Why have Americans rejected two intelligent, capable women running for president in consecutive elections? It’s difficult to accept, particularly because both women displayed superior intellect and agility—qualities that Donald Trump lacks. And he is by no stretch of the imagination, no Demosthenes…
Winston Churchill, one of the wittiest figures in history, famously said:
“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”
That sentiment feels all too relevant here.
Ask a Trump supporter why he/she voted for him, and you’re likely to hear responses like, “He knows what he’s doing. “That’s what frightens me most—how easily surface-level rhetoric can overshadow substance.
I vividly recall the first presidential debate in 2016, when Hillary Clinton went head-to-head with Donald Trump. She presented herself as composed, informed, and capable, while Trump appeared erratic and ill-prepared. I went to bed that night confident Hillary had secured the presidency. But when the dust settled, Americans chose Trump. The consequences of that decision have felt nothing short of Vader-like.
Then came 2024, with Kamala Harris taking her turn in the spotlight. After watching her debate, I was equally hopeful—surely, this was the moment America would finally elect a woman president, as so many progressive, advanced nations have already done.
But no. Once again, voters handed victory to a crude, divisive figure; a man who was neither extraordinary nor particularly articulate. It made me reflect on a belief I held in my younger, more idealistic days: that brains would ultimately triumph over brutish force. How wrong I was.
Trump offered no compelling political arguments, no real vision to sway skeptics. Yet he succeeded. Why? Both Clinton and Harris failed to deliver the kind of sharp, devastating retort that can neutralize a bully and expose his ineptitude—something akin to Lloyd Bentsen’s legendary zinger:
“I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.”
The absence of such a moment left their opponents unchecked, and the public swayed. Are Americans misogynistic? Sadly, the evidence suggests they might be, at least to a degree. Gender bias continues in many parts of the world to influence how leaders are perceived and judged.
“Americans, it is said, will put up with anything, provided it doesn’t block traffic.”
And that perhaps explains the results: too many voters seem to prefer tradition to progress.
Alain