The upcoming 2016 U.S. elections are going to be pivotal, as are all elections. But more so because the past eight years of President Obama’s two terms have been critical in shaping the current geopolitical landscape in a post-9/11 world, which endures the aftermath of the global financial crisis and ongoing civil turmoils that are mobilizing power struggles the world over.
While the official election day in the U.S. is not until the 8th of November 2016, the primaries are in full swing with frontrunners Donald Trump (Republican) and Hillary Clinton (Democrat) leading the polls.
As “Super Tuesday” approaches on March 1 in the United States, traditionally a day when many states hold their primary elections on the same date, it is even more crucial to keep a closer eye on the U.S. elections. Super Tuesday will be critical in potentially deciding which candidates will become their political party’s nominees and in determining their national electability.
States that will be participating in the marathon primaries on Super Tuesday include thirteen states and one territory covering 33% of all primary states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming and American Samoa.
Perhaps the more alarming of the two potential candidates is Republican Donald Trump, a billionaire businessman, who has had three consecutive wins so far in New Hampshire, South Carolina and most recently, Nevada, compressing the Republican field with Trump more likely in the lead than Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson or John Kasich. With recent polls, one-third Republican voters are in favor of Trump, according to RealClearPolitics.
Well known for being outrageously outspoken, Trump has been criticized for propagating anti-Muslim rhetoric and in an interview with Yahoo, he called for “registering Muslims in a database or giving them a form of special identification.” He has also “proposed a “ban on Muslims entering the country.”
On his proposed policy for Pakistan, a long-time ally of the U.S. and a frontline state in the War on Terror, Trump has called for getting “India involved, because India is the check to Pakistan.” He has also called for an end to aid for Pakistan and stated that “Pakistan is a real problem” and that “these are not our friends.”
Hillary Clinton, former senator, secretary of state and the wife of former President Bill Clinton, has been bolstered by a striking win in South Carolina and is dashing to kick the Jewish origin and self-proclaimed, Democratic-Socialist Bernie Sanders out of the race for party nomination.
Clinton has slammed Republican views on Muslims while campaigning in Iowa, stating that “One of the reasons I've reacted so negatively to what I hear coming from the other side is not only what they are saying about Muslims is wrong and shameful, it's dangerous. Basically, they're saying, ‘We don't want your help stopping these terrorists, we want to treat you like you don't belong here.’”
This approach of the Clinton campaign has brought Muslim voters in favor of her, even over Bernie Sanders by 52 to 22 percent, based on polls by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
However, Clinton, contradicting her progressive campaign, which claims to be inclusive of minorities; also accepts contributions from Wall Street firms, the weapon industry and donors like, Haim Saban. Saban is a billionaire who is known for his anti-Muslim and pro-Israeli sentiments, has donated millions to push Clinton into the race for the White House.
On policy with Pakistan, Clinton, the former secretary of state during the Obama administration, has been assertive on eradicating terrorism, skeptical of giving aid and against US weapon sales to Pakistan. In comparison, Clinton has favored India as a strategic ally in South Asia and was a strong supporter of the U.S.-India civil nuclear agreement.
The future of America is definitely at stake, but the future of the rest of the world is more if not equally worrying with frontrunners like Trump, with his anti-Muslim rhetoric and outrageous policies, and Clinton, the most politically experienced candidate who the world has already experienced influencing the establishment for twenty-five years.
A Trump-Clinton election, with recent figures and trends, seems possible, and is perhaps most feared. Super Tuesday will reveal the national electability of the candidates and give more insight into this unpredictable future.