The U.S. election is
coming up in a few days.
I want to not care
about it. Unfortunately I sort of have to pay attention. What happens
in America has a big impact on Japan. Furthermore I still feel some
emotional attachment to America.
What's funny is that
I know that if I were still living in New York I would not even
bother voting. Both candidates are so awful that I think the only way
I could bring myself to pick one of them would be a 'lesser of two
evils' argument, and that would only really influence me if I lived
in a swing state.
But since I do not
live in the United States any longer I don't think it really is my
place to vote. I don't intend to live there again. It seems unseemly
for me to exert political influence on a society in which I no longer
intend to participate.
Though I must admit,
if Trump wins, I will be curious to see how it turns out.
I don't think he
will. The demographics are strongly against him. That the media has
been strongly biased against him has been a significant handicap. It
also didn't help that he was a pretty terrible candidate to begin
with.
The only way I see
him winning is if somehow the polls completely missed a large portion
of his support. It is possible that Hillary's base turnout will not
be as strong as the new voters Trump pulls in with his populist
views. Still, if I were a betting man, I'd say Hillary has this
locked up.
Hillary Clinton
is the establishment candidate. It is strangely fitting.
The 2008 and 2016 elections will define the millenial
generation in the United States. In 2008 they were inspired by an
“outsider” promising hope and change. In 2016 they will shun the
outsider and choose the status quo. When they do, I know that I can
comfortably wash my hands of America, and get about the business of
becoming a full member of my new homeland. America will become
whatever it will become. With Hillary at the helm, I can say with
confidence that I won't want to be a part of it. With Trump,
well...it could at least be entertaining.
