At last, the 2016 GOP field is whittling itself down: Huckabee and Santorum represented the lunatic fringe, the screwballs who thought that some philandering county clerk from Kentucky somehow represented the moral authority. Chris Christie was a ball of fire but blazed out quickly, Carly Fiorina had far too much corporate baggage, Rand Paul could never live up to his father's rebel standards... surely I'm forgetting someone? Who knows.
What are we left with, though? Are there really any candidates who are not only for a traditional conservative belief system but still manage to garner support from the infamous Mushball Middle? The tangerine-skinned real-estate mogul is leading the polls in the Republican field but is far too uncouth and opinionated to capture the hearts of most Americans. Besides, he donated to Hillary Clinton's Senate campaign and voted for Obama. Conservative? Nope - fraud.
Little Marco Rubio is an alright guy but I believe he suffers from the same symptom that is also one of Barry Obama's biggest downfalls: inexperience. He's also not quick on his feet during speeches, leading many (including myself) to wonder if he could go toe-to-toe with political and international foes. Ohio's Governor Kasich has done a decent job in his state as a now two-term governor and may yet provide a few surprises but so far hasn't inspired too much widespread support outside of New Hampshire.
Then there's George and Barbara's son John Ellis Bush - Jeb to the rest of us. Years ago I thought the GOP ran the wrong brother for president. With his record of being tough on crime and fiscally conservative, yet appealing to Latino voters and everyday folk, Florida's Governor seemed to, well, have it more together than George W. Bush. Now, a decade and a half later, his campaign (one that has failed to garner much enthusiasm) seems stalled. He's practical, comparatively soft spoken, and almost seems uncomfortable in the spotlight... he's the anti-Trump.
Finally we arrive in the Lonestar State with a rogue Canadian-born Cuban-American with a cocksure demeanor and a way of irritating both Liberals and some within his own party. Rafael Edward Cruz is probably the most dyed-in-the-wool Conservative candidate. He seems to have a distinct vision for where he wants to take America and doesn't give a darn if you like him or not. And that may be the problem: while he's got the decency to not play the populist vote (ahem, Oompa Loompa from New York, we're looking at you), he has thus far proven to be more polarizing than most. Yet, I kinda like the guy...
None of these choices are ideal, yet they still seem more respectable that a pseudo-feminist who voted for the Iraq War and is funded by the Top One Percent, yet claims to be for "the little guy" out there. Oh, and she got people slaughtered in Libya and didn't give a damn. Anyone who thinks Hillary Clinton cares about anyone but herself is foolishly misguided (at best). Hillary Clinton ought to be a synonym for evil in the dictionary.
And Bern? Well, there's a man whose leadership on Veteran's Affairs lead to the suffering (and in some cases, deaths) of our brave men and women returning from the Middle East in V.A. facilities, who has never had one bill passed during decades in the Senate, and who believes in pitting the haves and have-nots against one another in what would become all-out Class Warfare under his presidency. He has more integrity than Hillary, but so did Pol Pot, Idi Amin, and Joseph Stalin. If anyone wants to see our country go for broke, he's the guy to get us there.
If ever there was a case of being caught between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, the 2016 election is turning out to be that time.
