pneumonia.

The true race to the White House seem to be narrowing down to credibility, trust, stamina and transparency, and not whom will make America strong again.

Let me hope and pray that any new policies will not impact too negatively our peoples in the West Indies and we will continue to enjoy mutually beneficial muulti-lateral relations that will be to our collective good.

US ambassador to Jamaica said iteralia … we need not fear that there will be major changes if there is a new president, he was responding to question at a recent forum put on by Caribbean Policy Reaearch Institute (CAPRI). in Jamaica.

We have to wait and see.

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is Senior International Correspondent & photojournalist for Vision Newspaper Canada.