Remember the 2016 Presidential Election? No one could understand why Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump. Especially since she won the popular vote. Most political pundits conduct a post mortem after all is said and done. And, the consensus was that a lot of people didn’t like Hillary. They didn’t vote for Trump so much as they voted against Hillary. So what happened in the 2020 Election? I suspect it wasn’t that voters liked Biden so much as they disliked Trump. Did you vote for or against?
What wasn’t to like about Hillary? She was smart, personable, and extremely experienced. Having been married to a two term President, and served as Secretary of State, her credentials far out-classed Trump in every way imaginable. And yet, many people remembered how she defended Clinton in his numerous peccadilloes and affairs. She dismissed all his ex’s and accusers as liars and trashy women. A lot of women, especially, found that annoying. And then, she called the half of Americans who supported Trump, a basket of deplorables. At times, she could sound strident and shrill.
I saw Hillary Clinton when she came to our city to campaign. In person, she was charismatic and radiant. That didn’t’ come across on the big screen. And so, she lost by a very thin margin.
About Trump: He started off on the wrong foot the day of the inauguration by complaining about his news coverage. Who cared about how many lined the streets or if a small crowd attended. Why did he have to make an issue of it? Trump had his moments, and he did a lot for the economy and working class people. But in the end, many voters got tired of his name calling, tweeting, and firing his advisors. His unpredictable behavior and handling of the coronavirus was the last straw.
Now, if the Democrats had considered Joe Biden a strong candidate in 2016, why didn’t they nominate him to run? Biden was seen by many as simply a party hack, with nothing very outstanding to appeal to the voters. That’s why a lot of people didn’t think he could win this time around. When all’s said and done, I suspect people didn’t vote for Biden as much as they voted against Trump. There were some amazingly smart, talented presidential candidates vying for the nomination during the DNC convention. Even though Biden turned out to be their safe bet, I believe any one of those candidates could have beat Trump. He had made so many enemies, it’s a wonder the election was even close.
Did Americans vote for Biden or against Trump.?