The Final Presidential Debate

Atif Qarni is a Democratic activist in Northern Virginia. He tweets at #QarniForSenate

Donald Trump did better than the first debate. However, this does not mean he should win this election. His poll numbers will probably go up after this debate because he had flashes of displaying good responses. However, we must not forget that this just a façade.

The real Donald Trump is someone who is so childish that he refused to shake hands with his opponent. He is someone who has insulted Latinos, Muslims, Disabled, Women, etc. Even in this debate, he insulted Latinos calling them “Bad Hombres.”

What I found refreshing about the debate was that the moderator was able to direct both candidates to respond to many issues. There was much less name calling and interruptions. However, there were times when Trump took low blows at Hillary Clinton when he called her a “nasty woman.”

If Trump is elected, he will fight for right-to-carry laws. Our nation is going through a crisis due to so many guns out there. Clinton has a comprehensive plan in ensuring we address this issue.

Clinton said that “late-term abortions” happen when a mother’s life is at risk. It is devastating for women to make this choice. This philosophy is in line with Islamic values. Additionally, we do not need the government involved in these matters. Hillary talked about how the government in China forces women to have abortion and government in Romania forces women to have babies. These are extreme measures that must not happen in our country.

Trump spoke about ICE endorsing him. What he failed to mention is that ICE employees will benefit if we focus more efforts on border control. This is not good for the country.

When Hillary pressed Trump about his issue with women, Trump pivoted to Saudi Arabia and Qatar giving money to the Clinton Foundation and how the Saudi government treats women poorly. I agree with what Trump said, however, this does not mean he respects women.

The last jobs report was disappointing, and that can be reason alone that Trump should win this election. However, his hateful rhetoric and lack of discipline will cause him the election. Additionally, many conservative economists say Trump’s economic plan has serious flaws.

There are a lot of issues brewing in this election cycle. However, the most alarming thing has been racial tensions. I strongly feel that Trump supporters, most of whom are white, feel like they are losing control and Trump has been feeding on that. These folks want their country back from Blacks, Hispanics, Gays, and yes, even Muslims.  

After the Civil War, when slavery ended and Black men were given the right to vote, there was lot of anxiety among White men living in the South. Lynchings and Jim Crow laws started immediately after the Civil War. Many Black men were lynched while attempting to vote.

Over the past two weeks, we have seen Trump at his worst. He has been enticing more and more hate at his rallies. Even during this third debate, he would not agree to acknowledge Hillary if she were to win. Trump is already calling this election rigged. Research shows that it is nearly impossible to rig a presidential election.

CAIR has indicated that only 11% of Muslims say they will vote for Trump. Those 11% and anyone voting for Trump is on the side of mass hysteria. Clinton has many flaws, she has integrity issues and she does have a quid pro quo past. Nevertheless, she is no different than most politicians. She still will advocate for policies that will benefit a lot of Americans. On the other hand, Trump is not like other politicians. He is much worse. Trump is an indecent human being who has serious neofascist tendencies.

I am disappointed in those Muslims who choose to support Trump. I truly think that Muslims who are supporting Trump are fringe individuals who are seeking attention to get their 15 minutes of fame. If they were genuine to our nation and to our Muslim community, they would never ever support a neofascist.

*Editor’s note: A Republican response has been requested and we will post that here as soon as it is received.