Aftermath of Indiana Primary · 12:01pm May 4th, 2016
The impact of Indiana’s Primary is still talked about over social media and news media. This should come to no surprise as Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders take home a victory that both needed in their respective fights against the Establishments. While many are either cheering with joy or crying in sorrow over the results, one can definitely see the end growing on both sides as we get closer and closer to June. This election is one I believed that will be looked at in the future by analysis and it’s not hard to see why.
At the start of the Primary Election, Donald Trump was seen as a joke. Somebody who wouldn’t even get half the votes he has now. Whether it was the GOP’s arrogance in not seeing him as a threat or the fact that the people really were into what he was saying, it’s safe to say that nobody saw Donald Trump getting this far much less being the leader of the GOP nomination. Yet, he has triumphed over all the other candidates from Fiorina and Carson to Bush and Rubio. With this victory in Indiana, Cruz has announced and end to his run and left stage right. Now there is virtually nobody to stop Trump from becoming the GOP nominee. Sure there is Kasich, but he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell with his numbers.
People are wondering just how did we get here? How did we get Donald Trump as the very likely nominee for the Republican Party who is set up to go against Hillary or Sanders? Well, the big reason is the grassroots; the ordinary average day people who are tired of not being represented by the RINO’s of the Republican Party. Like those of the Democrats, the Republican Grassroots feel that the GOP hasn’t done what it was supposed to do when it won the Senate and House of Representatives: Stop Obama. Obama has gotten away with a lot with “executive power” and the Right Wing controlled Congress has done little to stop him. They feel betrayed because they think these politicians are more about their position then they do about using the power of that position for the people who voted them in. Trump is their alternative and they see it as a better chance to do something in the government then those who are already in it and doing nothing. Love or hate Donald Trump, you can at least agree he will DO the things he promised.
Another thing that attracts people to Donald Trump (such as independents) is the way he presents himself. He’s not afraid to forgo any rules of being nice and will be as cutthroat and brutal in his speeches as he insults everybody he feels has failed the American people. Sure this makes him seem like an egomaniac and hate filled, but that’s what draws people to him. A lot of Americans are angry. Angry at everything from our foreign policy, economy, health care, and more. Americans are fed up with what they’ve been going through these past years and want the real change that Obama promised but never delivered. They want to feel pride when they talk about being an American instead of this shallow of a country they claim is going to the dogs and declining. To them, Donald Trump they feel can bring back the America they were so proud to all home.
With Donald Trump most likely now the winner, one has to wonder if the Republican Party will finally give up in the days to come and support him or the StopTrump movement will still continue until the end?
While it looks to be over for the Republican Primary, it’s safe to say that the Democratic one is far from over. Despite her big lead against Sanders, it’s clear that Hillary isn’t going to get rid of the thorn in her side until this is all over. Like Donald Trump, Sanders was seen by the Establishment as somewhat of a joke. A nobody who didn’t play the game and was going to get buried early on. But like Donald Trump, he’s still here and nipping at Hillary’s shoes to let her know he’s not going anywhere yet, especially with this victory in Indiana. Indiana was an important must win state for Sanders as he has struggled to fight on against the overwhelming odds that is the Clinton Machine. The chances of Sanders winning the election via delegates is very low, to the point where he would need at least 80% of the remaining votes if you count Superdelegates while Clinton just needs 14%. Sander’s only hope is to go to a contested convention.
Sander’s popularity also comes from angry voters, mostly the young, but while Trump likes to say he will bring America’s glory days back, the senator of Vermont wants a revolution. All over the internet, Sander’s Supporters call for a revolution, a change in the way the government is handled. They want to adopt more Socialist Democratic reforms such as free education, universal healthcare, and government regulations over banks and businesses. Naturally, many people call these voters, and Sanders, himself “socialist” as best “communist” at worst just like some call Trump “fascist” at best and “Nazi” at worse. Sander attracts the youth of America and those who call for a social justice that they feel many of the poor and middle class have been denied from by the government which they feel is owned by the banks and businesses. Another big support comes from his honesty. He’s an honest politician and that’s rare to find in the game. Whether he can survive in the big leagues that is Washington D.C. is up for debate, but people are comfortable knowing that they are supporting a guy who is at least trustworthy.
