now he’s got Gloria Borger upset
I first entered an American polling booth in 1952, when my mother took me along as she voted for Eisenhower. I’ve kept up with U.S. politics ever since, and I’ve never seen a presidential debate anywhere near as appalling as the GOP’s most recent one. It seemed like a sketch that SNL would reject as too juvenile. I kept waiting for someone to say “Mister Poopypants”.
Marco Rubio questioned Trump’s bladder control. The Donald eschewed all substantive issues to assure a concerned nation that he was, in fact, well-hung. Ted Cruz checked in from his alternate universe sporadically to say stuff. And John Kasich did as little as possible so as not to draw any attention to himself.
I admit I only watched highlights, because I have enough problems with heartburn as it is. But I watched all the CNN analysis. That’s why I’m now officially panicked about the course of global history. Gloria Borger is also worried about the precipitous drop in civility.
For many years Borger has been one of our most rational observers of the political landscape. If I understood her and similarly-thoughtful pundit David Gergen correctly, we are witnessing nothing less than a total make0ver of the GOP.
Every U.S. presidential campaign is touted as the most significant ever. That’s because hype supersedes (I wanted to use the verb “trumps”, but he’s ruined that, too) substance in American politics. Each campaign does, however, have a unique importance. This one is shaping up as the one when a major party with a storied history lost its relevancy.
I draw no glee from watching the mainstream Republicans scramble to break Trump Fever, but they have no one to blame but themselves. They have squandered the political capital Reagan racked up. Even as they fondly, though inaccurately, reminisce about the Gipper’s golden era, they have devolved into a snake pit of barely-disguised racism, homespun homophobia and ghastly misogyny.
Like a glassy-eyed Trump supporter, they are impervious to external critique. They’ve even ignored their own “autopsy” from the 2012 election. Now their front runner is fine with shutting down mosques, waterboarding prisoners and beating up protesters. His followers, recent fans of the U.S. Constitution, are fine with him disregarding it. Welcome back to Death Valley Days, Reagan’s last acting gig before he went on to sainthood.
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Anchor Struck 
The world is watching a sick reality TV show that could backfire something awful…. It is rediculous what the political arena is dishing up these days. My daughter is voting for the first time this year… what an education!
If Trump wins the nomination, I will vote for whoever runs against him. Even if it’s Alfred E Neumann or Pat Paulsen!
Funny you should mention Pat Paulsen, Beanie. When he ran his phony campaign for president, one of the running gags was that he called whatever city or state he was in the greatest ever. Trump
does that.
We Canadians just shake our heads, along with most (I hope) Americans and the rest of the world.
I cannot explain Trump’s appeal to our friends and neighbours.
I have been shaking my head in the total craziness of this whole thing. I have had some heated exchanges on the land of Trump. He is like a little kid throwing a temper tantrum and it makes me ill watching and hearing him and his insults. While everyone thinks that his antics are funny, I don’t find any amusement in what he is saying or doing at all funny. This is one sad election year and not good for the people, the world or anyone else. I am assuming that Hillary is just as Toxic. Is there no one left to lead our country? I am guessing not…..
Rational analyses don’t work on the Trumpeters.
Your daughter couldn’t have picked a more interesting election to start with. Who does she favour?