by Richard J. Maybury
Mises.org
Whether it is Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump who stands on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C in January 2017 to take the oath of office as president of the United States, all public opinion polls suggest whomever emerges victorious will have among the highest unfavorable ratings for anyone beginning their time in the White House. Both Clinton and Trump represent a failure for American democracy.
According to an Associated Press poll taken in early July 2016, 57 percent view Clinton unfavorably and only 37 percent favorably. Sixty-three percent hold an unfavorable view of Trump, and only 31 percent are favorable. Of those planning to vote for either Clinton or Trump, only 26 percent, respectively, said they would be positively “excited” if their candidate wins. Plus, three quarters of prospective voters in the poll declared that they were making their decision based upon whom they wanted to vote against.