"Here are a few reasons."
At the start of the campaign period for the US elections, I predicted that Donald Trump would lose the battle.
The original inhabitants of America were the Indians. Over time and even after wars, America has now become a melting pot of many races. African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Latin Americans, European Americans, Asian Americans and many other races from different parts of the world are now all Americans.
The big question is why incumbent President Donald Trump lost the battle of presidency to President-Elect Joe Biden during the recent election.
Here are some of Trump’s lapses that I believe contributed to his defeat:
• The biggest issue is the coronavirus pandemic which still afflicts the world. There are over 9 million cases in the US and over 233,000 deaths. Trump neglected the health hazards that the pandemic has brought to Americans by not controlling the virus from spreading. As president, he should have implemented strict rules on how to prevent citizens from acquiring the virus. He should have instructed the people to protect themselves from the unseen enemy by wearing a mask or a face shield. He should have helped health workers in controlling the spread of the virus by making a policy that is strictly implemented and governed by law. He very clearly neglected the health of Americans.
• Another pressing issue is the killing of an African-American man, George Floyd, by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There were many others who experienced racial injustice: Rayshard Brooks, Daniel Prude, Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson, Stephon Clark. Race remains a big issue, leading African-Americans to vent their rage on President Donald Trump’s administration. There was overflowing sympathy for Mr. Floyd and the others.
• Third, he created unfriendly relations with Asian countries, especially China, with regard to trade and industry. The trade war between America and China that was meant to be resolved during his term has significantly affected the American economy.
• Fourth, as soon as he was elected in 2016, he has been persistent about the closure of the border between the US and Mexico to stop the entry of Mexican immigrants.
Meanwhile, President-elect Joe Biden was victorious because he was wise enough to choose Senator Kamala Harris, the descendant daughter of a Jamaican father and Indian mother, a woman of color, brilliant as senator and former prosecutor, as his vice-presidential running mate. Though she is the first woman and first black woman to assume the U.S second-highest office, she also has the edge of becoming the future president. Biden believed that this woman would help him build a nation governed by a democracy. No doubt, that contributed in gaining the votes and trust of black American women which led to his win.
Dr. James Dy is the president of the Philippine Chinese Charitable Associations Inc. and chairman emeritus of the Filipino Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Inc.