IN a week from now, the world will be waking up to a new President of the United States of America.

The victor will effectively become the leader of the free world, the most powerful figure on the planet, the commander-in-chief of the last remaining superpower. Imagine, if you can, all the authority and influence the new incumbent will have. This is a serious business.

The candidate who comes out on top on Tuesday will dictate the direction of international relations over the next four years, and lead the international response on issues as serious and diverse as combating global terrorism, addressing climate change and facing up to the resurgent influence of Russia in eastern Europe and the Middle East.

It’s fair to say, however, that rather than focusing on the key policy or strategic issues, this election campaign has been fought primarily on the basis of the personalities of the two main candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, who are both exceptionally divisive figures.

Both have been in the media spotlight for decades, and so the public’s perception of them was already well established before this campaign started.

As our friends across the USA prepare to cast their votes, let’s reflect on some of the hard facts that have emerged from this campaign, rather than the well-established prejudices.

Since launching his campaign last year, Trump has lowered the debate to a level which demeans the office he’s running for. His racist comments on Mexicans, combined with his proud Islamophobia, have trawled the depths of human decency.

At the same time, he has repeatedly and deliberately lied about his own pronouncements.

For example, he called for the US military to carry out war crimes by torturing captured terrorists in Syria and for the targeting of civilians in retaliation for the acts of family members.

At the same time, Trump has publicly abused the family of an American war hero who died while serving his country.

He has labelled Mexicans as rapists and attacked the ability of a judge to rule on a civil case involving one of his failed businesses because of his Mexican heritage. He has threatened to ban all Muslims from entering the United States.

More recently, recordings have emerged that show Trump boasting that his celebrity status means that he can do whatever he wants to women he meets.

“And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,” he ominously declared on tape.

This revelation encouraged many women to come forward with claims of sexual assault and unwanted sexual advances.

Trump has also advocated punishing women who have abortions.

He has so far broken his own promise to release his full tax returns before the election, leaving open suggestions that he didn’t pay income tax for decades. He appears to be proud of this act, saying that this makes him “smart”.

Trump is a disgusting misogynist and a racist bully.

On the other hand, the main attack against his opponent in the last week has been that Hillary Clinton foolishly, used a private server for both work-related and personal emails when she was US secretary of state.

This act has already been extensively investigated by the FBI, which found that no criminal act had been committed.

Hillary Clinton is by no means a perfect candidate. Indeed, is there even such a thing?

But for any or all of her personal misjudgments, which have each been held up to enormous scrutiny over the months of this campaign, her shortcomings pale into insignificance compared to the deep and ugly character flaws of Trump.

As a former US senator and secretary of state she is uniquely qualified in this presidential race to provide experience of leadership that her country deserves and definitely needs. And as Michelle Obama said, “yes, she’s a woman!”

I understand there are a growing number of voters in America who have become disillusioned with their two-party system and the choices they currently face on their ballot papers.

I’m sure that the Green Party and Libertarian candidates in the race have strong principles and some redeeming policies to consider.

But next week’s election gives voters across the USA a straight choice between the Republican and Democratic nominees for President. It’s a matter of fact that only Clinton or Trump can win.

Next week’s victor will follow in the footsteps of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. I hope that the American public will choose wisely, and elect the leader that their great country truly deserves.


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