It seems it is going to feel like a really long time until the 2016 election what with all the noise of the candidate stampede. The talking heads are filling the airwaves with endless chatter not much of which is illuminating. It is very similar to the Invesco commercials in which four chattering people follow a hapless man around issuing endless, and probably inconsistent investment advise.
The so-called Democratic race for the nomination promised to be unspeakably dull until Bernie Sanders came on the scene. We will probably have Hilary, but Bernie is making a lot of interesting noise. The media has labeled him a socialist but Marx and Engels would probably not be impressed, and the people in the Scandanavian countries are laughing. He raises issues of income inequality, a failing middle class, functional pricing of a college education, attention to our failing infrastructure, none of which sounds particularly socialistic. At least there is focus and passion and the possibility for a real debate.
On the Republican side, we have a rather large contingent of “candidates” who are claiming they are running or will run. Much of the rhetoric is familiar and the talking heads, poor deers (in the headlights), are finding it hard to keep up or decide who they want to cover. From time to time there is good stage humor but on the issues it is difficult to decide how the “candidates” can be focusing on specific minimal bases and how it might lead to a win of a nomination much less a national election.
I was spending a lot of time scratching my head, endangering what is left of my hair, until one analyst raised a thought about what might be going on. He opined that they were looking, not just for exposure, but for work. Suddenly there was clarity. Certainly some of them like Donald Trump are simply egos who like the stage but a lot of the others do have political creds but a meaningful base to win the nomination, or the national election seems very unlikely. In fact, you have to bundle a number of candidates to get to two digits in the polls.
So, in the end we can expect that when their time is through in politics they can move on to paid appearances on television or to jobs at think tanks and corporations. They are out and about talking to people and making contacts and relationships. Fair enough.
There is one problem. This is America, and we can embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and planfulness for one’s future. But we are in the twenty-first century and have a rapidly changing world. Forget for a moment the incredible disorders in the Middle East and the threat of terrorism. We need to attend to the changing needs of our workforce, terrible educational cost problems for our young and an infrastructure which is not in good shape among many other issues. We should be having an intelligent discussion and it would serve us if it were truly diverse. Unfortunately, with all this noise we are not getting much that is constructive.
For now I’ll be listening with only half an ear. It’s my hope that somewhere down the road we will have an informed debate from all parties. Different philosophies would be constructive. Fine. Make it with different philosophies but it would be helpful if it were not manipulative chatter aimed at small constituencies. Maybe it is a bit much to ask but I’d like to see some courage and integrity demonstrating a real love and commitment for our country. The issues are big, they are commanding and they need our attention.
Stephan Sonn says
Alice could not have said it better. Curiouser and curiouser but the path was cleared for them.
Keith Thompson says
I found this quote about Bernie Sanders interesting…
“The media has labeled him a socialist but Marx and Engels would probably not be impressed, and the people in the Scandanavian countries are laughing. He raises issues of income inequality, a failing middle class, functional pricing of a college education, attention to our failing infrastructure, none of which sounds particularly socialistic. At least there is focus and passion and the possibility for a real debate.”
Actually, Bernie Sanders has labeled himself a socialist, so I don’t think it’s a media creation…not all that different than some neo-cons who get labeled (falsely in my opinion) as libertarians because they themselves identify themselves as libertarians.
Personally I find Bernie Sanders an interesting candidate even though I’m pretty much opposite of him when it comes to economic policy and that’s because he brings some interesting dialogue to the political debate. Assuming he does not win the Democratic Party nomination (a safe assumption I would think), I think he would certainly be an interesting third party candidate (Green Party perhaps) and I think that a Bernie Sanders/Gary Johnson (presumptive Libertarian Party candidate) debate would be far more interesting and informative than a Hillary Clinton/Jeb Bush debate ever would be.
Gerry Maynes says
Gosh, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump as candidates, makes me pine for the days of Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse for President! Well at least they aren!t paranoid , ill tempered, and scandal plagued as Ms, Clinton is. That’s something in their favor. On the other hand the Republicans do have a deep bench. The true pity is that the Democrats, have only three candidates interested in running for the office
Crowded fields of Republicans in past elections gave us such great Presidents as Lincoln and Reagan. It is going to be interesting on how this plays out.
Gren Whitman says
With 17 GOPhers splashing in the possible-president pool, Fox News and CNN will limit the first two Republican debates to only those ranked in the top 10 by national polls, with the other seven assigned to bottom-feeding.
The GOP pool isn’t “deep” as much as it’s wide, and very, very shallow.
Gerald Maynes says
Actually 16 of the GOPs candidates are better qualified then Ms Clinton who has accomplished zero at the State Department or as a US Senator and Bernie Sanders the author of a How to Book on Rape when he was in school as well as Martin Omalley the man who taxed the rain. Compare this group to the person who has no chance of receiving the nomination, Three term governor of New York George Pataki. All George did was revive his state from the doldrums that Mad Mario Cuomo had mismanaged them in to
Why only three Dems easy, The Democratic governors convention could be held in a small booth at the Smyrna Dinner. There simply isn!t many of them left. The voters have turned them out.
Gren Whitman says
Mr. Maynes must get his “facts” from Fox News, especially that “rain tax” foolishness, which is a federal (not state) requirement placed on 10 Maryland subdivisions to protect the Bay from storm water pollution, and which is still in full effect.
Gerry Maynes says
Yes of course all republicans get their news from Fox and from the Tea Party sources according to Liberal Democrats with a limited thought process. I read at least five newspapers each and every day ( The Times , The NY Post, The Wall Street Journal, The News Journal and The Baltimore Sun. I also read the web for the Middletown Ny Times Herald Record, The Philadelphia Inquirer , and The Mercury News . I also watch Fox, Msnbc( I like their 24 hour a day comedy news) and CNN. I also have about 800 Volumes on History and politics in my home library. So, I suggest that you will just have to come up with some new retort and limit your viewing of Liberal MSNBC it could lead to brain rot.
Stephan Sonn says
Gren
Certainly these new Republicans are a plague upon the land but it is amazing that they manage to do so while to do it while remaining honest and accurate as well. Glad you answered him for the record but ultimately it is their A team that has to be addressed and they are double-talk elite.
Gren Whitman says
Stephen, the GOP has nothing resembling an”A” Team.
D-plus at best… They might gain a C-minus rating once they manage to jettison Trump, Carson, Santorum, and Jindal.
What fun watching the candidates (declared and not) as they scramble to survive the dreaded “Top-10” cut so they can “debate” on the Fox News channel.
I put debate in quotes because their I’m-Righter-Than-Anyone-Else puffery ain’t debatin’, but mere panderin’.
Gerry Maynes says
Gosh, If the Democrats jettison Hillary from the ticket that would bring them from F minus to F Plus. I give them a Plus because the remaining two all stars never were accused of selling out their office, for bribes from countries not friendly to our country or gross incompetence as a as Senator or the head of The State Department, or as the point person for her husbands administration on National Health care or as a member of the Watergate legal team ( she was asked to leave)
As far as these republicans being a plague on the earth, I hope that you seek some help and soon. If the republicans do take the White House, the sun will come out each day and the world will continue much the way it always has. As for telling me, I am glad that you admitted that the National Administration headed up by a Democratic President decided to force Maryland to tax the rain. Of course, Gov Omalley could have sued the Federal EPA on behalf of his state but chose not to. Therefore he is just as guilty and is the man who taxed the Rain
Pete Buxtun says
Good thing there’s no tax on Kool-Aid.