Why Donald Trump won the Nov. 8 election
Podcast & Column: Trump won by promising “change.” Trump won because he connected with mainstream American voters. Trump won because Americans are sick and tired of the racism and bigotry of the mainstream American news media. The more the media beat up on Trump, the more Trump’s supporters came out to vote. Trump won because Hillary Clinton was a terrible candidate. Trump won because he had the backing of the middle class Americans, the “Reagan Democrats.”
Nov. 17, 2016, Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, The Regional, The Reporter newspapers
By Ray Hanania
Hillary Clinton lost the election because many mainstream Democrats tired of her arrogance, hypocrisies and insider elitism, and they abandoned her.
Just look at her numbers: In 2012, Barack Obama won 65.4 million votes against Mitt Romney (who got 61 million votes). In 2008, Obama won 69.6 million votes against John McCain (who got 60 million votes).
Hillary Clinton only received 60.9 million votes, slightly more than the 60.4 million votes Donald J. Trump received. But Trump defeated Clinton in the “battleground” states where it counted most, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin and North Carolina, earning 289 delegates while Clinton earned only 228.
One voting block that rejected Clinton and supported Trump were the “Reagan Democrats,” conservative Middle America Democrats disappointed with Obama.
Trump’s supporters connected with criticism of ObamaCare, which failed to provide affordable healthcare. Insurance and prescription costs are rising through the roof. Something must be done.
Trump’s supporters worried about the rising terrorism threat from the Middle East. Trump addressed it, somewhat awkwardly, but Hillary was AWOL on the issue.
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Trump’s supporters are concerned about rising illegal immigration from Mexico. Not all Mexicans are violent criminals and rapist, but many of the illegal immigrants who sneak across the border are. Many engaged in human trafficking, drugs and murders. Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is a good example of the violence that easily crosses the border, in part because of the corruption that dominates the Mexican government.
On 60 Minutes, Trump urged those who are intimidating Hispanics and Muslims to “Stop it.” He repeated what eh said during the election that the media ignored, that of the 12 million illegal immigrants in this country, about 3 million could be criminals and should be arrested, deported or jailed. Trump will secure the border first, then address the issue of the remaining immigrants who he called “good people.”
As for the protesters? Many are haters and professional agitators who reject our Democracy, concerned only with their own empowerment. They must be prosecuted for their violence, not coddled. If anything needs to be investigated, its charges that the media ignored that Clinton activists orchestrated much of the violence at Trump rallies against Blacks, Hispanics, Muslims and Gays.
The next biggest loser in this election is the mainstream national news media. With only few exceptions, the national media insisted Clinton would win and Trump would lose.
Their failure was epic.
Trump’s supporters are sick and tired of the ignorant, biased and racist mainstream American news media. The media distorted issues, twisted facts, and ignored Middle Class concerns while championing the rights of special interest groups.
The media protected Clinton while leading the attack on Trump. That’s what he meant by “rigged.” The media exaggerated sex accusations against Trump but suppressed accusations that Hillary Clinton enabled Bill Clinton’s sexual predatory practices before, during, and after his presidency.
The media lied about Trump’s supporters characterizing them as “uneducated” and “racist.” But Trump’s supporters included women (more than 40 percent), and Blacks and Hispanics (25 percent).
In Michigan, the media claimed Muslims would carry Clinton. They ignored the majority of Middle East voters, who are Christian Arabs and Chaldeans, and secular Muslims who all overwhelmingly voted for Trump.
The issue of the Muslim “Ban” was exaggerated, too. But the news media doesn’t care about Muslims. The news media is the driving force behind the increased anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism.
On Dec. 2, 2015, a Muslim husband and wife massacred 12 Americans and injured 22 others at a Christmas party being held at a San Bernardino Health Center.
Five days later, Trump was asked by a reporter, what could be done? Trump said America needed “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”
The media ignored that last part, but many Americans did not.
What brought Trump’s supporters together? More than 90 percent of Trump’s supporters said they wanted “change.”
I was moved and impressed with Trump’s 60 Minutes TV appearance. I think he will succeed in making his vision a reality, to “Make America Great Again.”
(Ray Hanania is an award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and political columnist. Email him at [email protected].)
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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