United States President-elect Donald Trump and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were the oldest presidential candidates in US history. Trump is 70 years old and Clinton is 69. The campaign was also the most bruising in recent memory. No quarter was asked and none was given. Both went at each other with such intensity that many Americans were disappointed with the way the campaign was conducted.
In the end, although Clinton bested Trump in the so-called popular votes, Trump won more electoral votes, thereby the election. Unlike us in the Philippines where cornering the popular votes ensures victory, in the US, it is the electoral votes that win the election.
It was a stunning upset. Poll after poll predicted a Clinton victory but in the end it was not to be for the first woman candidate for US president of a major political party. The US presidential elections are closely watched in this country, not only because of our close historical ties with the Americans but also the number of migrant Filipinos who live and work there.
The US is also a major trading partner and the biggest source of funds from overseas filipino workers constituting a little over 3 percent of our GDP, not to mention the impact of the American culture in the daily lives of Filipinos. McDonalds, Starbucks, Hollywood and the National Basketball Association are just but a few that Filipinos are crazy about.
Our trade and security relationships also hang in the balance, depending on which party wins the election. Republicans are generally viewed as stronger on defense issues while Democrats are more favored by minorities because of the party’s program on social issues.
Trump, the political outsider who bested all the Republican presidential aspirants and went on to win the elections may significantly affect our trade relations with the US. This is because of his many campaign pronouncements, which were protectionist and might impact our fastest-growing service sector industry, business process outsourcing.
The BPO industry is poised to overtake OFW remittances as the biggest source of dollars to the Philippine economy in the next few years. If Trump makes good on all his campaign promises of bringing back to America all jobs lost to foreign countries, the growth of our BPO industry will slow down. The industry might even contract. Trump also mentioned the deportation of about 2 million to 3 million illegal immigrants with criminal cases, including about 271,000 Filipino TNTs (the so-called tago ng tago Filipinos in the US).
This prompted President Duterte to issue a statement to the effect that he expects President-elect Trump to be fair in the treatment of Filipino migrants in the US, even those who are now considered undocumented. One thing is for sure, immigrating to the US will now be a lot harder under the new Republican administration. And as the Cabinet of Trump is beginning to take shape, many with a hard-line stance on immigration appear close to being appointed. We will have to wait and see.
Even in the recently concluded 24th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru, President-elect Trump, even if he was not there, loomed high on the sidelines. Many of the leaders were understandably concerned about whether current trade agreements will be maintained by the incoming US administration or thrown out. President Barack Obama had to reassure the other leaders that the US would not be making precipitous or unilateral decisions.
President Duterte already said that he wants a reset on our relationship with the US which has suffered a great deal over the last few months on account of perceived US criticism on President Duterte’s war on drugs. How this reset will take shape remains to be seen. Our President has not said anything on how he wants to improve Phil-US relationship with The Donald who many in the press say have a lot of similarities especially in their rhetorical style.
Meanwhile, does Clinton’s defeat spell the end of her public life? She has been a public figure for so long. First, as the wife of the governor of the State of Arkansas, then as the first lady of the US, a senator, then as Secretary of State. Her career has spanned almost four decades and would have continued for at least another four years.
Clinton, from the very beginning of her public life, showed herself an extraordinary woman: Intelligent, ambitious and independent. Because of all these, her public life was hounded with controversy. She overcame them all, and almost became the first female president of the US.
I doubt whether she would still be able to make a run for the presidency, but she can run again for the Senate. The Clinton Foundation is still there. She can still use this as a vehicle for her charitable work on health, education and others. She can still make an impact. She must consider going beyond her country and make the world her stage where she still remains popular.