Out Beyond Senator Sanders and Senator Cruz . . .
Each of us is free to choose our friends but not our siblings, as my brothers and sisters are quick to remind me. My middle brother is a Conservative Republican who defends his choice for President saying that his only goal is to “stop Hillary”. I told him that I think that there are viable ways to stop Secretary Clinton but that winning the nomination for his chosen candidate was not one of them. He asked me to elaborate. Following is my response.
To My Brother
Among the current Republican candidates there is a former Governor and current Senator, who is barely in the running for the nomination. I believe him to be the only member of that group with a chance to be elected if nominated and many sources that I have read agree. I will not cite the sources here. As our father would have said, “you look it up”.
Senator Marco Rubio reportedly has a record of outperforming ballot expectations, and he should present himself very well in a national election. He is young, attractive, and a good communicator. He seems “truthy” and tea-partyish enough to satisfy the “wacko birds” (Republican Senator John McCain’s term) in the party, and competent and charismatic enough to perhaps win the respect of the GOP establishment, if there is one. Once he does what is necessary to win the nomination, then he might be able to make some headway with Hispanics without losing the support of his base. Nominate him and he has a fighting chance of becoming POTUS, in a two horse race with Secretary Clinton.
So if your goal is to stop Secretary Clinton then, support Senator Rubio and make sure he gets the nomination and work for him hard, because I believe that he is the only GOP horse that you have in the race. Or, it might be more viable to do what I am doing – which is to vote in the Democratic Primary. I have not done this since Charleston Mayor Joe Riley ran for the Democratic nomination for Governor of SC in 1994. I can do that because I am registered as an Independent.
There is uncertainty in the polls as always. I think that there is a real possibility that the pollsters are underestimating the support for Trump and or Senator Sanders. When the voting booth curtain closes, it is very possible that votes will be cast for each of them by people who would not have dared to admit that out in the open, if so either of them might do better than expected in the primaries. If Senator Sanders wins the Democratic nomination, without the financial support of Corporations or PACs, it will be evidence that he has overcome perceived negatives, and has benefitted from a voter surge for fundamental change, indeed a voter revolt of folk who are “not willing to take it anymore”. He then will have the story and the support to win the general election, perhaps in a landslide, no matter who is nominated by the GOP.
I have sympathy for Secretary Clinton and for where she has been and what she has accomplished, but I have no sympathy for her financial backers – they are the problem with our government, not the solution. (Disclaimer: I am a one-issue voter – Get the Money Out of Politics.) You and I agree that this country has problems but probably do not agree on a down the line accounting of those problems. I believe that these problems (your list and mine) will only become worse and more numerous under our dysfunctional form of “bought and paid” for government. Why do we send our people to die in self-righteous war at the drop of a hat? Because it is good for business. Why do we belch carbon into Earth’s atmosphere risking the extinction of our race? Because it is good for business. The only solutions that I can see are: 1) take all of the money completely out of politics, or 2) overthrow the government, which (if the Armed Forces ever wake up and realize that their government is trying to kill them) is not that far fetched. I have no control of that but I can work for the Sanders Revolution. Senator Sanders has refused donations from Corporate and PAC contributors – his over $40 million in contributions has come from about 2 million individuals. Do the math. That is $20 each.
I wish you would consider voting in the Democratic primary. Mayor Riley did not win the nomination in 1994. I intend to do better this time.
Out beyond wrong and right there is a field
I will meet you there
- Rumi
Photo by Old Ones Dream
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