Looking back at the year’s big winners
It’s time to name 2016’s biggest winners. Here’s a spotlight on those who won, though not always in the conventional sense:
• The crème de la crème of 2016 is a no-brainer — President-elect Donald Trump, of course. Sure, there will be Trump haters and Hillary Clinton loyalists who disagree (and those groups are not necessarily mutually inclusive), but sadly, they cannot admit a simple truth. He won. And he won fair and square. There was no hacking, and Russia didn’t alter a single vote at the ballot box. Is it hard to take for the antiTrumpers? How could it not be? After all, this election was forecast to be in the bag for Hillary more so than perhaps any in history. Which is all the more reason Trump deserves his Winner of the Year honor.
He went from political obscurity to cocktail party joke, then from theatrical entertainer to mildly viable threat. Yet in the blink of an eye, despite spending little money and uttering insults that would have left others for dead, Trump’s star kept rising, eventually winning out over (an admittedly very weak field of) 16 other candidates.
How he will govern remains to be seen, but one thing seems certain: Donald Trump will either be a very effective president, or a dismal failure as commander-inchief. As with all things Trump, there is no gray area. Here’s hoping he can bring the country closer together.
• Vladimir Putin. Now here’s a guy who, with the sole exception of Trump, managed to inject himself front-and-center onto the world stage, on damn near every issue. He kept NATO countries on edge by his repeated incursions into their territories; strongly supported Syrian President Assad, especially in Aleppo; and, of course, stands accused of hacking, and subsequently releasing, many embarrassing emails from the Democratic National Committee. Again, it doesn’t matter if you love or hate him, but Putin, as head of a population-declining former superpower, has made a remarkable return to relevance.
• The American people. Once again, we set a shining example about what a peaceful transition of power looks like. In a world where despots rule most countries, and sham elections are the norm — if elections are held at all — the United States’ adherence to the rule of law, and the people’s acceptance of the out- come, continues to amaze. Sure, some whine and threaten to move to France because their candidate lost, but no one does, for good reason: America is still, by far, the most benevolent and free nation in the history of the world. May the uninterrupted reign of peace in American elections continue forever.
• Penn State football. For a team still recovering from the devastating and wholly unfair sanctions imposed by the NCAA over the Jerry Sandusky affair, just making it to a bowl would have been an admirable feat. But the Nittany Lions did more than that. A lot more. They won their Big Ten division, in large part by beating Ohio State, the nation’s second-ranked team. Then they rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat Wisconsin for the Big Ten Championship. And now, they are playing USC in the “Granddaddy Of Them All” — The Rose Bowl.
• Refugees. Agree or not with Europe’s open door policy for Middle Eastern refugees, it is unquestionable that those people are enjoying a better life. But at what cost? European countries are lavishing upon them benefits that are simply unaffordable, from housing to food to welfare checks. Many are unskilled — limiting viable job prospects — which allows them to sip lattes on Europe’s grand streets while young Europeans are risking life and limb fighting in the Middle East.
Admitting unvetted immigrants in huge numbers has been brewing intense resentment throughout Europe, not the least of which is because many public works projects, from roads to schools to hospitals, are on hold in order to fund the refugees. The elitist critics label that bitterness “racist” and “xenophobic,” but for the most part, it’s not. It’s common sense. Europe’s economies and cultures are simply not equipped to deal with such an influx.
• But the biggest winner is ISIS, as it keeps shuttling its warriors into Europe under the guise of refugees. Attacks are becoming more commonplace, yet the policy continues. When will Europe learn?
• Michael Phelps. Does this even need explanation? For a guy who retired after the 2012 Olympics, Phelps simply stormed back to win six more medals in Rio, making him the most decorated Olympian of all time.
Look for the “Year’s Biggest Losers” next week.