Well…
even when people get frustrated by the arrival of Christmas on
the shelves of stores in August, eventually December arrives.
The calendar moves. For those that may have missed it, the time
has passed for Happy New Year wishes.
It’s
2016 now. And, in a few weeks, the opening round of voting will
kick off for candidates interested in becoming the next President
of the United States.
Several
months ago I was one of those holding my hands in the air, vaguely
looking like the end of Animal House, as I asked for
the media tidal wave of election hyping to relax and calm down.
Instead, the swarm of hysteria grew and grew.
I’m
still on the periphery of the madness. And yet, like the outer
edges of a sink just as the drain is opened… though I’m not in
danger of being swept into the pipes of this election just yet,
the whirlpool has begun spinning and I’m feeling the pull. I’ve
come to an interesting realization.
Donald
Trump is a brilliant candidate.
Ok…
ok… THAT admission requires some explaining. Because
honestly, if such a thought is occurring anyplace near plumbing,
it’s not in a sink.
Donald
Trump, in my opinion, is horrible beyond description. His personality
is nauseating. The way he treats people is at its worst unforgivable,
inappropriately entitled, and disgusting… and when not reaching
the depths of unforgivable, the majority of the time his actions
rise only to the levels of self-absorbed, infuriating, and ignorant.
Amazingly,
I am close to believing that he may be the great hope for change
in American politics.
I
wrote a few essays last summer… check out “I
could only hope it wouldn’t get worse… (and then…)”
as a summary and collecting point involving three of them… and
basically the main concepts of these fell into two areas of concern
and hope:
First
– American politics, especially on a national level, have turned
into a circus and we deserve better.
Second
– We won’t get better as long as we keep playing out the same
cycle… elect clowns, watch clowns do stupid things in office,
talk about how things are going to change next time, see only
clowns developing into candidates but not recognizing the humor
(in ways such as 40% of those eligible to vote deciding not
to cast a ballot or by holding up signs with the names of clowns
above words like hope), elect clowns, repeat.
The
thing is, without drastic motivation, we’re going to get the same
old game. Again… and again… and candidate promises hope, campaigns
for change, gets elected and nothing changes as hope is lost…
and again… and…
Watch…
Does
anyone feel that Washington is a different place, behaving better,
with our current President?
Amazing
that I know the overwhelming majority of you rolled your eyes
and laughed at that question… you know, considering Barack Obama
told us in 2008 there was hope and promised he was going to bring
change, and in 2012 told us the job of restoring hope and bringing
change wasn’t done, and in 2016 we’re looking at candidates talking
about the need for change.
Which
in turn brings us to Donald Trump and that brilliant candidate
thing.
Despite
all reasonable thought and practice, Donald Trump remains a leader
in the race to the White House.
As
a side note, I think I have figured out why. It’s kind of like
those contestants on talent shows that last until the final five
or six, despite the fact… and while I’m stating opinion, let’s
face it, it is fact… despite the fact that they are so limited
or lacking when compared to other contestants, we can all see
they should have been eliminated before the public voting even
began. But they aren’t. Instead they manage to sneak through,
week after week, without even landing in the bottom, end-of-the-show,
thank-you-but-go-home segment.
What
I’ve come to theorize is that these contestants have a solid block
of voters in their corner that will not be swayed by fact… they
will not be swayed by skills, abilities, or realities… they will
not abandon their star. They’ve latched on to their flavor of
the season, and they’ll stay with it until it’s over.
And
it’s a solid block. Those that recognize the realities are the
exact same people. Those that are delusional and misguided are
the exact same people.
So,
week after week, these contestants keep racking up exactly the
same number of votes. Doesn’t change. If they get 2,357,243 votes
in the first round of live voting, they get 2,357,243 votes in
round two… 2,357,243 in round three… and so on. Then, eventually,
2,357,243 votes aren’t enough to escape the elimination moment.
And they’re gone.
Donald
Trump.
There
he is, week after week, with basically the exact same polling
numbers. That’s what they tell me. Every week, when the new numbers
are released, we get told Trump is holding steady. The problem
is… much like in Rhode Island, where capturing a third of the
votes cast can elect a governor… those same polling numbers during
the primary season could get Donald Trump to the convention instead
of elimination. I wish I was kidding. But with every passing day,
it could happen. And I’ve been forced… like many… to consider
that what we might have as the leading candidates when November
arrives.
This
is a circus beyond three rings and the largest tent ever pitched.
Which is why it hit me…
If
we’re going to need something horrible beyond comprehension to
actually come to pass in order to get American citizens to care…
it might just be coming.
And
so… I don’t like Donald Trump the candidate on any level. Don’t
like his personality when the lights and cameras are on… don’t
like his egotistical persona… don’t like most of his potential
policies.
But
color me intrigued about what politics could look like after Donald
Trump the candidate storms through, because the recovery could
be epic.