The Waldo Moment: An Oversimplification

The most important thing to accept about this election is that none of us know how this will go. Trump may prove to be a great president, with his non-political background being exactly what our country needed to break away from “tradition” and another four years of doing the same cycle of failing to work together in the name of “party politics”. Moreover, his experience in business, as opposed to the capital, may provide a much different, fresh perspective that - while perhaps unsatisfactory alone - may be capable of inspiring different thinking from our current politicians. On the other hand, maybe Trump is very much like Waldo, being a mere puppet to creative masterminds operating behind the scenes, in which case it is entirely possible that we will see another cycle that is controlled by party power struggles, leading to Congress’s continued inability to overcome their differences to move legislation to benefit the American people. While it does not seem like Trump is the kind of person that would allow this to happen, it did occur to me that he sent a starkly different message in his victory speech than he did on the campaign trail.

However, this is not to say Hillary would have been an unquestionably better choice, as she had shortcomings of her own. Though I don’t want to go into it too much because I know it has been covered extensively elsewhere, the email situation does hint that she maybe issued with information security, which is important for a president. Additionally, I think many people had a hard time rallying behind her because she did not come across as being terribly warm (which I suspect may be due to her time as a lawyer, but I’m not certain). Even beyond this, she is the very definition of a lifelong politician. It’s rather unfortunate, in a way; in another election, she would stand apart for her ample experience and qualifications. However, one of the most prevalent themes in this election cycle was that people are frustrated and, more importantly, tired of Washington as usual. While I don’t know that trump is the right alternative, he certainly does present an intriguing break from the stereotypical politicians we see all too often.

With all of this said, I found “The Waldo Moment” interesting, though a bit too heavy-handed. Yes, it’s easy to point out the similarities to Trump’s campaign: the brash, highly abrasive speeches and debates, the constant attacks on other candidates, the calls to violence at rallies, and so forth. However, I think the most interesting thing they presented was the idea of Trump’s personal struggles behind the character he played on the campaign trail (behind his Waldo, if you will). However, I feel this was overshadowed by the ending. I think explicitly depicting Waldo/Trump as an entertainment piece grossly oversimplifies things. Additionally, if Monroe is supposed to be representative of Clinton, I think they seriously diminished just how much people disagreed with and/or disliked her. 

In sum, this election has certainly been an interesting one, and “The Waldo Moment” echoed some of its wildest aspects. However, despite my own feelings on Trump, I believe simplifying him to a mere cartoon doesn’t quite do it justice, just as I think saying people didn't want Clinton just because she's a more stereotypical politician also doesn't give the full scope of people's argument. I appreciate "The Waldo Moment" for its comparisons, but I think it simply becomes too heavy-handed to be taken seriously. It will not be an easy road, but I do believe our society will find a way through this, and come out better for the lessons we are learning..