The Manure Isn’t Only Coming From The Candidates [OPINION]
Summer is my favorite season, but I have never in my life wished it was November as much as I do right now. The race for the White House is dirty, and the manure isn't only coming from the candidates.
From talk radio and TV hosts spouting their versions of what they believe, to the venom coming from party politicians (and I'm referring to those who are politicians within the politics), I find myself wondering who they are trying to convince to vote for whom.
Yahoo Politics published an article about how Bernie Sanders may be changing Hillary Clinton because she allegedly changed her opinion on the resignation of some other politician. Then there was the CNN story in December about the alleged conspiracy by Trump to have Hillary elected because they were friends and photographed together. Heck, I don't know if they ever met or are/were friends! I'm wondering if it really matters now. Even if they are/do, does that mean they can't both want to be president?
Let's add in the national conservative media, who the Washington Post says is "bifurcated." (I didn't know what that word meant either. It means divided. Why couldn't they just say that?) On one side, you have the Trump-haters, who believe he is all talk and no substance. On the other, you have those who believe he is exactly what Americans want: anti-establishment.
As for the Republicans, they may be on their way to a contested convention. I had to look that up, too, by the way. Basically, that means that if no one Republican candidate has at least 1,237 bound delegates (through caucuses and primaries) going into the Republican National Convention in July, he could try to persuade those who are unbound to vote for him.
Here's where it gets sticky: When the convention starts, delegates vote accordingly. However, if after that first vote, no one gets to that magic number of 1,237, ALL the delegates become unbound. Then, it becomes every candidate for himself, and it can be anybody's game.
Here's my two cents, and you are welcome to give me my change if you like.
A Facebook friend of mine wrote an editorial of his own this week about the recent "uprising" of protesters at Trump rallies over the weekend. While I publicly support no candidate or party, I do agree with my friend's assessment that it's wrong to protest any person's freedom to speak publicly with violence. I would say the same if someone in attendance at a Clinton, Sanders, Cruz, Rubio, or Kasich rally had acted in such a manner. If you want to protest at a gathering, do so peacefully. There is no excuse for assaulting or being violent toward someone simply because you disagree with their ideas or philosophies.
People are calling this "the most important election in history." They are all, every single one of them, important. Yes. Serious issues face our country. I believe that we are all more aware and more sensitive because of social media, and because we are seeing and feeling the effects of many of those issues.
I'm not surprised at all by the flip-flopping on the issues by certain candidates. Sure, they should be brought to light. However, I don't pretend to be appalled. This is politics.
Lastly, I sure wish some folks in the national media (liberal or conservative) would remember that there are several million educated Americans. We aren't idiots. We aren't oblivious. We certainly aren't unaffected by what is happening in our country, good or bad. Believe it or not, we can find the truth if we really want it. And we know when you aren't giving it to us. You, and those party leaders, would do well to remember that.