This has gone from improbable, to doubtful, to laughable, to now possibly feasible.  Go ahead, say it out loud: President Donald Trump.  As I’ve written in the past, I’m somewhat of a political junkie, and for some inexplicable reason I find politics interesting.  Following politics today requires a sense of humour as well, because laughter beats the alternative, crying (unless of course the tears are a result of busting your gut from laughing).  Following the shenanigans today, the Republican and Democratic Primaries, can’t help but make you laugh. Yes, I include the Democratic Primary as well. On one side you have an elderly communist, I mean socialist, if I’m not mistaken he served with Abraham Lincoln as his Secretary of State, and on the other side you have a candidate where the majority of her own party doesn’t trust her. She’s also being investigated by the FBI. In fairness, the Democratic Primaries are the opening act for the wonderful vaudeville act playing nightly, the Republican Primary.    

Never, in my wildest dreams did I think that Trump had a chance.  I firmly believed that this was nothing more than a publicity stunt for him, and that Republican Party would do whatever was necessary to put a stop to him. Well, it hasn’t worked out that way. Donald Trump now believes he can become the president of the United States of America, and why wouldn’t he? His candidacy has now become a movement.  The more outrageous his claims become, the more his popularity grows. The more he changes his positions, on a daily basis, the more people lineup up to hear him speak. The angrier he becomes, the more American’s say “he’s our guy”. His road to the White House still has many miles to go. The American political system is a little convoluted. It’s not about the number states he wins, but rather the number of delegates he receives in each state. In many States the delegates are distributed by the proportion of votes the candidate received in the primary election. In other words, if you finish in second, you still win delegates.   To become the republican nominee, Trump would require 1,237 delegates. As of today he has 329 delegates.  So, it would be a little premature of him to start working on his inauguration speech. This may not be resolved until the Republican Conventions takes place. A deal may have to be brokered at the convention, and that would be one hell of a closing act. 

I must admit that the indignation, shock, and dismay that Canadians are exhibiting over the possibility of Trump becoming president is a tad self-aggrandizing. As we’ve demonstrated in the past we do not necessarily elect the most worthy of candidates. I really miss Rob Ford. The problem with politics today is that too many voters look at style rather than substance. Unfortunately, that’s what wins elections. It’s how a community organizer became a president and a former supply school teacher a prime minister. It’s no longer about the resume but rather ones oratory skills. What’s unfolding before us may be a new low in American politics, but as Canadians maybe we should dial back the holier than thou rhetoric. We don’t have the market corned on electing the best and brightest.

I don’t have a dog in this race so it matters little to me who wins the presidency. The current president has treated Canada like an afterthought for the last 7 years, and somehow we still managed to survive. If the new president does the same, and even builds a wall on our border, we’ll do what we always do, carry on. But if I did have vote mine would go to Ted Cruz. It has nothing with his policies. I would vote for him because I’m a patriot. I would love to see a Canadian occupy the Oval Office.

Until next time,

Cheers.