In what seems like an already long and exhausting campaign season, we still have yet to cast the first vote.
But in two weeks, the Iowa caucus kicks off the voting. (Yes, I know it’s actually a caucus, but roll with me for simplicity’s sake.) For the first time, we’ll get answers to a couple of long-awaited questions.
Namely, just how bizarre America really is.
On one end, you have the self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist who promises the country that unicorns are going to fly out of his backside and pay for his multitrillion-dollar plan to reinvent America.
On the other end, you have the guy who says he is going to “Make America Great Again” without any explanation as to how, but insisting that he will just do it. Because that’s how you do stuff — you just do it.
As wildly popular as these men have become due to their rhetoric, the time has come for America to prove it, and the results will tell us much about our current state of affairs.
Bernie Sanders and His Lucky Charms
To be clear, winning the Iowa caucus guarantees no one the nomination — just ask Mike Huckabee.
But more often than not, the winner goes on to score the nomination, as the early momentum gained from a win takes them pretty far.
But more than just giving a leg up to one candidate, it speaks volumes about the mood of this nation, and given the two extreme candidates we see in each field, I believe it will be a temperature check on the citizenry.
As far as I can tell, when it comes to Bernie Sanders, they must think this man literally has the ability to shake down a leprechaun for his pot of gold.
Does America really believe we can pay for the programs Bernie has introduced? The reality is that there are no leprechauns to shake down, but there is an entire class of successful and hard-working people who are going to have to cough up a pretty penny to pay for that bratty teen next door to go to college.
Trillions upon trillions of dollars in promises have been made by Bernie, and if it is true that there is no such thing as a free lunch, then that means someone is going to have to pay.
The polls have Sanders and Clinton running pretty close with one another, and it is entirely possible for one to have a larger-than-expected win.
A vote for Sanders is not just a vote for the man but a referendum on America’s view of the wealthy.
Do the American people genuinely believe that the wealthy owe them what Sanders has promised them?
Well, in Iowa, we will get our first indication.
Donald Trump and His Magic Red Hat
When it comes to rhetoric that excites the electorate, few do it better than Donald Trump.
He too promises us the world… in a more ambiguous manner.
“Make America Great Again” is the slogan, but the details are a little murky once you get beyond that.
And while many conservatives seem to have fallen in love with what he says, it remains to be seen whether they are willing to pull the trigger and make this man their President.
Trump is running neck and neck with Ted Cruz in Iowa, and a vote for Trump is a vote for the magic hat that will make America great again, because that’s what the hat says and no other reason.
As an American, I love the guy.
Outspoken, successful, and unapologetic is not too bad of a red, white, and blue resume.
But do I honestly believe this man can lead the most powerful nation on the face of the planet?
The truth will be told in the vote.
Perhaps moments of conscience and reason hit a person as they get ready to cast the vote, and while we know a good portion of conservatives are in love with Trump, we will know in two weeks whether that is puppy love or deep-seated passion.
These things have a way of working themselves out, and personally, I can’t wait to get to the voting so we can discover just how crazy America might really be.
