If we have learned anything in 2015, it’s the fact that politics is uglier than ever. Americans have expressed their distrust of those who live privileged lives in Washington throughout my lifetime, but I have never witnessed such complete disgust and anger before. I guarantee that 2016 will be far worse, as desperate GOP candidates continue in their attempts to destroy their opponents and acquire their residence in the White House.

The core of the problem can be directly attributed to the lack of qualified candidates offered by the Republican Party. One single ‘monkey wrench’ in its political machinery has continued the division within the GOP, and it is doubtful that voters will unite behind a single candidate before the convention in mid-July.

Trump has divided the GOP; and it fails to use effective tactics to stop him. While hundreds of millions of dollars have been donated to the campaigns of Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz, none of them are polling at numbers approaching those of Donald Trump. None of them are speaking to the American people about issues, they have chosen to continue their mode of ‘attack politics.’

Trump is not the only one attacking his opponents. Cruz is waging a war of words with Rubio, and vice versa. Bush has continued to attack Trump with little or no results. Trump has a new target this Tuesday morning; Chris Christie. Why? The simple truth is that Christie’s numbers in New Hampshire are rising.

It is doubtful that any single candidate will win all four events in February. Although Trump continues to remain close in the Iowa caucus, Cruz is receiving the support of evangelicals, the same group which gave a win to Rick Santorum in 2012. Trump leads in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.

In New Hampshire, he leads Rubio 2-1; Christie and Cruz are tied at 11.5 percent, 15 points behind Trump. In South Carolina, he is ahead of Cruz by more than 14 points. In Nevada, the final event in February, Trump leads Ben Carson 38-22; no other candidate is in double figures at the present time.

November 2016 is closer than you might think. All of the GOP candidates will be making efforts to receive media attention, most of which has been the property of Trump. They will be desperate to find ways to bring that notoriety to their own campaigns. They will need to offer something dramatic; in other words, they will be forced to say something which will impress the voting public.

The sixth GOP debate will be on January 14 in South Carolina. I have no expectations that a debate might finally happen. The previous five have demonstrated desperate attempts by each member of the clown car to attract attention, but most of the faux-debates have been efforts to remove Trump from the picture. I do not expect to hear issues important to the American people discussed. Attacks will be made against each other, President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders. No facts will be offered; lies and innuendos will continue to be the course of action.

With the Iowa caucus just two weeks in the future, the sixth sideshow may be more vicious than the first five. Although it’s true that polls are often misleading, the results of a caucus or a primary are definitive.

By March first, the nation will have a far clearer picture regarding where the GOP will be focused in the future. By mid-March, I expect the clown car to have only six passengers. They will be Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Christie, Bush, and possibly Carson; the others will experience numbers so inconsequential that they will be forced to resign from the race.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Photo Courtesy of DonkeyHotey

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