Change is Good! – Ranting Rex

Most of what we hear come out of The Donald’s mouth is what one might hear at a southern truck stop diner in the 1950s not a candidate for the 2016 presidency. His sentiments and those of his followers are so ridiculous as to become cartoonish. One would think no reasonable human being would give him any consideration. The problem is that the Republican Party hasn’t been reasonable for quite some time.

Early on in this campaign year it was looking like the Republican candidates were having a contest to see who could be the biggest lunatic. The problem is that Donald is the real deal. Acting like a lunatic will always pale in comparison. It’s hard to compete with that. Now, thankfully, they are all running the opposite direction. It may however be too late.

It’s hard to feel sorry for Republicans. They created the crazy. Then they refuse to own it. They throw matches at a bucket of gasoline and then act surprised when the house burns down! Historically, the core of the Republican strategy, on any issue, has always been to make people afraid. They are afraid of minorities, they are afraid of women, they are afraid of education, they are afraid of non-Christians, they are even afraid of the poor. Republicans have been so good at selling fear their base can’t leave the kitchen without being armed with an assault rifle and flak jacket.

Now they are reaping the fruits of their labors and struggling for a way out. They embraced the Christian right only to find that they are neither Christian, nor right. The group is one step above the hood wearing KKK that birthed them. Then they embraced the Tea Party, only to find that their economic agenda is economically ridiculous. They want government out of their lives, well, except when it comes to invading your privacy, funding their Social Security, and expanding their Medicare. Their house is on fire and they’re surrounded by the flames with no way out and the bucket they could use to douse the fire is still full of gasoline.

Suffice it to say that the party leaders are not very happy with the current situation. If Donald makes it past New Hampshire, it will be a rough few months. They’re very nervous. They’ve become an International punch line, and it doesn’t look like they’re in on the joke. They’re doing their level best to change the message, but it may be too late. This juggernaut is moving pretty fast.

What the leadership (and apparently anyone with a clue) understands is that if Donald wins the nomination there is no way in hell he will become President. He doesn’t have the votes. While he has a 30% approval rating among Republicans, his popularity in the rest of the country is non-existent. They will definitely lose the Presidency, and likely most of Congress. I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. It might give them four years to reflect on how they might update their strategy. I doubt it though. They’re conservatives. They don’t seem to like change all that much.

Rex

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