James Silberman|Columnist
It is Wednesday, Nov. 9 which means that, barring a recount, the 45th president has been selected.
Our new leader is either an (alleged) rapist or a slanderer of (alleged) rape victims.
Either a man who lies about his foundation’s charitable giving or a woman whose foundation receives millions of dollars from foreign dictators.
Either a man who plans to crack down on the freedom of Muslims or a woman who plans to crack down on the freedom of Christians.
Either a man who plays fast and loose with NSFW obscenities or a woman who plays fast and loose with classified secrets.
Either a man whose life is defined by an insatiable pursuit of wealth and pleasure or a woman whose life is defined by an insatiable pursuit of power and control.
Supporters of both candidates accuse the other of preparing to bring an end to America as we know it. Former GOP member of the United States House of Representatives Michele Bachmann thinks that a Hillary Clinton win means the end of democracy.
“Well, I don’t want to be melodramatic but I do want to be truthful,” Bachmann said in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network. “I believe without a shadow of a doubt this is the last election. This is it. This is the last election.”
President Barack Obama claimed that literally everything is in the balance at a Clinton campaign rally in North Carolina last Thursday.
“The fate of the world is teetering,” Obama said. “I hate to put a little pressure on you, but the fate of the republic rests on your shoulders.”
There’s no question that whichever one of these two has won the presidency is a national embarrassment. However, the situation is not as grim as the extremes on either side claim it to be.
Our new president does not possess the political talent necessary to garner support for his or her cause. The two major party nominees of 2016 are the two most despised presidential candidates in the history of presidential polling, according to prominent political data analyst FiveThirtyEight.
Those concerned with the moral corruption of our new president should take solace knowing that the U.S. Constitution significantly limits their power. This is a country where despite significant growth in the power of the executive office, American presidents are not monarchs.
While many seek to erode Constitutional limits, they are still, for the most part, in effect.
In addition, because of their vastly tarnished reputation, our new president is almost certainly going to lose in 2020. Four years is not enough time for anyone to destroy a country such as ours.
Don’t let yourself be tricked into thinking that this president will make or break America. Our new president will likely be an ineffectual leader unable to accomplish much of anything. They will go down with the Zachary Taylors and John Tylers of history, and the phantasmagoric embarrassment that was 2016 will be something that our grandkids never need to know about.
Contact James Silberman at jsilberman17@my.whitworth.edu