February 5th, 2016
My Dear America:
Well, Its on Now.
After nearly a years worth of Bullshit, Bluster and Barnstorming on the part of a whole new Crop of American Presidential Candidates we have finally had something happen that really means something. We have had something akin to an election. It wasn't really an election. It was the Iowa Caucus or Caucuses. It was the first time since 2012 that Americans (Iowans Only) had to get up off their asses, walk out of their dwellings and go somewhere to make it known to other Iowans, and other Americans, as well, who was the person in their party that they preferred to run for President.
Although the Iowa Caucus is not really an election, It does mean something Special in American Politics and it has taught not only Iowans but also other Americans elsewhere in the country some valuable lessons over the years. Some of those lessons have been taught before and, indeed, learned before but like many other life lessons forgotten over the course of several years, sometimes we all need reminders to refresh our political memories.
The past year has been filled with strange political lessons even before the actual voting of the Iowa Caucus.
We learned, for instance, that even a disingenuous disgraceful First Term Senator from Texas, who seemed to take Great Pleasure in shutting down the United States Government in an effort to defund programs he didn't like, could not only participate in the Presidential Primary Process but could actually win his party's nomination process in the great state of Iowa.
"How Stupid are the people of Iowa," Donald Trump ranted at one of his well attended rallys. Well, apparently they weren't quite stupid enough to vote Trump for First Place in the Iowa Caucus. Yet, they did vote The Big Mouth that Roared into Second Place on the Iowa Caucus tally sheet. Good God, that's bad enough.
And Ted Cruz, the Winner in Iowa, was apparently successful in covering over his Political Warts. Ted Cruz, the man who single handedly shut down the Federal Government so that he could read Green Eggs and Ham into the Congressional record won the votes of Iowa Republicans despite the fact that he is probably the single most despised man in the entire Republican Party.
Ted was, however, the first Dark Horse out of the gate in 2015 making his announcement at Liberty University early in the year. His announcement was, of course, filled with derisive comments about "Obamacare" and days after his announcement at Liberty U. when Ted's wife left her Wall Street Job and her health care benefits behind, Ted signed the family up for the hated "Obamacare" program. It was to be only one of many indications of what a fraud Ted Cruz was.
Ted and Marco Rubio, two Americans born of Cuban immigrants, First Term United States Senators running for President in 2015 and 2016 tried to outdo each other on presenting themselves as Anti Immigration Republicans. Despite the fact that neither Rubio or Cruz would be Americans if it wasn't for their parents immigrating to America these two phonys came in First (Cruz) and Third (Rubio) in the Republican Iowa Caucus Results.
Rubio, a young Senator with a debt soaked checkered past in Florida and little inclination for showing up to work as a First Term Senator, did, however, manage to keep his campaign afloat as other lighter funded candidates fell by the wayside during 2015.
As Republicans voted in the Iowa Caucus the Campaign Trail had already been littered with the carcases of many former All Star Republican Candidates who had not lasted on the Campaign Trail and underfunded and unappreciated they began to fall like failed track stars that couldn't make it to the finish line. In fact, they couldn't even make it to the starting gate of the Iowa Caucuses.
Like Bruce Springsteen's "Broken Heroes on a Last Chance Power Try" They had come alive on the Republican Campaign Trail and those who were allowed to participate in the Debates by the Media Power Brokers did so with a relish.
Former Governor of Virginia, Jim Gilmore got no traction at all and was shut out of most debates, Former Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, who had dropped out in 2012 ended up dropping out again, Former New York Governor, George Patacki despite good showings on what Rachel Maddow first and others later on called "The Kids Table Debates," just never caught fire and dropped out, Same with South Carolina Senator and John McCain Buddy, Lindsey Graham and Louisiana Governor, Bobby Jindal. Wisconsin Governor, Scott Walker's Republican Star seemed to burn very brightly for awhile but in the end the light and the big money disappeared and so did Scott Walker from the Campaign Trail.
Following the Iowa Caucuses Former Pennsylvania Senator, Rick Santorum, Tennessee U.S. Senator, Rand Paul and Former Arkansas Governor and Fox News Host, Mike Huckabee also gave up the ghost and dropped out of the Republican Presidential Race.
Even after poor showings in Iowa, however, Dr. Ben Carson, Former Florida Governor, Jeb Bush, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Failed CEO of Hewlett Packard and failed California Senate Candidate, Carly Fiorina, Ohio Governor, John Kasich and Multi Millionaire Businssman, Donald Trump all remained in the race for President after Iowa.
If there is one candidate who should have learned a valuable lesson in Iowa it is Donald Trump. Although Trump came in Second in the Iowa Race he had predicted that he would win and win big in Iowa. It must have been galling to lose to Ted Cruz, who Trump had unleashed a scorched earth policy on during the waning days of the Iowa campaign. It must also have galled Trump that he had only beaten Marco Rubio by one percentage point. Trump seemed to be almost conciliatory to his rivals and to Iowa residents on Caucuses night.
I wouldn't bet that that attitude lasts long, especially if Trump tops the Field of Dreamers in New Hampshire.
We shall soon see what happens in New Hampshire in the First Actual State Primary Election this year.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
No comments:
Post a Comment