However, the reality of the manner is that Hillary Clinton is the one in the lead. She’s the one with more delegates both primary and super. And she is the one the Democratic Party wants to represent them. All she needs really is to win half the votes in California and gets the magic number needed to win. Still, Sanders can win a few more state and bring this to the convention itself where his supporters can back him up. Some worry that this might result in chaos that day as Hillary and Sanders supports meet on the streets and face off. After all, Sanders has managed to bring in a LOT of voters in his campaign run, what would happen to those voters if he was to lose or be denied the primary? Will they support Hillary Clinton in her fight against Donald Trump? Will they refuse to vote in general because they see no difference between the two, thinking Sanders was the last hope of America? Or will they vote for Sanders regardless if he decides to go for a third party run? All eyes are on these voters who may be the wild card in this election.
Nevertheless, with Indiana past us we now look to our next big state that may decide a lot more: California.
I'm 100% behind Trump! I've been a Trump supporter before it was COOL to be a Trump supporter!
You pretty much hit the nail on the head- American voters are tired.
They're tired of being lied to, they're tired of political collusion, they're tired of being shit on constantly by folk like the ultra-left (who are more focused on the suppression of dissent and free speech than any right-winger ever was, let's be real), tired of folks like Clinton, serial liars pretending to represent them while being about as genuine as Steve Buscemi's famed 'Hello, fellow teens!'.
They're tired of screaming into the abyss that is their political system until their throats are raw and bloody and having only silence, half-truths and platitudes echo back to them.
They want change, and they're determined to get it, one way or another. To paraphrase Superman, the people are beginning to scream so loudly that their government can't ignore them any more.
Oh, dude... You don't actually believe that, do you!?! Trump's entire campaign is a popularity show. The man is a professional actor... Not the hollywood variety... No! The business variety. He paints a picture of the product you want to see, shows he can provide it, then fails utterly, and then convinces you it was a funny footnote and haha, move on, Trump Steaks. LOL.
Do you want America to be the next Trump Steaks?!?
My only thing to say to those utterly taken in my his showmanship... Do you know who convinced Trump to run? Slick Willie! Bill Clinton himself! It's ridiculous to think Trump's only purpose here is to sabotage the Republican party to the point that the Democrats CAN'T not win.
You hit the nail on the head, though none of what Trump wants to do will pass in Congress and Senate. He's just saying what people want to hear and his plans make no sense and fail basic economics. I'm waiting to see who gets nominated to see if I'll still vote. I'll most likely vote third party if Sanders goes Independent. If not, I'll still vote third party or not at all. This election is the worst I've experienced and it has become a 'who's the lesser evil' or 'who's shit smells better?' like the past few elections.
I´m from Brasil and, I´m sorry, I mean no offense, but I will NEVER, EVER understand why americans hate Obama so much.
No, really, I mean, what he did that was that terrible, to begin with ? I´m not saying he is perfect, or that everything is all roses and rainbows but, did you ever read something ´bout my country ? The actual government is so corrupt, that they managed to stole enough money to actually bring the whole country to the verge of bankruptcy !!! Our biggest company, Petrobras, the only company that have permission to explore oil, was used as a ATM Machine to the point where a multi-billionaire company don´t have enough money to keep its basic operations running ! Our two major federal banks stopped all financing due to the lack of reserves ! We have a corrupt president, ´bout to be expelled, and all the potential substitutes are as much corrupt or plainly incopetent as the actual president !
Oh, no, it get better ! 90% of our senators are under some type of investigation, mostly ´bout corruption, but some for even murder ! Public hospitals are shutting down, since doctors don´t have even gloves, or any medicine at all to work with. We´ve lost more then one million jobs. In the last month. Yes, 1% of unemployment in just one month. Again.
