Presidential Election 2016, The Decent Into Political Hell

Protest In Chicago To Disrupt And Dirty Trumps Image

To say the massive protest that postponed Donald Trump's political rally in Chicago occurred only in reaction to statements made by him gives the Republican front runner a bit too much credit. If the cake being served had been made by Trump it would be fair to say it was stirred by anti-Trump forces within and outside the Republican party. Obama even stepped into the fray icing the same cake with several over the top and unnecessary statements during the last several days, yes it is fair to say he did his share to incite and egg-on the anti-Trump forces. Obama did his share to create an environment where the protesters went to this rally with the intent to disrupt and interfere with Trumps right to free speech.

Obama stirred The Pot

Jokes and supposedly off the cuff remarks as well as what looked like a comedy skit  by the President have been repeatedly broadcast by the media and further polarized our divided nation. His statements repeatedly broadcast across the airwaves are as much to blame for what happened in his hometown of Chicago as many of the statements being made by Trump. To say America has a flawed election process is an understatement. It often results in not putting the best qualified choice in a position to move on  While everyone is quick to concede that we started with a huge number of contestants it is ironic we have winnowed the group down to the undesirable few we see today.

We have heard time and time again claims that certain candidates have already disqualified themselves because of this or that. In one of the Presidential debates Donald Trump said he didn't have time to be politically correct. A firewall to retard Trumps progress based on the fact he is not always politically correct has begun to morph into one of racism. Many of the statements made by Trump are pulled out of context and spun in ways that make him into a cad, a bigot, an opportunist, this is not by accident and it sure doesn't help when the candidate most supported by the party establishment repeatedly calls him a con man. The rupture in the Republican party gives me an uneasy feeling that Hillary Clinton could end up as the next President providing she can keep out of jail.

Years ago, when I wore three piece suits, attending  fundraisers and high price dinners, I found much of the mainstream Republican conservative social mores difficult to stomach. What I and many people that voted Republican hoped for was simply less government and less spending, this extends to the issue of war. Watching the Fox News GOP debate in Detroit on March 3rd brought forth wave after wave of disgust. It is difficult to say whether the network moderators or the candidates made a worse impression. Between softball questions, grandstanding, and straight out lies topped off with fear mongering in order to justify spending more on weapons and the military.

In a country already politically polarized it is not surprising to see strong reactions from those who feel under pressure or assault and it is not unreasonable they react with annoyance or anger. I'm not writing only about angry old white men, but a lot of women and other people many who are the hard working owners of small businesses that are tired of the growing culture of pandering. Black Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson may of said it best while appearing on a Sunday morning talk show on August 2nd, he generically referred to too much of this politically correct talk as "silly." I view myself as somewhat socially liberal but I think enough is enough. In this world someone is always going to be offended by something. Part of my personal conflict grows from a more traditional and conservative economic view of how things work and an awareness of who is getting stuck with the bill and the cost related to the direction we move. 

Following "Super Tuesday" an ugly feeling has developed as the Republican establishment continues to bang away in an effort to maintain control. The big money and the lobbyist that control Washington are making an over the top effort to discredit Trump and this has made many voters mad as hell. In seems the Republican party wants you to vote, but only if you vote for the candidate they choose. The same situation exist on the Democratic side of the race. It has become abundantly clear in the Democratic race that Bernie Sanders would be far ahead of Clinton if it were not for the the African American community voting as a block for Hillary and endorsing her as Obama's heir apparent. To many Americans such voting blocks based solidly on race is a concern. all this begins to take the feel of reverse discrimination casting a barrier around and over the free speech of those who hesitate to march along in lockstep.

Life is an interesting journey, long before the suits I sincerely believed and fully embraced many of the socialist ideas expounded by Bernie Sanders but eventually rejected them because it has fatal flaws, it does not work because so many people will not step up to the plate in a responsible way and carry their fair share of the load. However, only when you have, shall we say "walked a mile in another mans shoes" can you understand his point of view. The great thing about Bernie is that he sincerely believes what he says, this is rare among politicians today. Across the polarized divide many Americans agree Bernie is correct that crony capitalism, Wall Street, and Washington have robbed us blind. When all is said and done it appears America is doing well in our political race to the bottom, and if anything our political decent into a bottomless hell is picking up speed.


Footnote; On a lighter note, for a bit of inspiration and to be uplifted  I suggest a listen to What Made America Famous  a song by Harry Chapin. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the complex social fabric that is the core of our country. Go out and have a great day!