What Do You Expect?

There are hundreds of political talking heads out there, and most do not get Senator Sanders.. Most seem clueless about what the nominee is trying to accomplish. Instead they focus on infighting or poll numbers: Senator Sanders wants the Democratic Party to revert to the 1930s when FDR took bold steps to revitilize our economy and build new political allegiances along with modern views on equality. The Democratic Party was out of the White House from 1968 to 1992 except for President Carter's four years. President Clinton won because he took the party to a defensible political center and because his people ran an extraordinary campaign. That campaign has evolved into the most powerful political organization in the country. They went into the 2016 campaign so strongly prepared that they scared virtually everyone off of the stage except Sanders and that other guy. It is obvious that the Sanders campaign has been run by the seat of their pants. Sanders did have a solid core of astute, experienced organizers. With them, he decided to try to push big issues that promote the general welfare ala Roosevelt. Sanders then caught a wave after the Occupy Movement began to roll up on the beach. Sander's gift has been prescience. He knows that big issues will resonate. The institute for Policy Studies and Oxfam provide documentation that the top 1% will soon own more than the rest of us. That is nothing short of an Oligarchy, especially considering Citizens United. This disparity is worse than at any time since the 1920s. We know how that worked out. It is also nothing like anything in between those peaks. He knows that this isn't some sterile set of numbers but the degrading standard of living for the vast majority of Americans. He knows that this is not a time to build a redoubt as Willie did but to advance. He knows that they need to push hard for advances on issues like health care, education, and infrastructure. The Democratic Party platform has always been very progressive, so there is no need to knit pick angels and pins. There is every reason to believe that those issues can be resolved. Furthermore, Sanders is not stupid. He knows that his new party must take on an oligarchy and reaction of the worst kind: shear ignorance and bigotry. Sanders also knows that the Republican nominee is part of the 1%. Sanders knows, however, that the movement he now leads has to be won over by Clinton. She is not automatically entitled to the support of countless alienated young and old who are new to politics. The media's concentration on Sanders as a threat to the Democratic Party should instead concentrate on examining Sander's focus on the top 1%. They should concentrate on who in the 1% dominate “independent” super PACs. These talking heads have looked at the concentration of wealth: they just don't get it.

Trump's Appeal

Trump's fundamental appeal is his opposition to amnesty for illegal immigrants. While there is much support for illegal immigrants, there is also seething opposition to allowing people to come into the country illegally and take jobs from citizens. This is not to them a racist response but an issue of fairness. That is not to say that racists and opportunists don't take advantage of the situation to spew their vile blather. This racism only makes it more difficult to stand up against illegal immigration for fear of being tarnished with the same brush as those racists. The job market for legal residents and citizens has deteriorated along with the growth of undocumented workers. The problem is only exacerbated by misinformation and misplaced sympathies. For a long time, illegal immigrants only took jobs that others did not want because the wages were too low to provide for a family. Illegall immigrants are now being hired for skilled, semi-skilled jobs, and even publically financed jobs. Supporters of illegal immigrants are also disingenuous about how many people are in the country: the numbers are based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics which depends upon illegal immigrants admitting that they are here illegally. Furthermore, there was a organized effort to encourage illegal immigrants to lie about their status during the 2010 census. The problem is not being addressed because of broad support for illegal immigrants among our elite: the Democratic and Republican Parties have both turned a blind eye to and/or took advantage of the problem for years. That is because illegal workers push down labor costs. In addition, Illegal immigrants represent a large, potentially political force because of their social inroads into American families. The solution, by the way, is mandatory E-Verify. Democrats and progressives ignore the consequences of job loss on citizens, especially workers. American Capital has been importing illegal labor and exporting jobs for decades. Senator Sanders rails against the export of jobs but supports illegal employment at the expense of American workers. It is the one important issue where both Secretary Clinton and Trump have a better waffle. Trump, however, rails against both illegal immigrants and the export of jobs. Who do you think average Americans will sympathize with in a confrontation between illegal immigrants flying Mexican flags and Trump? These flag-waving protesters in California are trying to prevent a major American Presidential candidate from exspressing his views In doing so, these protesters have transformed the image of Trump from condoning/encouiraging brutality in his rallies to a man trying to control the violence and express his political views.