My nephew wrote a lengthy e-mail worrying about the effects of Donald Trump and his apparent popularity. I think it is a little early in the season to declare a locked in front runner. Trump may represent an awakening by the public that they have not been well served by professional politicians, those individuals who have spent their adult life running for one office or another.
There is a realization that the political parties as currently constituted are not representing the best interests of the citizens they purport to represent. The people who have begun to realize this are from both ends of the spectrum. Disregard, for the moment, the underlying rationale for reaching a particular conclusion and you will find that the Tea Party and Occupy are generally in agreement. They differ in the underlying cause and the means needed to fix the problem. By different paths they have reached the same conclusion, government is broken.
This leads me to something my third grade math teacher said, “Show your work, it isn’t right if you don’t show your work.” What applies to third grade math applies to politics. Just because two disparate groups, Tea Party and Occupy have arrived at the same point, it doesn’t mean that they are actually in agreement. A broken clock is right twice a day.
Along comes Trump spouting the government is broken line. He rings an emotional bell in each camp. He also is an outsider, just as the people he appeals to are outside the mainstream of their respective parties. Trump has stolen the “Obama effect”. Obama had to be the least qualified most worthless piece of shit ever to run for the office, but he got elected and reelected. A substantial portion of the electorate voted for him because he represented: (1) a novelty, the first black man who ran for President (for white liberals) (2) he’s black like me, (for the inner city) and/or (3) it was a way to tweak the Clintons. I am convinced that there is an undercurrent of democrats that would do anything to keep Hillary out of office, but they will never admit it.
The debates, like the one last night, do nothing to clarify the situation. According to the pundits, 44% of the questions were directed to one candidate, Trump. Leaving the the other candidates to scramble for a piece of the 56%, divided 9 ways. This meant Trump had to be pitch perfect on the questions he answered or be perceived as ineffectual as he blundered along. His competitors were also in a position where they had to make the most of what could be their one opportunity to deliver a forceful message. Last night’s debate shows how important it is not to lose sight of the mission of TV news. That mission is, to sell tampons and toilet paper, nothing else matters.
Like you I am suspicious of Trump and hope that his tactics will result in another candidate who will be enpowered to take on the status quo and be acceptable to Republicans because he can win and not because, like Jeb Bush he is already bought and paid for. But if Trump is the candidate then I’ll damn sure vote for him.
No surprise, I’d vote for the Taliban before I’d vote for a democrat. The Taliban doesn’t hate America half as much as the democrats.
Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.