LETTER: I can already feel the furore that such a controversial title will inspire. However, there are multiple reasons why the US, and the rest of the world, should be hoping Donald Trump gets re-elected as US President on November 3.
Firstly, let me state that I am not a Republican admirer nor a big fan of Donald Trump himself. In fact, his persona, full of narcissism and self-congratulation, is the antithesis of how I believe a head of state should be.
I would say empathy, openness, virtue and the ability to control one's impulses are key for any senior civil servant, especially the leader of one the most powerful nations in the world. And make no mistake, Donald Trump has shown none of these by any real measure. His only successes have been in foreign policy, low unemployment and tax reform.
So why on earth does world politics, and America, still need Trump as president. The answer lies in two parts: 1) the workings of democracy and 2) the lack of an alternative. President John F. Kennedy once wrote, "The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all." In 2016, Donald Trump received approximately 63 million votes.
People are very quick to vilify the man but very few actually spend time analysing how he was able to win such huge amounts of support. In 2016, Trump represented the anti-establishment; feeding those who demanded more action, greater nationalism and change from the never-ending status quo. Whether or not he has actually brought about positive change may not be relevant.
The fact is, then and now, he represents change. Trump won a democratic election in 2016. This essentially means enough Americans identified with his personality and/or his policies to decide he was appropriate to lead the country. Some have put this to populist anger. However, the symptoms were there, predating Trump, and, if anything, Trump's presidency has made us, universally, reassess our views on institutionalism and democracy.
This brings us to the second fundamental issue with American politics: the lack of credible alternatives. Make no mistake the 2020 US Election is Donald Trump vs Donald Trump. The US voters seem faced with a simple question, "Do you want Trump to remain in charge of America?"
This is fundamentally wrong. It completely negates his opponent, Democrat Joe Biden. Frankly, it could be anyone standing against Trump; waiting to slot in as an elected "caretaker coach" (president) when the manager finally gets the sack - to use the football analogy.
This election has become one of personality more than policy. This is exactly why I think Trump needs to remain in power. The US, and the world at large, needs to understand the anti-establishment movements currently permeating world politics.
From Brexit in the UK, to Jair Bolsonaro's election in Brazil (Brazexit), there are huge misconceptions about public opinion. In the US, there seems to be consensus that ousting Trump will right a wrong. This may be short-sighted.
Biden, not the most incandescent individual, not only represents the archaic establishment, but also personifies politics' ultimate problem; that personality seems to dictate much more than policy. In this case, it isn't the policies of Joe Biden driving positive political change. Instead, it is the polarising personality of Donald Trump fuelling opinion and votes. Put simply, a huge amount of people are not voting for Biden to win; they are voting for Trump to lose.
America, like several first world countries, needs a level of institutional and social reform that can, once again, facilitate effective self-government. Then it will be in a better position to manage populism whilst also adequately solving cultural and racial tensions in a modern world.
Whilst four more years of Trump may not unify the country, or be popular, it may give Americans the time to assess the institutional reforms needed to build an effective government, and find someone who truly represents change in modern America. If they vote for "sleepy Joe", I fear America's institutional and social reform might be sleeping for a lot longer.
RISH TANDAPANY
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times