P.A.Samaraweera

 The US polls are to be held on the 8th of November. The first debate between Hilary Clinton (HC) and Donald Trump (DT) was held a few weeks ago. According to political commentators, HC was ahead in that debate.  The 2nd debate was held on the 9th of October. In this debate, among other topics, the focus was on DT’s tax evasion and his attitude towards women. With regard to the first, DT diplomatically avoided the topic by referring to ‘depreciation’.  As a defence against the second accusation, DT compared it with the allegations against Bill Clinton who was sitting in the audience. DT reminded HC, that four of his victims are sitting in the front row. DT also referred to the 33,000 emails sent by HC. She accepted it and said it was a mistake. Unlike in the last debate, HC could not give a knock out and according to some commentators, DT had an edge over her. Some had claimed that HC is the winner while others had said that she failed to put the nail in the coffin. A few had analysed it as an even split. DT has little experience in politics whereas HC had been in politics for 30 years. The final debate is on the 19th of Oct.

In 2008 HC failed to get nominations from the Democratic party. It had been argued that both are unpopular and the floating voters have to choose the best out of the worst. HC, who was the former US Secy of State may follow Obama foreign policy which was talk peace and wage war. She was hard on Sri Lanka after the war and  she visited Jayalalithaa to discuss the post war Sri Lankan situation. During the last Presidential elections, there were allegations that she accepted donations from the LTTE. Later it was reported that the funds were returned saying that she was unaware that the LTTE was a terrorist organisation !   If HC wins the election, she will undoubtedly throw her weight on Sri Lankan politics.