US election: voters awake and hang your heads in shame

Strangers Jennie Armstrong, left, and Krister Cheriegate found themselves in need of a hug in front of the White House in the afternmath of Donald Trump’s victory.

Hug your loved ones; we are about to go through four very rough years, economically, politically and culturally. The world’s superpower has elected a dangerous and divisive new president, someone who doubles down on his offensiveness when most of us would be contrite. A true megalomaniac.

It is hard to know who to blame more for this outcome: Hillary Clinton for being so tainted and unpopular, giving voters pause for thought; or tens of millions of Americans prepared to support Donald Trump, a man who was caught bragging about sexually assaulting women.

They should hang their heads in shame, when they look their daughters in the eye, when they go to church.

As the father of two little girls, I am beyond disgusted at the American public, on the verge in fact of tearing up my US passport — a national affiliation I have been proud of my whole life.

Growing up in Australia with an American mother, I would defend the US as the most amazing nation in history. A superpower without an expansionist bent. A democracy without antiquated monarchical links. The defender of the free world, even if its forays were sometimes less than pure.

America was great, but the man who claims to “make America great again” is more likely to accelerate its downfall.

Clinton was always a flawed candidate and, other than the blow to gender politicking, her defeat won’t of itself disturb many Americans — except that it has delivered Trump the presidency.

So what comes next? Unless he breaks his commitments (something I am suddenly in favour of) the US will pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

It will build a wall on the Mexican border, alongside a state-funded Gestapo to root out and deport illegal immigrants.

Who knows what risks exist militarily or economically? Gold prices surged and the sharemarket sank yesterday. Uncertainty rules. And who does Trump put in his administration, how will he configure the Supreme Court?

Expect Roe v Wade to be overturned once the complexion of the court changes, and that’s just for starters.

It appears Clinton won the popular vote; ironic given Trump’s claims the election would be rigged. Trump won votes in the states that mattered, showing how divided America now is.

We can’t fully appreciate this in Australia because of “horizontal fiscal equalisation”, which in essence ensures our states aren’t as economically divided as in the US. Economic hardship was exploited by Trump.

A divided US needed a unifying figure, but that’s not Trump.

Clinton may not have been able to unify either, but Trump certainly won’t. He stokes divisions, in a way that leaves me deeply depressed about the world order and America’s role ensuring global stability.

Peter van Onselen is a professor of politics at the University of Western Australia.