The rise of “sleepy Joe”!

The American presidential poll had come and gone with the emergence of winners and losers. The election had many unprecedented factors characterizing its occurence to wit: COVID-19, economic downturn, Trumpism and presidential hubris. The 45th President of the free world, Donald Trump, had, for the past four eventful years, manifested certain undiplomatic unconventional presidential attitude never before seen in the centuries-old American democracy.

Trump came, saw but never conquered the minds and hearts of majority of Americans for obvious reasons. Many critics had exposed his follies and shortcomings with some (including his biological sister labelling him the ‘most dangerous man in the world’) hinting on his megalomania and bravado.

When in 2016 he triumphed over Hillary Clinton proving the bookmakers wrong in a presidential poll that saw the wife of ex-President Bill Clinton garnering more votes yet losing on the basis of the superior swing collegiate ballots Donald Trump basked in the euphoria of a billionaire out to break the rules and ‘make America great again’.

But whether America was made great again or greater during Trumpism is left in the realm of imagination.

America is a unique country in many senses. It is a land of the free and freedom, the land of the audacious and the dreamer. Dreams often come true in Uncle Sam despite the odds of religion, race or gender.

Today with general projections announcing him as the victor Joe Biden is thus recognised globally as the winner of the 2020 presidential race marked by the tragedy of Coronavirus and the recrudescence of racial tension, attacks and protests.

The election of Joe Biden made history on two major fronts. It was the first time a septuagenarian of about 77 years is taking the presidency thereby making history as the oldest man ever to command the States. Besides, his Vice-President-elect, Kamala Harris, became the first black female VP in the history of America to rise to such exalted position.

Together their presidency promises to bring hope back to a great nation, divided and ‘Trumpised’.

Read also: Kamala Harris, you are not special!

Never in the history of a great emancipated nation like the US had there been so much division, isolationism and hubris of the executive. Former President Barack Obama was right when, during one of the ‘drive-in’ campaigns for his erstwhile VP, he accused President Trump of gross irresponsibility and serial inability to grow on the job.

Months leading to the polls the out-going President Trump had been calling his principal opponent “Sleepy Joe” deriding him as a featherweight and one incapable of leading. Yet the American people preffered him to a megalomaniac who did more damage to the system than he claimed to have changed or advanced same.

Trump was, therefore, trumped and dumped because of his presidential inconsistencies and flaws. Come January 20 next year he is expected to vacate the White House in dignity as his predecessors did. He was trumped and dumped because of his imperial demeanour and impetuous tweeting policies and pronouncements. He fell to Biden due to his hubris!

One week after the contentious acrimonious presidential and legislative polls President Trump has characteristically refused to concede defeat hammering on claims of electoral fraud and mail-in ballot scam. Yet he was predicted to lose the election much prior to the poll.

The ‘sleepy Joe’ won because of the incumbent President’s imperial character and unconventional presidential attitude magnifying certain loathing in certain quarters. So Americans in their majority voted massively against him handing the White House consequently to Joe Biden. The ‘sleepy’ Joe has awoken!

Some critics of Trump had compared him to the late Zimbabwean President cum dictator, Robert Mugabe. Mugabe was ‘blessed’ with the gift of the gab and he used his sharp tongue to demolish the opposition until the day of nemesis came calling.

The refusal of Trump to acknowledge defeat has made the recalcitrant African despots (Yoweri Museveni, Paul Biya, Idris Derby, Alpha Conde etc) look like ‘angels’. Presidential elections (like what recently happened in Ivory Coast and Guinea-Conakry) are always prosecuted like a ‘war’. And ‘losers’ hardly accept the outcome with dignity.

The rise of the ‘Sleepy Joe’ remains a good news not only for America but the world at large. Let Joe Biden prove to all democrats around the world that he is possessed by the capacity to unify Americans and make happiness a staple in the American society.

Author: Ozodinukwe Okenwa…

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Articles published in our Graffiti section are strictly the opinion of the writers and do not represent the views of Ripples Nigeria or its editorial stand.

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