Just type the word “why” in Google and it suggests “Why did Trump win?” The world wants to know that, and none more than the Americans themselves. The predicament for the majority of the US citizens is confounded by the knowledge that Hillary got a slightly higher number of popular votes. And the actual number of people who wanted her to win was perhaps more by a greater margin. She has thus lost due to two vote-related reasons: One, the electoral-college system that gave the presidency to Trump despite her lead in vote share; two, fewer Democrat voters take the pain of casting the vote.

The disbelief among American voters is thus not just an emotional response but has a mathematical edge to it. Given the bigotry, misogyny, and vilification of minorities that the man with zero governance experience sold to the richest democracy of the world, it will require a miracle for the country to universally accept their new President. For now, there is no evidence of such a miracle. Thousands have turned up in streets in cities across America in a spontaneous expression of outrage, shouting “Not my President”. The great American stage may well be set for an open season of hate. Trump supporters were not as vocal thus far. But now that their champion has proved himself at the polls, there is a sense of validation of his cussed repudiation of everything that the American “experiment” stands for. There are policemen in the street wearing a Trump badge on their uniform!

An election may well be a greater reflection on the voter than the candidate. And that is what makes the scene scarier. What Trump is, has been known all along – not a man the average American would want to be around his family. The question is why people still voted for him. The US election has just proved yet again that the “liberal” space exists only as long as the economy is rising. Britain and India were only examples that preceded it. (Tribune, India