The trouble with this election (overall dissatisfaction)

[loyalsister]

In 2008, we had a historical election. Our candidate was charismatic, squeaky clean, and people loved to hear him speak. Despite having a kind of grace and temperate deameaner that is perfectly suited to the presidency, republicans plotted and schemed with obstinance rooted in racism in efforts to thwart him and doom his presidency to failure. So, here we are. He has handled his presidency in a way few possibly could have given the opposition.

Now we have the contrast. 3 candidates left and none has a temperment that comes close to the measured demeanor Obama posseses. None are nearly as likable. None have a disposition that gives the impression they could easily take on the role and maintain a composure that is necessary to provide the kind leadership Obama has executed.

Two things that brought us here. The response of republicans and the rise of the tea party. The media embraced it and both entertainment and news media exploded into an exercise in endless angry confrontation. The public has loved it so much that a reality TV star is a candidate for president. O'Malley was the only Democratic candidate who displayed any semblance of a strong and composed temperment. And, he was ignored by the news media while they focused on conflict between Hillary and Bernie.

Now have an ongoing primary election with individuals expressing the conflict driven culture that loves to hate and values meaness.

I think this election season represents a real low point in politics which is an odd backlash to having had a president who stayed above the fray and managed to accomplish more positive domestic and foreign policy changes than most would have expected given the obstacles.

Although Bernie Sanders' aspirations are more to my liking, I am not convinced that he could pull it off given his hardline demeanor. Aside from the more obvious flaws, Hillary Clinton comes out of the gate wanting to compromise too much and represents everything that is wrong with the traditions of political exploitation and money in politics. Neither has a style of interaction that is nearly as well suited as Obama.

Trump requires no comment other than he is the most representative of the cultural flaws driving this election season. Unfortunately we may be getting the government we deserve by participating in all of the ugliness and allowing this entire primary process to proceed as it has. Maybe we, as a culture could have resisted the media's pursuit of stoking the most contentious competition possible.

My only hope is that I will be pleasantly surprised and people will finally begin to crave decency and mutual respect more than they find anger and confrontation satisfying.
Is it possible that the flaws of our democrats will turn out to have been exagerated by the media? Were we just spoiled by having a stellar candidate in Barack Obama? Will we soon grow out of the conflict driven entertainment and news media influences?

2020 can't come soon enough!

[bkkyosemite]

1. Bernie absolutely could pull it off. He is smart, compassionate, cares about people really

cares..has integrity and honesty..he could pull it off.

[Retrograde]

2. You're not the only one

Discounting the Republican candidates (well, Pataki may have been palatable), I'm disappointed in the choices we had for president. I'd like to see more of O'Malley, but he didn't seem organized out of the gate. Chaffee and Webb - one former Republican and one crypto-Republican. I think Sanders got a lot of votes just by being Somebody Else: I think he's sliding into demogogue territory - a lot of talk but not much substance. Clinton was pushed too hard as the Candidate Whose Time Has Come: people resented her being forced on them.

Of the three left standing, Clinton is the best of the bunch but that's not saying a lot. She's persistent, dogged, a hard-worker, familiar with various branches of the government, but she's too hawkish for my tastes and she has made a lot of mistakes (which one does when one tried to do something). Sanders is preaching pie-in-the-sky and acting like he's reliving the 60s, only now he's being taken seriously, the anti-establishment candidate whose been part of the establishment since 1991. And the less said about Trump the better.