Politics

I can't wait for the New Hampshire primary results on Tuesday!  I'll admit that I am not a "first-tier" political junkie like the professionals and not a second-tier junkie like the political talking heads on TV.  But I watch political discussion shows on TV most all evening after dinner (and with one or more cats on my lap).

For once, the primaries of both major parties are fascinating!  The debate between Clinton and Sanders Thursday night was amazing.  I don't think I have ever seen dabates where the 2 serious candidates actually respect each other  (but have to create differences between them) like this before.  I can almost imagine them sitting down together and saying "oh you got me on X subject" and the other saying "but you had a real good response on subject Y".

Both Clinton and Sanders want to win, desperately.  But they remind me of 2 chessplayers who are friends competing in a tournament.  One will lose, but both respect the other.

The Republican primaries are a whole other kettle of fish.  I think they all really do hate each other.  OK, maybe a couple get along, but it is really a cage match of desperate candidates.

No one likes Cruz.  From everything I read, he is not only bipartisanly destested among his fellow male and female Senators, he is universally detested among almost all politicians.  And among most professional political observers.  That takes real effort!

Trump is beyond belief.  His inaccurate claims in every speech astound the fact-checkers, baffle analysts, and convince many observers that his followers are facists, communists, AND anarchists.  I have seen his type before in my political and history studies in college; the results are NEVER good.  He claims things that never happened and stands by those statements when disproved.  Even worse, he claims he would be a good President because he can negotiate.  Seriously, Putin and most other world leaders would just obliterate him.

Ben Carson...  What can you say about a person who thinks the egyptian pyramids were built by Jewish slaves to store grain?  The pyramids weren't built by Jewish slaves (archeology proves that) and the pyramids are nearly solid stone (no place to store grain).  Carson is a brilliantly trained neurosurgeon, but other than that he is a raving lunatic.  Also wants a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.  Which would have prevented us from fighting WWI, WWII, building the US Highways, and fighting the Cold War with the Soviets.

Chris Christie;  Schoolyard bully.  Statewide embarrassment.  Blowhard.  Would be the "Donald Trump" of the campaign if The Donald wasn't in it.

Marco Rubio.  Probably the Republican candidate eventually.  The 3 main parts of the Republican triad (Evangicals, Wall Street, and Social Conservatives) will likely supress their gag reflexes and accept him as "most possible to win".

JEB!  With the Republicans livid about a "Clinton Dynasty", they can hardly nominate a 3rd Bush.  Besides, JEB! IS a rather low energy candidate.  Can you name ANY program he wants to implement?  On the other hand, he is probably the most moderate of the remaining Republican candidates, and in a contested convention could be the "reluctant but generally acceptable electable choice".  So JEB!'s plan is to be there at the end as "least unlikable".

John Kasich...  When I heard the things he did in Ohio in the late 90s, I thought he was the farthest Right anyone could be.  Now he is just average.  And now he almost sounds reasonable.  But he doesn't have a good campaign going.  No money = no campaign future.

Carly Fiorina - Republicans don't like female leaders.  Sarah Palin was widely regarded as a horrible decision of the McCain campaign (as in "OMG, what if McCain dies).  Fiorina has a history as a business CEO, but it is attackable for failure.  Plus, she has no particular agenda other than CEO experience and those who gravitate to business leaders see Trump as far more successful.