All too often, when people vote in a presidential election, they feel as if they have to choose between the lesser of two evils. This year, voters will be choosing between the lesser of two weasels.
That pretty much sums up the contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Yes, it is that bad.
Pundits and pollsters on the Left and on the Right generally agree that Clinton would definitely lose if she were running against a generic GOP challenger instead of running against Trump.
The reason for that should be obvious by now. As D.C. writer Windsor Mann says, “Hillary Clinton’s greatest strength — her experience — is also her greatest weakness. Having spent the last four decades in politics, she has prodigious experience in the worst profession that isn’t outlawed — that of lying to people for the purpose of ruling them. “Public service,” she calls it.”
The only thing missing from Clinton right now is a nest of birds at the end of her nose.
The stench of scandal on Clinton is so strong that the Weather Channel can track it on radar.
The only thing going in Clinton’s favor is Donald Trump. The latter has given Republicans a serious case of buyer’s remorse. It is as if the GOP went on a drinking binge during the Republican primaries. Now that they are sober, Republicans have discovered that their chosen presidential candidate is an albatross hanging around their collective neck.
CBS News reports, “A letter that urges the Republican National Committee to cut off funds to Donald Trump has collected more than 120 signatures from current and former elected officials, according to the final version obtained by CBS News.” CBS News quotes the letter as saying, “We believe that Donald Trump’s divisiveness, recklessness, incompetence, and record-breaking unpopularity risk turning this election into a Democratic landslide, and only the immediate shift of all available RNC resources to vulnerable Senate and House races will prevent the GOP from drowning with a Trump-emblazoned anchor around its neck.”
Over at FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver writes, “Trump’s nomination, however, reflects profound disarray within the Republican Party. Furthermore, about 30 percent of Republican or Republican-leaning voters have an unfavorable view of Trump. How many of them will vote for Clinton is hard to say, but parties facing this much internal strife, such as Republicans in 1964 or Democrats in 1972 or 1980, have often suffered landslide losses.”
Thankfully for voters, there is a silver lining in this election cloud. Instead of having to choose the lesser of two weasels, voters will have the option of voting for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson. He explains the reason for his candidacy in a Time column: “America was founded on the notion of individual freedom and civil liberties. I am able to run for President today because I had the freedom to succeed and achieve. And the reason I’m running is that I want that freedom for others— especially our young people and generations to come.”
Although Johnson is highly unlikely to win in November, he is popular enough to be polling at 8.5% as of 08/14/16.
Voters who in good conscience cannot vote for either Trump or Clinton can vote for Johnson (or for whoever else appears on the ballot). Sure, the Oval Office will still end up occupied by Trump or Clinton, but at least such voters won’t have to hold their noses while voting.
So, what is one to conclude from this election mess? Must Americans settle for the lesser of two weasels? Is the USA on its way to becoming a kakistocracy as Peggy Noonan has suggested?
What are voters to believe about the upcoming election?
This writer believes that he will have a drink.
Having one may be the only way that he can get through the rest of this election cycle without screaming.
Does anyone else want a drink?
The “Wanted” posters say the following about David: “Wanted: A refugee from planet Melmac masquerading as a human. Loves cats. If seen, contact the Alien Task Force.”