I have wanted to write something here for quite a while, but I have been swamped with work. But the campaign season has begun to nauseate me, and I must start writing here again. Jefferson said that a democracy cannot survive without an educated electorate. Well, it seems that we have a great number of uneducated and ignorant people who may vote for one of the candidates who could destroy this country. No, not hyperbole. For example, the narcissistic  Donald Trump could easily start World War III. Without reaching the Oval Office, he has already alienated many of the world leaders who would not be able to deal with him. Who may not want to deal with The Donald. At the same time, I don't know that any other Republican is much better. Perhaps not as dangerous, but equally unfit for high office. Ben Carson believes the Holocaust could have been avoided if the Jews would have had guns. The Warsaw Ghetto uprising proves him wrong. He doesn't seem to  be aware of the fact that Jews have always made up a very small minority in every country---even today in the United States, Jews do not make up more than 2 percent of the population. Anyone who believes in such a ":simple" solution for a complicated problem should not be sitting in the Oval Office. Even the baby-faced Rubio who seems to need a lot of coaching. Not ready for prime time, no matter what Nikki Haley says.

Not one of the Republicans believes in global warming or evolution. If questioned, I have a sinking feeling that most, if not all, would pontificate on creationism and deny everything that science has taught the rest of us. I still recall Sarah Palin, who doesn't seem to have understood anything she's ever read, saying that it's a "theory," so it isn't true (or did she say "ain't"?). I guess no one explained how the word "theory" is used in math and science (or perhaps she didn't qualify for that course). I wonder how she would explain away Einstein's Theory of Relativity because it's a "theory."

I understand that Obama's presidency has been a landmark in American history, and he has accomplished an incredible number of things, for which Republicans give him no credit: catching Bin Laden, enacting Obamacare (I don't think the people giving ACA that name realized they were awarding Obama's legacy beautifully with that appellation); opening the door to Cuba once (really akin to Nixon going to China); brokering the Iran deal (yes, we keep our friends close, but we keep our enemies closer); the many summits in which he played a leading role in getting accords about emissions, trade, and an array of other things. He has gotten the respect of the world, and I  believe he is much admired everywhere---but here.

Obama's election brought all the bigots out of their dark underground burrows; they found a new cause and a person they could freely hate. Many of them would like to pretend that he is not a legitimate president, still spouting birther theories and such although I suspect that history will eventually accord him one of our greatest. I have to admit that I admire his infinite reserve of restraint when he is time and again insulted, usually by rather stupid people.

I seem to be going far a field here, but I had been watching the Republican Town Hall this evening, and it made me angry, frightened, and upset. To see that there are people out there who believe that Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, or in fact of them are actually fit for high office is rather frightening, especially with a Republican Congress. Congress has a vast array of bills they've passed, only waiting for a Republican president. Abortion could very well be denied to most women; even birth control could be on the table. Planned Parenthood would lose its funding; and I wouldn't be surprised to see the arts losing support in favor of further building up a military that doesn't need further building up. Donald Trump said on this evening's Town Hall that he, like the other Republicans, would get rid of Obamacare (which this Congress has repealed about sixty times) and go for a "voucher" program. For those unaware of what that is, it would mean paying for your medical expenses and then deducting the expenses on your taxes. And how, I wonder, would any poor person manage that? In fact, that would be a hardship for any but the very rich, especially should they need surgery.

The sum of what I heard from all of these candidates is that the rich would get richer and the poor would pay for it. The middle class would be further eroded. They speak of helping the middle class, but their programs all point to further catering to the rich. Obama has taxed the rich more than any president in recent times, but that could easily be erased by a Republican president with a Republican Congress. And my greatest fear, aside from war, is that with no middle class, we will become a banana republic..