Hi there! Welcome to I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You, a blog looking for a locale for its national convention. I'm Dave-El and I'm running for cover.
So this interminable death march slog that is the 2016 American Presidential Campaign continues as a likely nominee faces endless internal challenges because of a very vocal contingent within the party is taking issue with the leader in delegates actually getting the nomination.
And who expected over a month ago that we would not be talking about the Republican Party.
No, it is the Democrats who are in contentious disarray. Hillary Clinton continues to lead in the delegate count and is very likely to get the magic number she needs to secure her party's nomination for President. Yet her remaining rival Bernie Sanders continues to slug away, aggressively defiant in yielding any ground to Clinton. Sanders has moved from "angry old man" to "angriest old man in the world". He's running hot and negative against not just Clinton but the Democratic Party. And Sanders' followers have had they enthusiasm overheated into rage.
Last weekend, the Nevada State Democratic Convention was marred by physical violence and death threats. Clinton won the state caucus there months ago but the convention's selection of those persons who would be the delegates from Nevada at the national convention this summer was a bone of contention for Sanders' supporters. While Sanders did not condone violence both perpetrated and threatened, he did not back down from his caustic view of how the Democratic Party is conducting business. Yet it's Bernie's unyielding stance on this perspective which has inflamed tensions among his supporters to a dangerous degree.
And if this sounds familiar, its because we went through this a few months back with Donald Trump. After winning several state primaries and caucuses, Trump was losing the ground game when it came to delegate selection process laid out under Republican Party rules. Ted Cruz seemed to be outmaneuvering Donald at every point of this process. So there was Trump engaging in angry rhetoric about the unfairness of the party's rules and processes. Trump rallies became cauldrons of rage and hate at the idea that the will of the people would be subverted and that arcane political rules would deny Donald Trump the Republican nomination.
Then came Donald Trump's romp 'n' stomp win in New York followed by a 5 state sweep the next week. With Trump's Indiana win putting the kibosh on the candidacies of Cruz and Kasich*, the whole issue of behind the scenes manipulation of the delegate process became a moo point**.
*Alliteration is a dangerous tool and should be used with extreme caution.
**Moo point = a cow's opinion. It doesn't matter. Thank you, Joey Tribbiani from Friends.
Meanwhile over on the Democrats side, the same scenario is playing out but with a significant difference. The fire this time is not from a front runner angry that the election might be stolen from him as a result of rules and not votes. Yes, the rage is from a man who had more success that we or even he could've imagine sounds as much like Trump's story as it is Sanders. But unlike Trump, Sanders hasn't delivered enough wins to bring him within distance of a realistic chance at winning his party's nomination.
Maybe Bernie Sanders has the strength of his convictions that the progressive dreams he has for America are more likely to come true with him as President than Hillary Clinton. But what chance does any of Sander's aspirations for America have under President Trump? And make no mistake, the longer Sanders is still leading his revolt against Clinton and the Democratic Party, the longer the Republicans have to get the rank and file on board with the idea that Donald Trump is their nominee.
And believe it or not, that is happening. There are still hold outs in the GOP. Lots and lots of hold outs who will never support Trump no matter what. But more and more Republicans are sucking it up and saying "Trump's our guy."
Do not underestimate Donald Trump or the Republican Party. Both are damaged goods but Trump and the GOP are not the ones fighting among themselves right now. And if this state of affairs persists, America will find itself pushed closer to the undiscovered country of a nation with Trump as its President.
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Tomorrow: SPORTS! Specifically, baseball.
Sunday: Doctor Who and the newest installment of my fan fiction script.
Until next time, remember to be good to one another.
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