- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Could Deep Dissatisfaction in the US Political System Lead to a Trump Victory?

© Flickr / Gage SkidmoreDonald Trump
Donald Trump - Sputnik International
Subscribe
A series of opinion polls released last week show Donald Trump losing to Hillary Clinton in several key swing states, and nearly one fifth of registered Republicans say they want him to drop out of the presidential race.

According to Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor of political economy at St. Mary's College and author of "Systemic Fragility in the Global Economy," the primary reason behind Trump's evident decline in popularity is that he is deliberately attacked in corporate media.

"They take things out of context, and they interpret them in their articles, and then in their talking heads, to make them sound like they are more dramatic, extreme than they may be," Rasmus told Radio Sputnik's Brian Becker.

"Of course, Trump plays into that. He doesn't anticipate that that's what's going to happen, so he contributes to that to some extent, but the media is on a full-court press to show that Trump is incompetent."

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addresses the Planned Parenthood Action Fund in Washington - Sputnik International
US State Department to Release FBI-Uncovered Clinton Emails
According to Rasmus, polls should not be trusted, as they do not accurately predict actual voting results. As for the rivalry between Trump and Clinton, much will depend on public TV debates in the key swing states, where many voters are discontented over economic issues.

"What happens on economic issues, which will be determined by the debates in the swing states, is really what it's all about," he said.

​Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek agreed that the situation may change, as many in the US are not falling for the media's attempts to demonize Trump, and are aware that many of those prominent public voices are in the pocket of the pro-corporate wing of the Democratic Party. Yet, he noted that Clinton's current polling numbers are so high right now that "we do have to conclude that Hillary Clinton has a very sizable lead over Donald Trump."

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at Johnstown Wire Technologies in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, July 30, 2016. - Sputnik International
Trouble Brewing: Real Threats Clinton Camp Prefers Not to Talk About
Rasmus suggested that the Republican Party's split could play into the hands of Trump, as his message that the two-party system is corrupt has been a part of his appeal from the beginning.

According to Anoa Changa, part-time volunteer staff with Brand New Congress and host of the weekly progressive talk show The Way with Anoa, the Democratic Party base is rising up because it feels that it is "imperative to make sure that this country digs in and holds to progressive values." However, discontent among Democrats has grown as people are tired of "the lesser of two evils arguments."

"I don't think the leads in either party really understand how deep and how significant the disaffection is in large groups within the American electorate. I think they are underestimating it," Rasmus said. "And I don't think the polls are picking this up."

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала