Rodrigo Duterte is the new president of the Philippines, after a bruising and profane election, which saw him appealing to the basest instincts of Filipinos. He once stated that he would have liked to be the first in line to gang rape an Australian missionary, after it was reported that she was gang-raped and murdered. He promised to kill 100,000 " wrong-doers" within six months of taking office and now the mayor of Cebu City has promised to pay a bounty of 50,000 pesos ( about $1,300) to the police for each "criminal" killed. Police are poorly paid and this bounty is about 3 times their salary. No one is safe. Anyone can be killed and deemed a criminal. It's open hunting season in Cebu City and the rest of the Philippines. You get what you vote for.
Meanwhile in the US, the presidential campaign continues. The Republican field of 17, is now down to Trump. He has run a loud, vulgar, and divisive campaign, insulting his opponents..."dull Bush" "little Marco"; "crooked , lying Ted", being some of the mildest. Now he has turned his vileness against Clinton, going after her husband, Bill also, with crudity and crassness.
He has insulted women, calling them "bimbo" and "ugly", affected by their "bleeding". He has insulted Hispanics, calling Mexicans "rapists", promising to build a wall at the border and making the Mexican government pay for it and to deport 11 million "illegals". He promise to ban Muslims from entering the country ( which led to the newly elected Mayor of London, a Muslim to call him "ignorant" and also the Prime Minister to call it " stupid and divisive, Trump childishly and stupidly replied that maybe Cameron will not be invited to the White House, if he wins). He wants to punish China for taking American jobs and holding trillions in Treasury notes ( how stupid is this?). He wants Japan and S Korea and Europe to pay for American troops, stationed there by the US. He wants out of NATO. He wants Japan and Korea and any and everyone else to develop nuclear weapons ( this how dumb he is, he wants a nuclear-filled world and a nuclear arms race). He has alienated practically everyone, except white, middle-aged men and some women.
So why is he doing so well? This is with Republicans who are under-employed, poorly paid and bitter that the world is passing them by. His message resonate with them. It is the Blacks, the Muslims, the Arabs, the Indians, the Chinese, the Mexicans, the LGBTs etc. who are responsible for their "losses". It is a losers message for losers. So the racism, the misogyny, the anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, anti-Mexican, anti-NATO, the anti-Chinese, anti- free trade and the jingoism and scapegoating, stereotyping, nativism appeals. It is not reason but emotion, raw emotion, that Trump has tapped and it makes for good Cable "news", and CNN and Fox love it and revels in it and it sucks in the other media.
Trump scarcely won a majority of votes in the primaries against the other Republican candidates. His "appeal" only goes so far. The Republican establishment are turned off. Many prominent Republicans have stated that they will not go to the Convention or support him ( even Ryan). Romney got 60% of the white votes and was soundly beaten by Pres. Obama ( now he is leading a group of Republicans, trying to find a candidate to run against Trump).
Over 75% of women, African Americans and Hispanic Americans and young voters are against Trump, and his message of division and bigotry. It has been shown repeatedly that super-Pac spending can only go so far and the supporters of Clinton are building a huge war-chest
Is the race over? No. There are always October surprises ( ask Jimmy Carter).
Meanwhile in the US, the presidential campaign continues. The Republican field of 17, is now down to Trump. He has run a loud, vulgar, and divisive campaign, insulting his opponents..."dull Bush" "little Marco"; "crooked , lying Ted", being some of the mildest. Now he has turned his vileness against Clinton, going after her husband, Bill also, with crudity and crassness.
He has insulted women, calling them "bimbo" and "ugly", affected by their "bleeding". He has insulted Hispanics, calling Mexicans "rapists", promising to build a wall at the border and making the Mexican government pay for it and to deport 11 million "illegals". He promise to ban Muslims from entering the country ( which led to the newly elected Mayor of London, a Muslim to call him "ignorant" and also the Prime Minister to call it " stupid and divisive, Trump childishly and stupidly replied that maybe Cameron will not be invited to the White House, if he wins). He wants to punish China for taking American jobs and holding trillions in Treasury notes ( how stupid is this?). He wants Japan and S Korea and Europe to pay for American troops, stationed there by the US. He wants out of NATO. He wants Japan and Korea and any and everyone else to develop nuclear weapons ( this how dumb he is, he wants a nuclear-filled world and a nuclear arms race). He has alienated practically everyone, except white, middle-aged men and some women.
So why is he doing so well? This is with Republicans who are under-employed, poorly paid and bitter that the world is passing them by. His message resonate with them. It is the Blacks, the Muslims, the Arabs, the Indians, the Chinese, the Mexicans, the LGBTs etc. who are responsible for their "losses". It is a losers message for losers. So the racism, the misogyny, the anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, anti-Mexican, anti-NATO, the anti-Chinese, anti- free trade and the jingoism and scapegoating, stereotyping, nativism appeals. It is not reason but emotion, raw emotion, that Trump has tapped and it makes for good Cable "news", and CNN and Fox love it and revels in it and it sucks in the other media.
Trump scarcely won a majority of votes in the primaries against the other Republican candidates. His "appeal" only goes so far. The Republican establishment are turned off. Many prominent Republicans have stated that they will not go to the Convention or support him ( even Ryan). Romney got 60% of the white votes and was soundly beaten by Pres. Obama ( now he is leading a group of Republicans, trying to find a candidate to run against Trump).
Over 75% of women, African Americans and Hispanic Americans and young voters are against Trump, and his message of division and bigotry. It has been shown repeatedly that super-Pac spending can only go so far and the supporters of Clinton are building a huge war-chest
Is the race over? No. There are always October surprises ( ask Jimmy Carter).
