By the time this week expires this Saturday, voters in the United States will have chosen a president-elect. Going by results of most polls and commentaries within the U.S, Hillary Clinton, former U.S Secretary of State, the far more experienced of the four candidates in Tuesday’s presidential election, is most likely to emerge winner. She is expected to win the election for the Democratic Party, and thus continue from where President Barack Obama would disembark. It might turn out to be narrow, but all predictions and expectations around the globe favour Hillary’s emergence as the next president.

At the end of the day, Donald Trump, the strange one, who ruffled traditional strongholds in the Republican Party to clinch the primary, when he was never given a chance, would be bloodied, having burnt his cash. Trump may not have been primed to become president. He did not appear to have prepared to be the world’s number one man. But his loss may not diminish the sentiments he represents and the forcefulness with which he ran the race. It is the same ‘Can Do’ American spirit, which brought Obama from obscurity into limelight.

If a poll were to be conducted here in Nigeria on the U.S presidential election, it is not likely that Trump would score five out of hundred. The majority would go for Hillary, who has presented herself to be well cultured, better trained and more experienced. Even in the newsroom, very few think Trump has a message to pass on. The majority, for his demagoguery, unschooled belligerence and arrogance, dismisses him. In a new world, where it is thought more civil for politicians to couch expressions in euphemisms and measured tone, Trump spills it out without restraints. It is even more so in the emerging America, that has become so pluralistic, compelling any professional vote seekers to carefully walk the sensitive routes in order to accommodate all segments. In today’s America, a politician would be digging his own grave, if he does not carefully pick his words on issues of religion, sexual behaviour, immigration and such sensitive subjects. Politicians have learned not to make explicit remarks on religions, but this is where Trump first courted trouble.
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He first said he was going to place a blanket ban on Muslims entering the United States. That sounded bizarre and quickly sounded alarm bells across the world. For those who are familiar with the U.S’ delicate handling of relations with the Middle East, allies and friends in that region have to be continually assured of mutual loyalty. A reckless management of the relations could see other powers taking advantage to enter the region. Extreme Islamists are not the same as liberals, who have related closely with the West over the years and such utterances as that made by Trump seemed brash and poorly thought out. It also betrayed a poor knowledge of international politics.

Livid denouncement of Trump’s blanket Muslim ban proposal went viral, both at home and abroad. He was to later limit the proposal to include countries that had been compromised by terrorism. That came too late. Muslims all over the world took umbrage at Trump’s broad classification and it haunted him till tomorrow. Even though Trump said what many Americans had in their minds, he was unmindful of the damage it could do to his election. Perhaps, he simply didn’t care, not that he was unmindful. He simply handed lethal campaign materials to his opponents, both in the Republican primaries and in the main election.

Trump went further in his campaign of self-destruction to disrespect women, a significant half of the voter population of U.S. It was first Carly Fiorina, a fellow contestant in the Republican Primary, who was the only female among 16 men. In that set up, she was already disadvantaged, in addition to her not too good political credentials. But Trump chose to rob it in for her, when he commented about her not so good looks. That added a sexist twist to the debate. Fiorina and her womenfolk decide to pay Trump back in his coin. They did a web ad to denounce Trump and all he stood for. Even though it did not stop Trump from winning the GOP nomination, the backlashes never stopped to reverberate. His next bus stop was Megyn Kelly, Fox News’ host, who courted his trouble, when he alleged that she treated him unfairly in the Republican debate. He then went on to say unprintable things about her. Some accounts say he has insulted close to 30 women over the decades, including a breastfeeding lawyer, who wanted a break during a court session to attend to her child. It is no wonder that Trump had serious issues with women voters, particularly elderly ones and no serious politician would embark on a war against women and expect to be successful.

Trump’s major electoral drawback has to do with his poor handling of immigration matters. From day one, he promised to send home all illegal immigrants, while he would compel Mexico to build a wall to prevent further illegal migration. For a country that is historically populated by immigrants, Trump’s policy constituted a major point of departure for the GOP contestants. While Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have their lineages freshly supplied by immigrants, Jeb Bush’s wife, Columba Bush is Spanish American. Immigration is a major campaign issue in America and every government is circling round it because of its sensitivity. It is one of the delicate subjects that politicians learn to carefully manage. But not Trump. His theory of mass deportation of immigrants does not help his case with the Latinos and other minority groups. He is also unpopular with African Americans, whom he had reportedly denigrated.

Trumps other major trouble was from his own party. It is unbelievable to have a presidential candidate for whom the party does not take responsibility. Trump is strictly on his own, coming without any known political pedigree to become the GOP nominee. When it was clear that he was to emerge, everything possible was done to deny him the ticket. Mitt Romney, former Republican candidate worked night and day to see that Trump, whom he called a fake, does not become the nominee. But it was too late. After winning, Trump did not reverse his lonesome advance in a crucial race, to take on board the Republican majors. He lost the support of his fellow GOP candidates, except Chris Christie, the New Jersey Governor and Ben Carson, the African American neurosurgeon. Cruz later came back, a bit too late. Trump did not court the support of the Bush family. He made mockery of John McCain’s war records and constantly spars with Speaker Paul Ryan, the most visible GOP leader.

Despite all of that, Trump is a phenomenon. He has strong following among those who think America is losing it and should be ‘made great again.’ It was Romney and Paul Ryan who wanted to ‘take back America’, from Obama and the Democrats, whose policies are perceived to have weakened America in global politics.

Trump has strong support among America’s Millennials, younger persons who are thirsty for action and are no longer comfortable with the dissembling political class. They saw Trump as being different from the rest and are willing to support. If he loses, maybe his time has not come. Not him as a person, but the message he represents.

For those who think it is good night for Trump, I think there is message for them. The political class is full of hypocrites, even here. But thanks to the American system, which has unveiled Donald Trump, he could have come as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but he came raw. Bill Clinton had the same locker room indiscretions. I think we should be more concerned with what the American political system does or refuses to do to throw up more Donald Trumps. Trump is the one to be held accountable, if he loses. Otherwise, the climate that groomed him was ready to deliver him.