So, please, explain me how bad your president is, that you need to elect a buffon, a man that will destroy your country in every possible way, in order to protest ? Unveil this mistery for me ?
3918369 I can tell you why because I have friends that think he is a bad president, it boils down to policies or because he's half black.
3918472 You mean,,,really !? I won´t even comment ´bout his skin...that is not even worth commenting. As ´bout his policies...did any of then destroyed the country ? I can understand people not agreeing with his policies, but are they THAT bad to the point the best option is to elect someone like Trump !?
3918369 He has been 'rewriting' laws to benefit certain segments of society. One example would be the Unemployed. To get them off the books after 6 months there now considered 'employed looking for work' and can no longer get benefits. Before he was elected you could get certain benefits for up to 4 years. He cut it to 6 months. His attacks on the 2nd Amendment are just too much and he is heavily left leaning. There have been more riots and issues these last 7 years internally than there have been in thirty!
Trump will fail hard and the reason he will fail is the same as one of the reasons Obama faltered: the legislature holds far more power than.most people realise, and they don't (and won't) want what Obama wanted nor what Trump wants.
3918499 It is interesting how other countries see, "feel", the USA, due to the limitations in the news coverage. For us here, in Brasil, USA looks like a island of peace and tranquility.
I´m not making this up...I´m a very active reader, even in work I´m constantly reading news and editorials. USA looks like a place far away from any major conflict or problem. Sure, unemployment is still high (at least for USA standards...we are at 11% unemployment here and growing FAST), gross national product could rise faster (but, again, ours is steadly going in negative...we are already in tecnical recession), the immigration problem is mostly unsolved (let´s be honest, it won´t be solved EVER !). But, overall, you don´t see to have any major economic issues, or any social breakpoint. At least, from our perspective.
But it is a know thing that this type of coverage is heavily biased. For example, some foreign news corps are reporting the impeachment process here in Brasil as a blow (is that the right word ? Maybe coup d'etat is the right one) wich is pure lie. The process have, indeed, several problems, but it follows every aspect of our Constituition.
3918483 Yes
Hillary v Trump would be a hard choice for me. Conservative Democrat or Liberal Republican? Sheesh... both of those almost sound like oxymorons. At present I'd be sick to my stomach having to vote for either but Trump sounded surprisingly tame in his Indiana victory speech. If he tones it back a bit when he has to compete for independents and sounds a little moderate by November he'll have me... unless Hillary somehow convinces Bernie to be her running mate. Clinton is a crook and too far to the right for me but if my guy runs with her... well I can always hope for an impeachment or an assassination at least!
It is scary that Trump is most likely to be the Republican nominee. My choice in voting will be made by who the Democrat nominee is, if it is Clinton I will vote for Trump because he will be impeached if he gets too far out of line. The only way I see Clinton being removed from that office is by a bloody revaluation. With everything she has been accused of since her husband left office no normal person would be out of prison.
Sanders scares me because he actually believes in socialism and today's youth have no clue on why it is a bad idea. They look at country's that are about the same population as some of our larger, not our biggest, states and point out that it works. We are in the top 5 populous nations and the most diverse. If they think it will work there is a bridge in Brooklyn that is for sale. If it goes Sanders I will study the third party candidates to find a better choice. I will vote no matter what because it is the right thing to do.
3918369 To provide a specific example: One of Obama's earliest moves was to cancel a plan to put missile defense systems in Poland that could (I've heard) shoot down Russian ICBMs as they launched. This seriously pissed off Poland and our other allies and emboldened Russia (and probably other rivals, such as China). Consequences such as the invasion of Crimea and the war in Ukraine could be traced to that.
Needless to say, ticking off our allies also ticked off people here in America, but the media glossed over it quickly enough that most people either never heard about it or have forgotten it.
Another example is the Cash for Clunkers program that ripped the used car market a new one. This weakened many, many businesses, and now the dealerships are trying to corner the entire car market and service industries (think oil changes, etc.).
My gut told me Obama would be a bad president when I first saw him, and those two examples among many more have confirmed that.
