Republicans are in a state of shock and depression as they watch Donald Trump come barreling onto America’s political stage and steal the show. He seemingly came out of nowhere and has, in a short period of time, managed to capture a large share of the GOP base constituency. It’s Trump versus 16 lackluster, mediocre politicians and right now he is blowing them away.
The Republican hierarchy is, no doubt, working furiously to try to deal with this the potential political catastrophe that could occur if Trump continues to run away from the pack. This is an example of what is commonly referred to as a conundrum, a condition or situation for which there seems to be no viable solution. Republicans shake their heads in dismay and frustration, unable to cope with the reality of what has just happened right in front of their eyes.
The GOP leaders want to, in effect, fire this guy and derail his candidacy, perhaps by unearthing some huge scandal, Trump is on his way to becoming their “standard bearer” and will emerge as the future leader of their party which, to them, would be anathema.
So let’s watch as this political soap opera evolves; it’s going to be absolutely fascinating as Trump and the GOP go after each other hammer and tong. A record number of Americans watched the recent debates hosted by Fox News and I’m sure most of them can hardly wait for the next one. Trump has this Teflon-like quality about him by which he can take criticisms, put-downs and insults and they just roll off him.
Trump has become a poisonous element within the Republican Party; one that could cause almost irreparable damage to its future. Here are several scenarios by which Trump can do exactly that:First let’s say that The Donald continues to maintain a very strong lead and earns the nomination; that is, if the top-level Republicans who hate him with a vengeance can’t find a way to bring him down. If he survives, it’s almost a certainty that he will lose the election in a landslide to Hillary or even Bernie Sanders, the latter of which is gaining momentum every day.Secondly, if the Repubs do find a way to throw him under the bus, it’s almost certain that he will run as an independent, draw many millions of GOP voters to his candidacy, and will cause whoever is the actual GOP candidate to lose, again in a massive landslide. Yes, Trump is the GOP’s worst nightmare and the Republicans are in a lose/lose situation no matter what they do.
And here’s how Trump, whether he is the Republican’s candidate or as an independent, will further damage the GOP. If he continues to demean women and strongly criticize the GOP in order to distance himself from its stodgy reputation, he can adversely impact a great many other GOP candidates running for the U.S. Senate and the House; and that could open the door for the election of scores of Democrats and will likely return their party to power in Congress.
So, what many Democrats are hoping is that Trump withstands all the upcoming attacks from the Republicans and that he can survive and maintain his large lead. The Democrats consider him their perfect opponent for, in the campaign for the presidency, he would get almost no support from Hispanics, African Americans and, without question, the women of America who he has insulted and disparaged in so many ways.
Now as much as I think of him as a clown and a buffoon I have to give him some credit because he might just be doing this country a great favor by thoroughly exposing the Republican Party for what it is; an old, obsolete, political dinosaur. Just look at the other 16 other GOP candidates; listen to what they say and, especially what they don’t say and you will know why he is beating them like a drum; they basically say nothing, they have no vision, they are the epitome of the worst side of American politics.
Trump has found a way to appeal to the growing number of Republicans who are frustrated and fed up with the same worn out GOP ideology. They are representative of many of their fellow Americans who know that this country is rapidly moving in the exact wrong direction. They are looking for someone who will turn this country around, and an increasing number see Trump as that man.
The same is true for Bernie Sanders who is tapping into that very same frustration and his fiery, populist message is registering with the Democratic base. Both Trump and Sanders, though they are polar opposites politically, may be at the forefront of the process of initiating a long-awaited transformation of this country’s political system. They are on the road to convincing the American people that things can actually change; that there is hope to reverse the misguided direction into which this current government has been driving this country.
We are in for a wild ride from now until the November 2016 election. Will Trump end up as the Republican candidate for president or will the GOP political machine find a scandal or some other means by which to bury his expectations? The jury is out on that question. If they shove him aside will he then take revenge by running as an independent and assuring that the Democrats win in a landslide?
This political side show may be very entertaining in these very early stages of this election but, more importantly, this election will surely turn out to be one of the most important in this country’s history. So how is all this going to evolve and who will come out on top at the end? Well, the chances of Trump winning the presidency are somewhere between zero and none because the majority of Americans, in the general election, will not allow that to happen to their country.
While Hillary Clinton does not have a message that excites and inspires the American electorate she has more than enough of a following, because of her name, to defeat either Trump or any of his fellow Republican candidates; those who have no message of any substance. Now the wild card in this political contest happens to be Bernie Sanders who is bringing his populist message to the people of America and is drawing huge crowds around the country as more and more people connect with him.
The big question is this: can Sanders continue to attract substantial numbers of Americans by his message that not only clearly identifies this country’s most egregious problems but also provides meaningful solutions, which no other candidate is doing? Has he that unique ability to ignite and energize the massive power of the American people that has been dormant for so long? If he can unleash that power there will be no stopping it or him.
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