Whatever happens on November 8^th, the 2016 campaign season will be historic, and not in a good way. It began with one of the earliest declarations to obtain the Republican nomination for the presidency in history.

On March 23^rd, 2015 an ambitious and arrogant junior Senator from Texas with no accomplishments declared his candidacy for the Republican Party’s nomination for the presidency in 2016. Although he had little experience, having been sworn into office in 2013, Ted Cruz believed he was qualified to become the leader of the free world.

Although despised by his surrogate party, the GOP, he displayed an arrogance and lack of reality as he sought to lead the American people backwards into the middle of the 20^th century.

This TEA Party demagogue placed himself above his constituents who labeled his tactics in the Senate as detrimental to the future of the Republican Party.

In July of 2015 a rebellious and unconventional individual declared his candidacy for the GOP nomination. While others were supported by the establishment, a single individual with an anti-establishment agenda entered the race for the Republican nomination.

Initially the nation and the Republican establishment scoffed at Donald Trump’s candidacy. They believed that Republican voters would continue to blindly support the failed leadership of the party. Trump’s immediate success was an obvious attack upon the lack of accomplishment of the GOP.

On the Democratic side, a 73-year-old Independent Senator from Vermont captured the attention of the youngest voters in our nation. His large crowds offered proof that he would challenge the consensus nominee, Hillary Clinton.

Bernie Sanders promised not only change, but a revolution which would return our nation to the majority and remove its control by the one-percent. Sanders refused to take donations from corporate America, and has no super PAC, but raised more money than his opponent.

While Democrats discussed and debated issues, the Republican candidates desperately attempted to halt Trump’s campaign. His racist and bigoted views exposed all Republicans, and the establishment was furious.

Every effort to derail Trump not only failed, but helped his poll numbers grow.

One-by-one 14 of the original 17 passengers in the clown car departed. By March, 2016, only Trump, Cruz, and John Kasich continued their campaigns. With only a couple of ‘hiccups,’ Trump crushed his challengers in the primaries.

Today only Trump has a possibility of obtaining the 1,237 delegates needed to obtain the GOP nomination. Two desperate measures have begun to make a final attempt to defeat Trump. Cruz and Kasich have joined forces to prevent Trump from obtaining the needed delegates. A second move was made by Cruz.

Although he cannot win the needed number of delegates before the convention, Cruz named his vice-presidential candidate. Carly Fiorina has failed repeatedly. She was fired as the CEO of Hewlett Packard as the company’s profits greatly diminished, and after she laid off 30,000 employees. She ran for a seat in the Senate from California and lost. Her candidacy for the presidency this year failed miserably. Now she wants to be the second most powerful person in America behind a disreputable and dangerous Ted Cruz.

On the Democratic side, Sanders has been defeated mathematically, but continues to remain in the race. Most politicos agree that this is a positive for the party. His message continues to resonate with all demographics and has inspired large voter turnouts.

Trump and Cruz are the two most hated men in America; Trump for his brash and hateful rhetoric, and Cruz for his actions in the Senate. Just last evening, as Trump was speaking in delegate-rich California, a large crowd of protestors surrounded the venue. The angry crowd clashed with police shouting their displeasure with Trump’s blatant prejudices.

This is the 2016 campaign season, so far. Personally, I cannot wait for the Republican convention to be held in Cleveland, Ohio, between July 18^th and the 21^st. The location will draw enormous crowds of angry protestors outside, while inside the event the decibel level could reach unbearable volume.

This will be real “reality television.”

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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