Daily Times

A decade ago (2009-2017), the people of the United States elected a person of color to lead this country onto the tumultuous world stage and its stormy affairs. This shift of ideologies was as inconceivable as the mere presence of an African American family presiding in the highest Office of the country. Barack Obama became the anomaly that none foresaw but the moment he grabbed the Democratic nomination; he and his campaign became a living breathing movement of its kind. The Whites at heart seethed at this reversal of fortune that was claimed by a person whose color was akin to the dark past that marred the history books of this nation. Yet the mere concept that we will have (not once but twice) a President of color, was something even the wisest of pundits forgot to churn up.

The night Barack Obama was hailed as the next President-elect of the United States; his victory speech wasn’t simply the victory of one man but of scores of men and women who only dreamt of this day but never were confident of its fruition. That day at the Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois; the faces of approx. 240,000 people and millions watching worldwide, only mirrored one expression which was of awe, disbelief, and jubilation. Barack Obama became our first in ways which only a few get the credit for. No other president in history faced so much discrimination on their birth records like Obama, even the capture of Osama bin laden was not enough to earn him a free pass through the cutthroat world of politics. We saw his visage aging in front of our eyes as he faced severe criticism at the closing days of his tenure.

When President Obama addressed the nation for the last time in Chicago as their Commander-in-Chief, it was a bittersweet amalgamation of sorts. His parting words depicted of how big of an enigma he was to have guided the Democratic Party to two White House victories; they also prepared his followers to keep the hope afloat as the coming era of Republican rule held a promise of turbulent times, which it delivered, to our dismay.

President Obama’s departure brought forth one of a kind-another American first-the current President of the United States. Up until he took the oath; Trump was known as a shrewd businessman, well versed with the political platform but one who had never served in the office yet had sipped countless cocktails with many burgeoning policymakers and hardened politicians.

The mid of 2016 cemented Trump’s place as the oddity among the hoard of candidates and like the fabled tortoise, he was deemed to stumble in his tracks and lose. However, his unconventional blunt approach crumbled the very aesthetics of the political game, his deliberate attacks on his rivals seemed to work in his favor and gave his ratings the boost that he needed to propel further in this “Game of Thrones”. The 2017 Primaries and Caucuses provided an inconceivable acceleration to Mr. Trump’s bid, who steadily crept up the ladder in this obnoxiously entertaining contest for the Oval Office.

Trump was the only one who made use of his strategic manipulation to break away from the crowd and developed a cult following. Not only did he manage to rile up the American public to back him in his outrageous claims, but he also successfully inflamed the ideas he propagated against all his opponents.

2017 gave way to our insecurities. A great number of Americans were indeed wary of Trump’s unstoppable momentum, yet the other half of the spectrum was supporting his name proudly as a windshield badge. Mr. Trump’s rise to success was the Trojan horse which defined this country in ways that are as unpredictable as his tweets. His victory was partially based on creating paranoia among masses and largely on a cleverly run election campaign. The tactics used by him were unlike any other. He named his competitors and dissed them publicly. He is the first President in the history of the United States to have boldly used questionable language to bring forth issues that he knew would give him the boost he needed. His subversive approach dexterously maneuvered his opponents to an end which was nothing short of a checkmate.

Mr. Trump has always stood out by the crudeness of his tongue and even with his unhinged winning streak; he lacked the sensitivity to tackle significantly delicate and decisive analytical issues that a Commander-in-chief is usually asked to take on. A president’s position in any society requires a certain austerity, patience, and a cool demeanor under pressure. Trump might be a savvy businessman, yet he sorely lacks that calm disposition that is consistent with the aura of a President of the United States.

There is one thing to be frustrated about problems that plague our country; it is an outright disaster if the votes go to the guy completely unprepared like Mr. Trump. Another thing that throws off a person is the lack of humbleness on his part. The public has never witnessed a candidate say point-blank that “he is the best president ever”. This is the height of egotistical self-confidence that Trump exudes. To be a spokesperson for a House is a great honor and so is to run for the most coveted position in the world but as it turns out; mockery and name-calling became the focal point of every political gathering with cease and desist orders to cap off the day. 2017 turned out to be a year of remarkably peculiar campaign strategies and we were the front seat spectators of an antithetical Presidential race that shook the traditional paradigms of American history.

As we progress deep into 2020 and with less than six months to usher in a new president, a huge bulk of voters are still on the fence. Senator Biden is a great alternative but given the amount of uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, things are not in their right perspective. Campaigns are gridlocked and the Oval Office is busy hurtling abuses at anyone that dares point a finger at the inability of the POTUS to contain this pathogen within our borders.

Everyone wants change; but that change should not come at the behest of a person whose last four years in the Oval Office might as well not count and who has no idea how to tone down in situations that can make or break strategic political allies. Records of the future President of United States should not be confined to casinos, hotels, and bankruptcies; that person should have an admirable background, at least in the services they have rendered to the country.

In the span of a decade, the American people have been subjected to two uniquely opposite individuals who are as different from each other as a literal black and white. Since 2017, we have witnessed countless personnel change and plenty of drama as the White House remains busy explaining and downplaying whatever is spewed out by our Commander-in-chief. The sobriety and the cultivated cool that is a necessary penchant for an Office bearer is solely lacked by our president. The everyday tweets from the White House regarding Covid-19 are a horrifying testament to that. We have in fact learned to brace ourselves for an early morning dose of new Oval office shenanigans and many like I, literally say it out loud:

“Mr. President you are among our Nation’s first!

The reason, however, dictates that we learn from and not repeat the mistakes that led us to elect a gaffe like Trump in the first place. Time is of the essence, so is the fate of this Nation.

“Life is never easy. There is work to be done and obligations to be met – obligations to truth, to justice, and to liberty.” ~John F. Kennedy

The writer is a US-based freelancer. She has worked as a Political correspondent for reputable online publications, contributed SEO articles, translated official and regulatory documents pertaining to health industry and worked with various agencies in and around the United States and Canada. She can be reached at sairawasif@outlook.com