Dear Editor,
History was made in the United States when Hillary Clinton secured the required number of delegates to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination. This is the first time a woman will be entering the race for the White House and she is poised to become the first woman president of the United States.
Her rival, Donald Trump, apart from being a maverick politician, is highly inexperienced and seems unlikely to get the support of the majority of Black and Hispanic voters because of the anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim stance he has taken. The changing demographics in the United States coupled with growing income gap between the rich and the poor has shifted the political pendulum in favour of the Democrats. It is almost impossible to win the White House without the support of Blacks and Hispanics which together constitute a significant segment of the voting public.
This fact, along with a growing perception of inequality and marginalisation, was a major political plank of Bernie Sanders’ campaign, who gave a good account of himself in the Democratic primaries.
Sanders, despite not getting the required delegates and super delegates, must be given credit for having successfully connected with voters, especially young voters. His strong and passionate condemnation of the excesses of Wall Street and the economic and social marginalisation of the lower and middle classes has resonated with millions, not only in the United States but in the world at large.
The challenge for Hillary is to find ways of reconciling with Sanders, her main Democratic challenger in what seems to be an inevitable path to victory in the November presidential election.
Yours faithfully,
Hydar Ally
