Who will be president?
As Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders battle it out for the Democratic Party nomination for President, the Republican field has gotten much smaller, if not less complicated. Most people believe that Sanders will stick it out until the convention and that Clinton, barring an unpleasant announcement from the FBI, will win the nomination. Who will be the Republicans’ choice for the nomination is still in doubt.
The Republicans started out with 17 candidates a few months ago. It was probably the best qualified field of candidates in the history of the Republican Party. One by one they fell. A governor here, a congressman there, a CEO over there, a surgeon there, and so on, until there were four. Those left standing were a billionaire businessman, two senators, and a governor. This week, a senator exited the stage as Marco Rubio failed to win his home state of Florida. And now there are three.
The person who leads the pack is, of course, Donald J. Trump. Trump takes credit for bringing energy into the Republican ranks and mobilizing millions of new voters. Indeed, statistics indicate that the Republican voter turnout is over 60 percent higher than in the previous primary.
No one is casual about Trump. People love him or despise him. He has drawn the largest crowds at his rallies than any another candidate. In this, he and Bernie Sanders share something in common. Both candidates appeal to those who are sick of politics and sick of politicians. Both candidates energize their supporters.
Ted Cruz, of Cuban descent via Canada, is the true-blue conservative in the crowd of three. He is so conservative that his fellow Republican senators, for the most part, loathe him. Fellow Senator and Republican Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, said, “If someone murdered Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, no Senator would convict that man.” Yet Cruz, in second place, has the best chance to overtake Trump in the delegate count.
And then we come to John Kasich, sitting governor of Ohio, who did win his own state a few days ago. Nearly all agree that Kasich, the sole remaining hope for the so-called Republican Establishment has mathematically no chance of securing the nomination by winning primary races. Yet he continues to run.
Behind the scene, whoever the Republican “bosses” are, are preparing for a brokered convention in case Trump fails to win the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination.
Trump has stated that, if he comes close to the magic number while the second place finisher is far behind him, and if the convention fails to award him the nomination, there will be riots.
While that may be overstating the case, it is highly likely that Trump’s legions will see the act as one more indication that politicians are corrupt and fail to vote by the millions.
Both the Democrats and Republicans have misjudged how revolted the citizens are at politics as usual. People, especially people under 30, are not so much for Sanders as there are displeased with their other choice being Clinton.
And many people are not so much Trump supporters as they are for anybody who is not a career politician. And if the Republicans, by hook or crook, put forth as their nominee a Jeb Bush or another career “establishment” candidate, then, “Welcome to the Oval Office, Madame President.”
This could be the election that finally convinces Americans to demand, not request, term limits for all elected politicians. The 13 percent approval rating of Congress indicates how angry at and weary of Americans are of their own leaders.
Trump has called his campaign a “movement.” Sanders has called his effort a “revolution.” Both are speaking the truth.
Who will be President of the United States? At this juncture, literally nobody knows. If the right pieces all fall into just the right place, it could be Mitt Romney versus Joe Biden. And if that happens, I, and millions of Americans, will just stay home on Election Day.
[David Epps is the pastor of Christ the King Church (www.ctkcec.org.). He is the bishop of the Diocese of the Mid-South, (www.midsouthdiocese.org) which consists of Georgia and Tennessee and is the associate endorser for his denomination’s military chaplains. He may be contacted at frepps@ctkcec.org.]
