It was Steven Redhead that reasoned, “What you are prepared to do in order to achieve what you want is the only cost involved in achieving that goal.” Many centuries ago, Willian Shakespeare, writing in Henry V painted the picture of preparedness prosaically when he noted, “all things are ready, if our mind be so.”

A big take away from the recent US presidential election is the element of preparation. That may be the point former President Theodore Roosevelt, was making when he declared “it is not often that a man can make opportunities for himself, but he can put himself in such shape that when, or if, the opportunities come he is ready.”

The great American poet, Benjamin Disraeli, was more pointed when he noted “the secret of success in life is for a wo/man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.” The two presidential candidates on the Democratic and Republican Parties-former Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton and businessman, Donald J. Trump-were prepared in their own separate ways for the roles they played in the post-Barack Obama presidential election.
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The differences in the background of the two candidates were so stark that one was the opposite of the other, except in their poor public perception about their integrity and temperament. One was a successful politician, coming out of the shadows to become a reference point in gender influence in policy and decision-making. Then the other candidate came as an outsider in politics, but a successful businessman, who turned a million dollar venture into a multi-billion investment.

So, it was obvious that whichever way the pendulum swung, either candidate was to make history:

Hillary Rodham Diane Clinton:
IT is as if Mrs. Clinton’s path to the top was paved right from the time she accepted to marry William Jefferson Clinton. With his boyish good looks and intelligence, Bill was headed to make a mark in America’s history, not through his law practice, but in politics.

While Bill waxed strong in politics, it happened that his wife, Hillary, was being prepared in a sort of way for the roles that would shape her own political life. As things went on, it was as if Mrs. Clinton settled it in her heart to play the role, not just of a helper to Bill’s politics, but also a partner in their political progress.

For instance, when Bill was elected governor of Arkansas in 1979, Hillary occupied the office of First Lady with grace and purpose. By the time Bill returned as governor from 1983 to 1992, Hillary had got ideas of how to horn her political skills. She headed a task force that pushed forward recommendations for reform of public schools in Arkansas.

To a large extent having practiced law, Hillary sharpened her skills for debate and advocacy. That in part was why she propelled her husband to pass the Clinton Health plan in 1993, when her husband had become president of the United States.

It was while serving as the US First Lady that she attended the Beijing women’s conference, where she made her iconic remarks that “women’s rights are human rights.” And as if to test her understanding and convictions about the role of women in society, her husband was enmeshed in a mandate threatening dalliance with a young White House intern, Miss Monica Lewinsky.

Though Bill survived the impeachment, his biggest salvation came from the unalloyed support of her wife, the First Lady. Hillary showed that her man, despite the shame and public relations damage the extra-marital affair threw her on her path, made her of a sterner stuff by standing.

With the benefit of hindsight, a lot of those who have watched Hillary’s political trajectory believe that had she not stood by Bill in those trying days, she would not have achieved much of what she has achieved in American politics, such as becoming the first ever first lady to seek and win an elective office, first female senator of State of New York, first female presidential aspirant and the 67th US Secretary of State.

And so it was that within the period spanning 1979 through 2012, the former Secretary of State had been circulating in corridors of power and influence. It was against that background that by 2015 when she announced her intention to contest the presidency once again, a lot of people believed that she had garnered enough capacity and qualification.

Her rich resume and track record of informed contributions, but as a senator and Secretary of State, recommended her for the office of President of United States. Her background in public office also provided her with the temptations and missteps that provided the arsenal for her rivals to traduce and question her integrity and humanity.

But wizened by her varied experiences, Hillary Clinton braved all odds to stand out, not only as a march for the men, but above all as the fit and proper female politician to shatter the glass ceiling, by becoming the first female President of United States of America.
Donald J. Trump

In his book, “When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes,” Cody Lundin observed: “Over the years, Americans in particular have been all too willing to squander their hard-earned independence and freedom for the illusion of feeling safe under someone else’s authority. The concept of self-sufficiency has been undermined in value over a scant few generations. The vast majority of the population seems to look down their noses upon self-reliance as some quaint dusty relic, entertained by the hyperparanoid or those hopelessly incapable of fitting into mainstream society.”

Looking back at the frenetic US presidential election, Lundin’s observations seems to hold true of America, particularly the momentum Trump generated with his bigotry and incendiary remarks he continued to make all through the campaigns.

Trump did what Ross Perot could not do and more. He showed by the followership he generated that there are certain things that no longer hold in the American society. There is anger and distaste from the young and middle class about how the country is run. A such the citizenry clung to Trump, not out of love but protest against the US politics of interest and crony capital.

But, lacking finesse in his personal communication style and comportment, Trump ended up as his own enemy. He lost the election out of his own making, by not clearly defining his message within the bounds of human dignity, reason and morality.

Trump gave Hillary the opportunity to postpone the doom that appeared on the horizon for US. The country may not be twice lucky in 2020, if the Republicans do their homework well or Hillary disappoints.