Sorry, I don't watch any of those but go ahead and make assumptions about "us Dems."
Why would you even assume I'm a Democrat?
This is what I fail to understand. There are far too many people in this country who think that if you don't agree with them and their way of thinking, you must be a "dem," a "libtard," or a "jack-booted right-winger."
Because God forbid anyone opens their mind and tries to learn something new or embrace a different concept... We like to get our news from the sources which spout the ideas we already agree with, because it's easier than trying to wrestle with a "new" idea.
Trump's appeal with the angry and frustrated and the "make America great again" talk is eerily similar to another charismatic up-and-comer who played to similar frustrations in 1933 Germany. Doesn't mean he'll turn out that way, but I think his chances of doing so are still greater than those of any President I can remember.
"Saying what you think" is cool in our society and admired in pop culture and social circles alike. But it's NOT the best way to play well with everyone else in the sandbox. And when the denizens of said sandbox include unbalanced nuclear-capable nations like North Korea, can the bluster and grow up. Sometimes diplomacy is necessary - actually, maybe
most times. If Trump has that character trait, I'm not seeing it. He may have been that way once, long ago, but I think - as he's become more wealthy and less accountable for his actions - his ego has inflated to a degree where he 1) has seen his current tactics work too often, so that's what he goes to time and again, and 2) has enough money that he doesn't care, anyway...
I don't trust Cruz as far as I can throw him. He's made a name for himself by taking a page from the Rand Paul playbook: blame the government, public employees, and any other entity/concept that MOST Americans don't understand all that well and garner support that way. Who cares if it's true or not.
I think Rubio is a non-factor, anyway, but I also think a President should a bit more life experience. Yes, I thought that of Obama, as well. Also of Bill Clinton.
Of course, all of these guys want to eviscerate the environment and its protections in favor of big business and industry. That never worked out well in the past and is partly why we had to CREATE the EPA in the first place. To me, that's either a horrid decision-making path or simply a pandering tactic, so it's either "bad" or "dishonest."
And with all of that said, the religious pandering also sickens me. It's on he Democratic side, too, but not nearly as much. These guys are just as money/power/influence-hungry as any politician before them, of any party, but by throwing in plenty of "God Bless Americas," they're playing to a certain level of ignorance that I find disturbing. If I wanted religion to play this much of a role in my nation's leadership, I'd move to the Middle East.
I will say that John Kasich seems far more optimistic and willing to cooperate with all comers to get things done. I like his positive attitude. He also seems to have a lot more experience. I don't think his plans or policies will be better or worse, but he seems a bit more honorable to me. But perhaps someone from Ohio knows better. That's just from my limited exposure.
Sanders is what he is. I was born and raised in Vermont and remember all the goofy Bernie Sanders stories while growing up. At one time, he didn't live very far from me. Say what you want about him being a communist (he isn't), but he
does seem to genuinely care about people. And that's not just an act that he's using right now; he's always been that way. Shouldn't that be an overriding characteristic for someone who wants aspires to the highest public service job in the land? But with that said, I don't think he has the international/foreign-relations experience to be President. I also think his views on how to "reform" law enforcement seem as though they were taken from an anti-cop website and demonstrate a clear lack of understanding of the job, which is scary considering he was actually a mayor of a city and
should know better.
I have never liked Hillary and hated her husband. Most of the people on this forum probably don't even remember Bill's election, the scandals, Paula Jones, Whitewater, Vince Foster, Lewinsky, Bill putting his wife in charge of reforming health care (which she wasn't qualified to do, anyway), etc. It was never-ending with the Clintons.
I never liked her then and thought she was fake. I think the same today. But I think she has a decent amount of experience - which she got by trying to pull herself out from under her womanzing husband's shadow (which can't have been easy) AND she has support/momentum. I think she's the only candidate to possess both at that level. I don't support her and don't know who I'd vote for, but I think she has the best chance.