United we stand, divided we fall. Less than two weeks after Donald Trump was elected, a Gallup Poll reported a record-high 77 percent of Americans perceive the nation divided while just 21 percent believe it is united and in agreement.
While data are still being calculated as we go to press, with both candidates’ high negativity ratings and the population’s disgust amid a race riddled with name-calling and accusations, and absent sound policy, it is estimated that nearly 100 million eligible voters either abstained or voted for a third-party candidate.
Thus, with some 43 percent of eligible voters choosing not to vote out of disgust, rather than just apathy, President Trump, who lost the popular vote, will enter the White House with just 26 percent of the support of America’s voting population. Indeed, hardly a mandate.
Now, with protests against Trump still simmering and his selection of some administration officials anathema to populist sentiments and beliefs he championed as candidate Trump, who promised to “drain the swamp,” we forecast strong prospects for a new third party to emerge.
With high voter disgust for Democrats, as exemplified by election losses on both federal and state House levels, and high distrust among the massive millennial generation who believe the nomination of their candidate, Bernie Sanders, was stolen by Democratic Party leaders as revealed by WikiLeaks, there are strong prospects for a multi-generational true populist party movement.
In addition, with Trump in office, the so-called left – which professes “progressive” values such as being anti-war, anti-big brother and anti-big corporation but remained silent when Obama launched wars, drone strikes, expanded government surveillance, pushed for global trade, did not prosecute Wall Street banksters as he promised as candidate Obama, etc., etc. – will galvanize against Republicans while also creating a climate for a new third-party movement.