The Endless Primary

This Republican primary will go down in history as the one with the endless debates that said nothing worth hearing. From beginning to end, these candidates have had a furious race to the bottom. Not only will each of them go to any lengths to insult the others, but they can't seem to go far enough right to suit themselves. Or perhaps their prospective followers, who make up a distinct mini-minority of the party? We are all so fascinated and made numb at the same time.

Television was always the perfect vehicle for people to make fools of themselves. From the early days of television broadcasting, it was a natural to have programs that allowed amateurs to go in front of the cameras and say outrageous things, and while audiences howled, the clueless participant would project that dumb look of the candidate who believes “I must be a star.” Um, what happened to them all? We only recall people like Groucho Marx who was delighted to assist anyone to become an blithering idiot before the cameras. He would have a wonderful time with these guys.

What I find admittedly disturbing is how much money has been donated for these primary campaigns. I can only hope that the followers of such ridiculous candidates do not number enough to make our lives even more miserable after the next presidential election. I have hopes of Obama, a most elegant man with a brain, continuing––with a new Congress. Perhaps even a reasonable one ready to get to work rather than posture and promise to work on the country’s business, only to then wage war on women and culture.