Wednesday, February 24, 2016

When "What if..." Becomes a Reality

So as the primaries start ticking off, one by one, and the results are leaning towards Sanders and Trump, over and over again, the impossible is starting to look like it could come to pass. Clinton is still performing extremely well, but when the base (women) that should obviously be supporting her is enamored of an old white guy, she's not the shoo-in we all thought a year ago. And Jeb! is gone now. I knew the Republican field was open this time, but everyone assumed he'd be one of the top players.

And the most unbelievable one of all is Trump. And yet he's doing so well, despite a slew of contradictory statements that are alternately hateful or a 90-degree turn around from past comments. I don't know anyone who is voting for him. But he keeps winning! If this were an episode of Doctor Who, I would say he was using some sort of mind-control device to sway voters. Oh wait, that WAS an actual episode!

So "What If" it turns out to be Sanders, the Impossible Socialist, and Trump, the Uncontrollable Narcissist on the 2016 ballot... how might this play out? You could not find two such widely divergent candidates. And neither seems to be in keeping with their own parties. Neither is behaving in a way that indicates that they can be managed by their party leadership. Neither is taking money from corporations (so far).

What this indicates to me is that as a nation we are EXHAUSTED by politics as usual. And we desperately want a change, even if that change might be counter to our own wishes. We want the banks and corporations to stop buying candidates. We want to hear authentic voices, not ones controlled by money.

If it goes this way (and I'd prepare for it to!) then there's going to be an absolutely ridiculous choice before Conservatives. Vote for racism, narcissism, political ignorance and childish behavior... or vote for someone who will do everything in his power to continue along the same lines as the despised Obama administration, and even further. How will issues like abortion and same-sex marriage and global warming and welfare weigh against a petulant, undisciplined man-child in the White House?