Monday 7th November

Who would have thought, even three weeks ago when the explicit sexual comments from Donald Trump emerged that we would be in such a cliff-hanger of an election.  To be honest right from the outset I, along with most of the Media and everyone else thought that Donald had no chance.  But one by one he managed to demolish his other Republican Contenders, and though often only won around 40% of the votes in the Primaries he kept going.  Then, as the possibility of him becoming the Official Republican Candidate became a probability, we had stories of Senior Republicans desperate to find some way of denying him.  All came to naught and Trump was adopted.

And then as debate followed debate it seemed that Hilary was a shoo-in.  But despite the insults to parents of Muslim soldiers, despite his characterising all Mexicans as drug dealers, despite his trashing of Latinos, despite his obvious disregard for women he has carried on; indomitable, unsinkable and worse still absolutely worshipped by his increasing army of followers. There is no denying the strength of feeling, both for and against him, he inspires.  And his message, if it came out of anyone else’s mouth, would be (in places) welcome.  He portrays himself as an outsider, an un-politician, a new force for change.  And he appeals to the poor, the downtrodden; who cannot quite seem to understand that it is he and the other Billionaire businessmen of America who have robbed them of jobs, happy to export manufacturing to cheaper continents.  It is not the fault of foreigners; it is America’s rich who have asset stripped their country.

But anyway, we have now to wait until early on Wednesday morning, nail-biting as the first results come in and we finally discover if 2016 really has been an annus horribilis….or if Hilary can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.