Trump inauguration: How did we get here?
Updated
With Donald Trump on the cusp of becoming US president, it seems fair to ask... "How did we get here?"
Forget the overvalued analysis, the simple reason he's president is that more than enough people voted for him in the right places. But who?
As Mr Trump has become increasingly unpredictable, something of an anti-president in the sense of an anti-hero, more and more vitriol has been directed at those believed to have voted for him.
Not every voter in every state he won backed him — far from it.
But it's a fair bet that nearly every voter who attended his rallies did.
This reporter went to one of those rallies, in Concord in North Carolina, days before election day... and an eye-opening thing it was.
We seven were foreign reporters in The USA (this one on study leave) as part of an East West Centre educational program, learning about the political process close up.
As well as Australia, we were drawn from China, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
All very objective, of course, yet on the face of it, not remotely your typical Trump supporters.
When the opportunity arose to attend a Trump rally, our keenness to witness the phenomenon was tempered with trepidation.
We were aware of stories about people of colour and journalists being made to feel less than comfortable at these events.
Some of us ticked both those boxes.
As we prepared for a potentially dangerous journey into the unknown, our EWC co-ordinator told us what we were all thinking.
We were to be extra careful with our interactions, especially as we'd decided not to try to join the accredited official media inevitably sequestered at the back of the hall.
We'd already been to a Joe Biden rally for Democratic Party faithful at which big men prevented us from even approaching the VP; this, after having been through a security screening process stricter than The Vatican.
The drive to Concord was only about 30 kilometres from Charlotte CBD, where 90 per cent of those allowed to offer an opinion had told us Hillary Clinton had the presidency sewn up.
Clearly, nobody had told this to the people who'd taken every parking spot and much of the grass outside the Concord sports hall with some of the biggest four wheel drives and pickups known to modern engineering.
Once we reached the doors, we could hear the unmistakable tones of the Republican candidate booming throughout the echoey venue.
This reporter and Charnika Imbulana of Sri Lanka's Daily Financial Times split off and made our way as close to the front as possible.
We did this gingerly, myself concerned for my companion in a way that would usually be unnecessary.
But on the 'profession' side of things, comforted by the fact that so many around us were holding aloft phones, pads and even old fashioned cameras.
No guns, ropes, or even axe handles so, kind of safe!
Hyperbole aside, we had no hassles whatsoever.
The candidate's tone was negative, verbally aggressive and occasionally comical.
A quick look around at the attentive faces and one could imagine one was in Australia, except the gathering was much less multicultural.
Lots of red, white and blue — particularly red.
The 'official' media were down the back of the hall as predicted, behind a heavy steel fence.
This barrier resembled either a cage or a gated community, depending on the length of your prejudice.
They copped it too, the candidate referring to them as "dishonest", "crooked" and simply "bad people", the crowd needing little encouragement to hurl insults at the box.
"They have a very low rating now folks, hopefully I've helped at that!"
The fact that the candidate was one of the only people in the arena wearing a suit would've made him stand out anyway, if it wasn't for his wild mane all blonde in the bright light.
He strutted the stage, finger wagging, arms opening wide for effect and the people of Concord were transfixed as he spoke their minds.
The candidate promised the biggest tax decrease since Reagan, while vowing to axe the EPA, the TPP, NAFTA, Obamacare, Chinese imports, and the Syrian refugee program.
The crowd went wild, chanting "U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!"
And to roars which nearly lifted the roof, he promised to build at least one thing, "It'll be a great wall and the harder they fight, the taller it gets!"
The candidate also claimed Vladimir Putin "dreams of Hillary Clinton becoming president" because he didn't respect her.
Thousands screamed "LOCK HER UP! LOCK HER UP!"
He threw out the statement "we don't win anymore in this country," with no challenge from the floor.
About 40 minutes of non-stop DT on a Thursday afternoon and his audience still wasn't tired.
"We are the movement of the future", he declared, before lowering his voice, to the hushing of the mass.
Then, in a near whisper, he urged the terminally ill to ensure they got out of bed to vote.
All that was left was the crowd participation of "Make America great again", a few handshakes for those between the barrier and the stage, and suddenly the stage was empty.
The vibrant version of participatory democracy we had seen could only lead one to the conclusion that Mr Trump's fans believed in him and what he was saying 100 per cent, and wanted the world to know it.
The chants did not come from a section of the crowd but the whole of them; very few did not join in when "lock her up" started.
In the wake of the personality vacuum which followed the candidate's departure, the movement of the future milled about as this reporter and Ms Imbulana went closer to the dais for photo opportunities.
We had no concerns as people were respectful, happy and friendly, smiling and many saying hello.
Would it have been the same if they knew we were reporters?
While we posed for pics, one very big red bearded man, possibly thinking we were a couple, offered - insisted - to take photos of both of us together.
He was a bit wobbly, however, presumably from all the excitement.
And so was the photo.
Outside, this reporter sought to buy a few Make America Great Again caps, as after the election they would be a great reminder of the folly and failure of this Trump campaign.
The salesmen were wiry and young and singleted, and with tables and items under their arms, were busy being chased across the extensive grassed area.
They weren't meant to be selling stuff on private property — or so the police officer on a motorbike told me.
I followed them at quite a pace, to the far, far other side of the property, where I paid too much for a few red caps made in China.
Once my salesman recognised an un-American accent in his midst, he inquired of me before exclaiming, "dude's all the way from Western Australia and he's buying Trump stuff! Boo yeah!"
High fives and touching of knuckles ensued and I then departed this manly exchange without having to go into details about what I was actually doing in Concord, NC.
But on the way back to hopefully finding my six colleagues and CO, I was challenged by two men who were each double my size in every measure.
They were mutton-chopped, denim-clad locals astride their hogs (the motorcycle variety) and they'd picked my alien nature a mile away.
"Where're yoo from?"
Australia, I said, prefacing much discussion back and forth about what a great place The United States generally was.
"Yeah and welcome! We're MIGHTY pleased to have you here visiting our wonderful nation! Sure is gonna be better in a week's time!"
Yes, it was a very interesting rally.
"SO what you DOING HERE?"
I answered honestly that I was travelling around a bit of America and stopped to have a look at what a Trump rally was like. All true.
But the crushing silence on both their parts made this reporter suspect not enough or proper explanation had been provided, and to avoid making an awkward situation into something untoward, smiled and walked fast and didn't stop until out of sight.
Do some people look like their profession? Or do they sometimes look so obviously out of place that they're asking for intimidation?
Switch to the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.
It was the day after the election result nobody predicted to us; save for a Christian minister in Cleveland, and every cab driver who cared.
The heroes and significant figures of The United States were represented in statue form-- each state gets to contribute two.
Politicians, generals, chiefs, explorers, builders, business people, religious figures, rabble rousers, people who overcame disabilities, an astronaut.
But some were heroes of The Confederacy, or white supremacy, some were responsible for great loss of life while others were Native Americans, whose peoples suffered great oppression.
It's a big house.
The paintings and murals on the walls depicted a variety of tragedies which would break lesser nations forever.
One gets the feeling that whatever happens in the next four years, the people of The United States have historically been through much, much worse already.
Topics: world-politics, us-elections, united-states
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