Swami Vivekananda was full of appreciation of the American people as friendly, open and generous when he visited the country over a century ago. He also observed that the US was a land of both freedom and scandal. The current presidential election seems to indicate that his observation remains relevant.

The vision and values of democracy in the US are guided by its constitution that puts the people at the centre of politics through periodic presidential elections and constitutional checks and balances. It is in this context that the direct election of the president and the issues debated are of interest for the public at large.

The appeal of Trump

Trump, the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, has shown his determination to change the status quo. But some of his proposals are not only radical but outright offensive. For example, he said he would make the Mexican government pay for a wall along the US-Mexico border to prevent immigration; the views of the Mexican government, a close ally of the US, seem to be of no concern to him. Similarly, Trump would not allow Muslims to enter the US. The grossly crude and vulgar language he has used to describe Mexicans, women and other minority groups smacks of latent racism. The lack of a moral compass in Trump is what liberals and moderates find dangerous. However, for many less educated, low-income working class people, Trump’s rhetoric against foreigners is not all that bad since the current model of globalisation has left them behind in comparison to the more educated and wealthy groups in the country.

The frustration of growing income inequality and a sense of being left behind while being forced to tolerate a new model of development, where much of the gain in income and wealth is flowing upward, have reinforced a feeling of isillusionment with the leadership. Trump’s declaration that he would deal with these problems with strength and authority and not allow allies to take the US for granted has found many takers even if it means ignoring his crude and vulgar remarks including his threat to imprison his rival in case he wins.

As for insulting rhetoric, both presidential candidates have left very little for imagination. Trump openly calls his opponent “crooked” while Hillary and her team do not hesitate to label him as a person totally unfit to handle the nuclear button. In fact the level of political discourse seems to have gone down the gutter while the issues of economy, foreign policy and international peace and development have receded to the background.

A difficult choice

Human beings are guided by both reason and emotion. Open political contests, in form of free and fair elections, provide scope for both these forces. In an election, all political parties try to present the face of reason but political discourse can segue from reason to emotion when the political system overlooks the people’s frustration. To some extent, it seems that Trump has instinctively tapped into the sentiments, and has given vent to the frustration, of an important section of the American population that feels ignored by the establishment.

The information revolution and the present model of globalisation have not been kind to manufacturing labourers in the US even while it has rewarded the college educated workers and those involved in the financial sector. Eight years ago, Barrack Obama committed to take the side the ordinary citizens and cut Wall Street, the financially rich and the mighty centre of American capitalism, down to size. Obama’s reasoning captured the imagination of the young voters. Eight years down the line, Bernie Sanders, defeated by Hillary Clinton in the primary election of the Democratic Party for presidential nomination, echoed the same theme and was able to garner the support of a huge section of the youths. Sander’s appeal is a clear sign of the American political system not being sensitive to the theme that Obama outlined in his campaign.

For many Americans, the choice between Hillary and Trump remains problematic. Hillary claims experience and maturity necessary to navigate the nation through a turbulent world. But although this may be her strong point, a large section of the electorate still has ambivalent opinions about her values and views her leadership as a continuation of the status quo. Trump, on the other hand, is viewed as the new change-maker even though his policies are not clear. His rhetoric, which is often abusive towards women and minorities and at times even hilarious given his newfound fascination for the Russian president Putin, has polarised politics. It seems as though emotion rather than reason is gaining prominence in the election.

Striking a balance

An election in a democracy is never driven by reason alone; there is always the emotion factor. However, when emotions have a tendency to overwhelm reasons, political polarisation can take root. In a mature democracy like the US, the strength of the press, academia, civil society and the generally accepted norms of political behaviour can be expected to mediate between reason and emotion to maintain balance. In the present election, however, it is this very balance that is under strain. For those who have felt ignored by the ruling establishment and the top one percent on the economic ladder, Trump’s appeal for change sounds attractive, even though he has been evasive about specific solutions.

It is ironic that the theme of change in the favour of the working class is being propagated by a billionaire, who has not shied away from taking advantage of the country’s tax laws to enrich himself. Trump has openly bragged about his “brilliance” in taking advantage of the tax loopholes to declare a loss of almost one billion and thus avoid paying taxes to the government. But information of this nature does not seem to bother Trump’s supporters. The culture of ‘wild-cat capitalism’ that was a part of American economic ethos of the 19th and early 20th century still carries a halo of acceptability, and Trump has not hesitated to use it in politics.

The balance between reason and emotion in the American presidential election remains uncertain. While Hillary clearly projects herself as a leader with experience and maturity to deal with the internal and external problems the US is facing, she has yet to inspire the young population to back her. Trump, on the other hand, is viewed by the minorities, liberals and college-educated folks with doubt, suspicion and even alarm.

Yet he continues to maintain strong emotional support from his core constituency of low-income, white Americans who see him as a successful businessman and a candidate capable of transforming the system to serve their interests. Given the complexity in the exercise of democracy for the American people, the general perception is that reason will not have to take a back seat in this election. However, Trump’s success so far clearly indicates that even in a mature democracy, the possibility of demagogic outbursts and emotional manipulation could obscure real discussion on serious issues while pushing the electorate in an emotional tidal wave where the privilege of absurdity comes close to becoming a living reality.

Lohani is a senior leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party