Trumpeting

The Republican Party is officially scared of Donald Trump but they shouldn't be. Sure, if he gets the nomination they will once again lose the White House but that might actually be what needs to happen to reshape the party into a modern forward thinking ideology that can actually have appeal.

Donald Trump is an anathema. Any other person would have already been driven out of the race for their frequent insults and fact challenged speeches. Fortunately for Trump his supporters don't care about his behavior, in fact it's why they're following him. They want his outrageousness. They want to hear his vitriolic assaults on those he dislikes and to listen to him bash entire cultures and nationalities. They are angry and  letting Trump be their blowhorn. The big question is will they actually vote for him when the caucuses and primaries begin?

What does he actually stand for? Advancing the Trump name is the answer. It certainly isn't because of his carefully thought out political agenda. Here's what we know, he believes wages in America are too high, he believes the majority of Mexicans entering our country are rapists and drug dealers, he believes thousands of American Muslims were dancing in the streets of New Jersey on 9/11 celebrating the act of the terrorists. He believes we should start registering American Muslims and require them to carry special I.D., just go ahead and insert "papers" there. His plan for fighting ISIS is to bomb the "shit" out of them. We are already bombing the "shit" out of them. He thinks China is a part of the T.P.P. (they're not). He thinks China will roll over in submission because he brings Carl Icahn into government as a negotiator. He thinks Vladimir Putin will purr like a kitten because Trump is just so likable. In short America will be great under a Trump Administration because he is great. Finally proving that the "Great Man" theory of history is a load of bullshit.

To be fair Trump is not alone in the Republican Cavalcade of Lunacy. He is accompanied by Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum and sadly even John Kasich has begun to suggest a quasi religious government office, really Governor?

Chris Christie and Jeb Bush are actually starting to look good. Think about that.

What about Ted Cruz who is rising in the Iowa polls? Cruz is a classic demagogue. He has no legislative victories in his Senate career. His entire tenure has been about one thing, gaining media attention for a 2016 Presidential campaign. He has filibustered using Dr. Seuss. Green eggs and ham have never before been so denigrated. Cruz is a flame thrower who loves crazy talk to stir up his most loyal supporters, the evangelicals. He, Mike Huckabee and Bobby Jindal recently spoke at a Religious conference where the virtues of executing homosexuals was extolled. Cruz has dodged questions about that topic, even issuing a statement through his spokesman that they don't believe it was actually said. When it was proved, the response from the Cruz camp was it wasn't specific. Oh, it was very specific, feel free to scan YouTube or C-Span. Presidential candidates who speak at events where there are religious ( or other) leaders who advocate the execution of gay people for being gay should be run out of the race or at the very least you would think they would say I completely disagree with and condemn those remarks, unless of course they actually do support it.

Iowa is just around the corner and we will soon have a solid glimpse of what's on Republicans minds. Here's my prediction, Ted Cruz will win it followed by Ben Carson and Trump at number three.

What will be the Iowa lineup for the Democrats? Clinton, Sanders, O'Malley, I bet that one's spot on!