Are Americans learning the truth about candidates in the debates?
By Roger Caldwell
In the 2015- 2016 presidential election cycle, there have been 11 Republican debates and 7 Democratic debates, and anyone can apply for the job. Running for the office of president takes millions of dollars, and if you want the job, you must figure out a way to secure the funds. Some have inherited the money, some have a PAC, others are con men, and others have a record of achievement in the political arena.
The Republican debates have not been a traditional presidential campaign, because the Republican front-runner is a billionaire businessman, who at one time was a television celebrity. Donald Trump has never run for a political office before, and he is leading the other three traditional candidates with a non-traditional platform, and frightening rhetoric.
At times the debates have been extremely weird and it appears that Trump will say anything, and it does not matter if he is disrespectful and uses foul language. There are times that the Republican candidates have discussed the size of their body parts during the debates, and this is extremely vulgar with poor decorum. Instead of Trump’s supporters criticizing his statements, he continues to lead his opponents in the polls by double digits.
“To stand there and do junior high school tricks on one another is belittling the country and belittling the office to which they are striving,” says former Secretary of State Colin Powell. When Trump calls Rubio (Little Marco) and Cruz (Lying Ted), it appears that Trump’s followers think these statements are funny and they want more. Instead of spending time discussing policy issues, the three front leaders are belittling each other, and the Republican debates get stranger.
The Republican and conservative leadership are scrambling in search of any means to stop the Donald Trump’s election train. There has been open talk of an open convention, where the leadership would steal the nomination from Trump and Cruz. As the Republicans fight behind closed doors, and at the debates, there appears to be little unity, and no respect for each other.
On the other hand, the two Democratic presidential candidates Ex-Secretary Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders have presented a stark contrast to the Republican debates. At the Democratic debates, there is no name calling, no screaming, no cursing, or vulgar sexual jokes. The discussions are not embarrassing, but are serious and substantive conversations about improving the lives of American citizens.
“Throughout this campaign, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have shown they have the right priorities – priorities that match the values, hopes and dreams of the American people, including in Flint and communities like it across the country. They not only dealt with the issues confronting the people of Flint directly and honestly, but also tackled the concerns of hard-working people across the country,” says Rep. Debbie Wasserman, Chairwomen of the National Democratic Party.
At the last debate, the Republicans answered only one question on the “Flint Water Crisis,” but the Democrats spent 15 minutes on a problem that has impacted the lives of 8,000 to 10,000 Americans. Everyone knows in the final analysis it is what you do, as opposed to what you say. But the Democrats have the correct priorities for all the people, and their discussions are civil.
If the debates are an indicator of which Party has a definitive plan for moving Americans forward, I would go with a sure bet, and choose the Democrats every time.
