In 2009 the U.S. government bailed out General Motors at the cost of 11.2 billion dollars. First of all, that’s not the actual truth. The fact is that the American people were forced to save General Motors at the expense of poor and impoverished Americans. The fact is that one of our three major automobile companies has not paid back its loans from the American people.

The failed Republican Party has wrongfully criticized President Obama for many of his successes. The only truth that matters is that the American people continue to question the wisdom of his bailout of the banking industry, the airlines, and the automobile industry. These institutions were all mismanaged with a goal of greed, and greatly damaged the majority of the working class. He was greatly mistaken and failed to protect the American people. Not one CEO or member of the boards of directors has ever been prosecuted.

Today it was announced that General Motors will close its plant in Janesville, Wisconsin. United States automobile manufactures have moved their factories to foreign shores. It is highly likely that the car you drive was either manufactured in another country, or the majority of its parts were built in another nation, and cost your fellow Americans good paying jobs.

If you believe that when you purchase a vehicle from Ford, General Motors, or Chrysler that you are buying an American product, you are uninformed and making a foolish choice.

Many of Ford’s most popular vehicles are manufactured in Canada and Mexico. The same is true for General Motors. Chrysler manufactures more vehicles in the United States than Ford or GM, but still has factories in Mexico, Latin America, and Canada.

This election will be about the working class. The Republican candidates are ignoring the majority of the American people, but they’ll suffer from this fact in November, again. Hillary Clinton will be the 45^th president of the United States, unless a small miracle happens, and Bernie Sanders wins the nomination.

If Sanders is the Democratic standard bearer, young Americans, women, and the working class will fill the voting booths from morning to night. He would inspire a record turnout, and when in a landslide.

Hillary Clinton has moved closer to Senator Sanders’ domestic views, but she will not excite the electorate. Her focus must be Democratic and Independent voters; Trump or Cruz cannot defeat her if the turnout is large.

Both Trump and Cruz have attempted to make this election about terrorism and ISIS. Although our government cannot ignore these dangers to the American people, the greatest dangers to our people are domestic problems.

Income inequality, health insurance, women’s rights, immigration, tax reform, and the interference of the Christian religious right in our political system, must all receive attention from Washington, and the problems solved. All of these issues are destructive to our democracy. If they are not seriously addressed, our nation, as it was founded by our forefathers, will no longer exist.

I am not being flippant when I say that it is easy to defeat ISIS, and terrorism can be stopped. Internal problems are much more difficult to solve than a gang of thugs and villains; this will be only one of many serious issues facing our next president. He or she must be experienced and qualified.

Trump and Cruz are not qualified to lead a boy scout troop; they must not be allowed to live in the White House.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Source

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