One of the advantages of becoming older is having a long past. I remember Hillary Clinton still from the time when Bill became president (1993). At the time she was a charming first lady, open, authentic, and accessible for the media. What happened with this vibrant, liberal young woman? Where is she gone? How she became the rigid, inhibited, old woman of today, who seems to have lost her social attitude? (although, under the influence of Bernie Sanders she pretends that this is not so).

On top of the general wear and tear that comes with an enduring position at the political top I think four incidents in her political career contributed to it: her failure to set up a new health insurance system, the Lewinsky affair, the commotion and continuous investigations about the Whitewater affair, and the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi. In all four cases she was attacked  by a merciless press and other media. According to her own auto-biography especially the reactions of the media on the second and the third incidents made her very angry. And so the once open and approachable woman became the resentful and defensive woman she is now, who doesn’t appeal to the voting public. How sad.

On August 4th I predicted that Trump will win the elections. Of course I was not sure, but I thought it highly probable. I still think so, especially after Clinton’s  ambiguous reaction about her health,  and her slow response to the bombing. So we better prepare for a Trump presidency. The most dangerous thing about Trump is that I hold him capable of triggering the atomic weapons. In the American system as far as I know no one can stop him when he summons the employee who is always nearby and hold the bag with the codes of the nuclear weapons (But maybe this person will refuse to execute Trump’s orders!). Are the majority of Trump voters realizing this? I wonder.

Maybe a Trump presidency can still be avoided. A miracle could happen, f.i. an illness of Trump, or Hillary, so serious that they have to resign. I think for example that Kaine can beat Trump easily. Or the  support of Barack Obama will just win her over (it could also work the other way around, because it shows how meagre Clinton is looking compared to Obama *).  It is also possible that Clinton, seeing that she can’t win, just in time withdraws herself, in that way preparing the way for the Democratic Committee to push another candidate to the front. (Is that possible in the American system?) That would be a very generous gesture, but I am afraid that Clinton has too much resentment and ambition for that.

We in Europe can’t do much to prevent Trump from winning. So our hope is focused on  our American brothers and sisters. Let’s pray for the best.

*See his magnificent speech at https://www.facebook.com/niels.pilaar/posts/10208710276568568?from_close_friend=1 NOT TO MISS!

Disclaimer: I apologize for mistakes in my English. Blogs are cursory – not stuff for correction by a native speaker.