GOP Debate Thoughts

I'm watching the GOP debate at the moment and I think it's probably raising my blood pressure.  I cannot fathom how people are supporting Donald Trump.  Part of me wonders if these supporters understand politics.  Do they understand how government works?  I sit here and I lament the fact that being properly educated is not a requirement for enfranchisement.  Perhaps, just as immigrants need to pass a test to become naturalized, the electorate should have to pass a test to show their suitability to cast a vote.

Maybe I'm being an elitist or something.  I don't know.  I have a degree in political science and so much of what I'm seeing lately reminds me of things my professors would say in their lectures that makes me cringe as I see the disaster that appears to be unfolding at the moment.  The vast majority of my professors talked about how uninformed and uneducated the majority of the American voters are.  They essentially likened them to mindless sheep or lemmings that had no real idea of what is really going on.  Now at the time, Republicans and Democrats were not so far apart.  I believe today that there is a bit more a chasm between the two sides given that we have a socialist running as a Democrat in the primary.  That's alarming.  But as alarmed as I am about that, I'm even more alarmed by the number of people claiming to be conservatives who are supporting Donald Trump.

The angry mob vote concerns me.  I realize people can honest and truly have a conversion and change.  There have been politicians who have switched parties.  I don't doubt that one can switch affiliation and be true to the new party line they've ascribed to.  What I do doubt very much is the authenticity of Trump's political affiliation.  He's not a conservative.  And, even if he wants to pretend he is, and he winds up winning the GOP nomination, he will have every unsavory thing he's ever done pulled out before the election.

Trump is not a man who can run on any kind of family values.  He has zero experience in government and given how he pompously handles himself when debating his "fellow" Republicans, I cannot see how he can possibly deal with foreign heads of states without creating a myriad of gaffes and disasters.

If you disagree with me, that's fine.   I do my best to avoid discussing politics with people because I am not a fan of getting into heated debates with people over politics.  Ordinarily I can remain silent about politics but presently I feel I simply can't do that.  I feel that too much is at stake with this upcoming election.  I sincerely wish there was a viable third party candidate who was capable of winning the election at the present moment.