Monday, April 25, 2016

GOP is Doing What Democrats Did in 1972 - Selecting the Most Extreme Candidate Who Loses 49 States

We are seeing a reverse of 1972, when the Democrats picked the most extreme candidate (George McGovern, the Bernie of his day) and lost 49 states. I know because I was the young college kid at the University of Texas voting for the first time. We were devastated. And we learned.

This time is the GOP falling into that tar pit of disaster. In 2016 it is the GOP picking the two worst candidates in their history. As Lindsay Graham said, picking between Trump and Cruz is like picking being shot or taking poison. Romney looks angelic in comparison.

It portends a major shift in America. Like it or not, America is moving left while the Republican party has tried to move even further right, to the point of having another Barry Goldwater moment. Only Barry Goldwater was a moderate compared to today's GOP candidates who seem even more extreme.

I know this because I ran in more than one GOP primary for Congress (before returning to the Democratic party) against the most powerful politician of the day. I wrote a chapter on that experience and about how our primary system is producing the most extreme candidates like Trump/Cruz.
In Texas our Attorney General is under indictment.  Our Ag Commissioner came into office pushing fat fryers on kids (obesity epidemic be damned) and then charged taxpayers his expenses to fly to Oklahoma for "Jesus Shots" (whatever the hell that is). Why?
Because in Texas the most extreme candidate  wins the GOP primary. Whoever that is wins the general election in a one party state. As a result, the GOP is now picking the most hated politicians on record, Mr. Trump and Cruz. 
Another reminder was when Tom DeLay, the person I ran against, this week defended an admitted child molester from serving even 6 months in jail because he is a fellow Congressmen.  Not a whiff of sympathy for the boys molested by his friend. Sick.
I ran against Mr. DeLay and wrote about it and our broken primary process. Details in "Predicting 911 and Running Against the Hammer" - If you want better government, the answer is there...

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