3918558 Basically, a lot of people dislike him for the reasons previously stated, raising tax rates on the middle class that technically counted as "rich", and is blamed for seemingly stocking the fires that've caused a lot of racial tension in recent years. Along with that, people feel he's botched relationships with US allies like Israel, the UK, Russia, and others.
3918472 Everyone says that, but I've seriously never seen people take issue with Obama's race outside of jokes. Maybe I didn't pay enough attention, but I've only seen people complain about something I've never noticed.
3918991 I'm in the bible belt so it explains itself why I hear it more here.
3918322 Given that Trump Steaks is one of the only things that failed in his 300+ companies empire, I would indeed like America to be ran by him like it were a company
3918932 I disagree with calling Russia a rival. The Cold War ended decades ago, and Russia is doing a helluva lot of good against ISIS and such with the French. They're powerful allies. Still, having a back up plan's always a good idea.
Not this nazi again...
I think we're fucked.
I just want to add a quick note that "executive power" is mostly the republicans fault. They started it under bush senior, and junior advanced it to the point Obama could use it the way he did. Clinton didn't help, but that decribes lots of things during his presidency, and he didn't make it worse. Though I should point out I mean increasing the power of signing statements, which is mostly where increased executive power comes from, but maybe not all of it. I have the vague impression of some sort of supreme court case, but I'm not sure.
3918756 I don't like Clinton, but I would not want to risk Trump. She's not really anymore corrupt than any other career politician, the only difference is the Republicans have done a better job in keeping the spotlight on her. And I include a lot of Democrats in any other career politician. The point is she sure won't fix anything, but won't break it either. Status quo is her goal regardless of how often she's gotten away with things. And the real reason she has is because technically, it's legal. It probably shouldn't be, but it is.
3922130
As I said though the Republicans will turn on Trump far faster and will get rid of him if he upsets the boat. Clinton on the other hand has been pushed so hard by her party she will never be gotten rid of by any easy means. So in my opinion the odds of Trump being impeached is far greater then Clinton being impeached or assassinated.
3922150 Yea, but my point is with Trump his term might be short, but the war with Mexico or whatever ridiculous thing he might, emphasis on might, cause will remain. Maybe it's fine, he is such a bald faced liar at times I'm now far less sure how much of what he says he actually believes or plans to actually act on, but I'd rather have the stable politician that lives on the edge of the law, than Trump. Things just could go so bad in so many ways and to such a huge degree.
3922303
The only military conflict I could see him getting any support on would be North Korea. The congress would stop any other actions on fighting another country, like impeaching him. The Republican Party does not like him.
3922378 That was just the first thing that came to mind. Also I was thinking more not us invading Mexico, but somehow getting them so mad they are willing to invade us. The real point is just he somehow causes some real damage before he gets kicked out. Something that isn't easy to undo and we just have to live with. Whereas with Hilary, anything wrong is all going to be on paper. It might not be great for the economy, but there won't be anything that can't be fixed, even if something might be an issue in terms of getting suport to change some law back that isn't a good idea. We might have to impeach her, but it would be boring, and very technical because she knows how to play to that edge of the law. Hilary is business as usual, and while far from great it's something we know how to clean up, even if we dont' always fix everything. Trump is more, wait, why was it necessary to nuke Ohio? I can't even guess what he would really do, and in truth it could be in the end Hilary could end up worse, but I feel Trump is too much of a risk.
Sanders is really the only hope left for the next four years to be anything other than an embarassment to America and the world. On one hand, Hillary is an obvious flipflopper who will kiss up to anyone and will do anything to make herself relevant, she never knows when to back off. Trump, meanwhile, has no political experience at all and clearly doesn't understand the meaning of the word "NO". Hillary may not have much of a backbone for foregin policy, but Trump will probably tick off Russia or Mexico enough to start a war. Some of Sanders' policies are ones I just can't get behind, but at least he might be able to get big money out of politics and jumpstart the movement necessary to restore politics back to how our founding fathers wanted it to be.