It appears that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton – short of a miracle – will face off in the general election. If so, these two will have survived a wild and highly unpredictable primary season. The best candidate on the Republican side, Ohio Gov. John Kalich, never really had a chance. In my opinion, he would have made an outstanding president, but the voters in the Republican primaries were looking for a totally different sort of candidate. They definitely found one in Donald Trump, who incidentally has been a Democrat for years and has taken positions that will haunt him in the General Election. Trump has taken full advantage of the situation and the efforts to derail him have failed thus far.
Regardless of how one might feel about Trump, we all have to admit that he is a master showman and clearly knows how to market a product. He has been able to identify lots of problems, but he has said very little about how to solve the real issues that face our country. I believe Trump will have to explain how he is going to make America “great again” in the general election. Thus far he has not had to do so. Trump’s rally speeches have further divided our nation and have definitely fueled the flames of hate and racism.
The primary battles on the Democratic side have been pretty much civil and tame in comparison to the Republican battles. The two Democratic candidates have mostly discussed the issues in the debates at their respective rallies and town hall meetings. Sen. Bernie Sanders has put in focus lots of issues that the next president will most definitely face. I believe the contest between the Vermont Senator and Hillary Clinton has been good for the country. At least they are discussing issues and preparing proposals to fix things. Sen. Sanders’ appeal to young people has been most interesting. Hillary will have to work hard to bring them into her camp in the fall.
This issue will go to the printer with several states left to hold primaries. Lots can change in politics in short order – and that is a proven fact. Stay tuned!
