On the Iowa caucus eve - Why Sanders and Trump rise and Why America Needs Sanders Now

[Attorney in Texas]

Usually, the question on the eve of the Iowa caucus is "who"?

* who is going to win the caucus?

* who is going to head into New Hampshire with momentum?

* who is going to drop out after disappointment in Iowa?

This election cycle is different. In 2016, the dominant question on the eve of the Iowa caucus is "why"?

* why is Sanders drawing such bigger crowds than Clinton?

* why is Trump still ahead despite such offensive statements?

* why didn't the establishment candidates in both parties dominate as predicted six months ago?

There is a reason for this.

Americans have lost faith in their government. There has been an historic drop in faith in Congress as discussed by NPR in "Even Lawmakers Ask: Does Anyone Like Congress?" and by the Huffington Post in "Congress' Approval Rating Remains Dismal":



The government is literally less popular than Paris Hilton and Nickelback:



Significant majorities think the country is headed in the wrong direction:



There is real discontent and dissatisfaction with the status quo in the electorate.

Trump taps into this discontent by exploiting fear, but the reason for his success is that he is unique among the Republican candidates in his ability to exploit this discontent.

Sanders taps into the the dissatisfaction with the status quo by offering hope for a better way forward. As much as the establishment may want to pretend that Sanders' platform is "out of the mainstream," America wants and needs change and it is the establishment that is now out of the mainstream:



This is a change election cycle. The status quo will lose if the voters are given a chocie between change and the status quo. Sanders hope and Trump offers fear -- the question is which change will America choose?

[daleanime]

1. When Lawyers and Used Car Dealers rank ahead of you....

you might want to think about some changes. Maybe a career as a dog walker?

[Attorney in Texas]

6. You recall that Hillary is a lawyer and Bill was a lawyer before he got disbarred for unethical

misbehavior, right?

[artislife]

2. The graph about lice had me cracking up!

[Attorney in Texas]

9. me too

[Uncle Joe]

3. Well done.

Thanks for the thread, Attorney in Texas.

[Attorney in Texas]

8. Thanks!

[Ferd Berfel]

4. K&R

[Attorney in Texas]

10. Thanks

[loyalsister]

5. I can't tell if Hillary doesn't know that so many voters are angry or if she just doesn't care?

There are many people whose anger is righteous, as they have not felt the economic recovery and things just seem to be getting more difficult for them to make a living and lead a satisfying life.

People who live under those circumstances are gravitating towards Trump and Sanders because they hear and validate their anger. Hillary ignores it.

[Attorney in Texas]

7. That's the downside of being overly ambitious. After spending decades elbowing into position as the

establishment status quo candidate, she cannot just pretend that she is the change candidate. Too much momentum tagging her as a third-way triangulator.