Trouble ahead
Trouble behind
and you know that notion
just crossed my mind
Dead heads, for those who missed the '70's, Grateful Dead fans, will immediately recognize these lyrics from the song "Casey Jones", which first appeared on the Dead's 1970 album entitled "Workingman's Dead". I am borrowing these words, not to describe Casey-Jones and his navigating the rails while under the influence of an illicit substance, but to describe my thoughts of the current Republican race for the nomination of the Grand Old Party's 2016 Presidential candidate.
I get a nagging pain right in the middle of my forehead when I think about the prospects of Donald Trump winning the GOP nomination and going head to head with either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton, because that race is far from over even with Hillary's win this evening in Nevada. To use a sports metaphor, anything can happen, it's why they play the game. That my friends is why I am humming the Dead lyrics....."trouble ahead, trouble behind, and you know that notion just crossed my mind". Then I take 2 Advil and the headache slips slowly away...but I know it lurks just below the surface.....
In case you missed it, The Donald won the Republican primary in South Carolina tonight. Jeb Bush, the Bush who in the end was just one Bush too many, finished a distant 4th and has "suspended" his campaign. In other words he's done and has gone back home to Florida, the state with more handguns than residents. The state where one can declare bankruptcy without future liability for debt incurred. The state where being able to vote is a challenge for a large percentage of people of colour who lack required, or should I say imposed, identification. No tears from me for Jeb.
The Republican race is now down to 3 combatants. Yes, combatants. The level of nastiness is somewhere between an 8.5 on the Richter scale and a Category 5 hurricane. The level of vitriol and mud slinging has reached new heights, or rather, lows. This week The Donald goes toe to toe with the entire Bush Family, calls out George W for being responsible for 911 and the Iraq mess, then gets into it with the Pope by calling him "disgraceful", just because the Pontif said that anyone who would build walls instead of bridges is not Christian. Can you image. The nerve - Go Donald! He also got into it with Cruz and Rubio, calling them liars. He called Cruz the worst liar he has ever seen. Then he handily wins the South Carolina primary while Rubio and Cruz split what is left of the vote. Holy smokes! What the Sam Hell is going on? That headache is coming back......
Calm down everyone. Take a deep breath..... Ahhhh.... Okay, what's up next? Bernie and Hillary continue to wage a dull, boring war of niceties over each others awesome credentials, policy proposals and vision for the future. Next stop for them is South Carolina next Saturday. Hillary should handily win that one, if there are any sane people left in the Palmetto State. And this is no reflection on Bernie, but my God, Trump wins in South Carolina? Holy Smokes....!!!
I have been saying for months that The Donald will fade or flare out as really, no one likes a bully or a bigot, which he is both. A check of the calendar, it is February 20 and The Donald is gaining delegates and maintaining his lead over the rest of the GOP hopefuls. Why? Why, why, why??? Time to look at his combatants. Ted "I'm not a Canadian" Cruz. I can't get past thinking of him as a Tele-evangelist. I think he could con a rattlesnake out of its' rattle. When he speaks I want to run to the bathroom. He speaks freely of restoring "religious freedom in America". Whose religious freedom is he restoring? If you restore something, someone is on the other end of that restoration. Also, what about all those who live a peaceful, compassionate life outside of organized religion? Teddy boy, get a grip. It's 2016, not 1716.
Then there is Marco Rubio. He's from Florida and thinks Jeb Bush was Florida's greatest Governor - ever. Florida's greatest? Sure. He wants to "restore the Constitution" to it's true meaning.
This is an excerpt from Wikipedia:
"Since the Constitution came into force in 1789, it has been amended twenty-seven times.[2] In general, the first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of government.[3][4] The majority of the seventeen later amendments expand individual civil rights."
So Marco, which of the 17 amendments expanding individual civil rights to you want removed in order to restore the Constitution? Also, what restriction on government do you want removed? What a very troubling notion.
My headache is returning.... In closing this post I can tell you that I am very troubled with the direction of one of the two major parties in this, the United States of America. The GOP (Republican) process to nominate a Presidential candidate is my friends, a train wreck waiting to happen. The more I watch it the more I feel like an ambulance chaser, which admittedly I did when I was a teenager, but I digress. As a visitor in this country I am thankful for the freedoms we enjoy here and for the many wonderful people we have met, some who are now good friends. While mindful of my visitors status, I will continue to provide my political commentary on what is, in my opinion, a pivotal point in the politics of this nation. Finally, and I don't often wave my flag, but damn, I'm glad to be Canadian.
Bring it Dead Heads:
Trouble ahead
Trouble behind
and you know that notion
just crossed my mind
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