On the Present US Presidential Election ...

Can we ever avoid politics completely?  I mean politics as we commonly know and understand it. Apparently not.  If the so-called most powerful person in the world, as in the President of the United States, is derived from politics, and if our everyday lives are affected, influenced and dictated - to a large extent - by politics (as in government regulations), then I guess politics is like the weather.  It’s always there “weather” we like it or not.  And if Aristotle is right in his claim that man, by nature, is a political animal, then all the more reason for our inevitable inverse involvement - directly and/or indirectly.

Some politics are more ubiquitous and pervasive than others.  American politics of course being the most ubiquitous - yes, like the weather.  And no other time do we find this truer than during the Presidential Election year, and leading up to it. This year (2016) happens to be one of those times.   Unlike the last election year (2012) when I religiously followed the election and pulling for Romney, this year I try  my best, with not much success, to circumvent the ruckus and brouhaha of the political mayhem.  This time, it’s the comedy, the clowning, the stupid comments, gaffes, weirdness of the candidates - more than profound platforms and promises (as empty as they are anyway) - that I find exciting and entertaining, as always.  It’s the reason I stay on top of most of the current fiasco, especially the laughter resulting from the intrinsic idiocy of the candidates trying to pitch their inflated resumes through political one-upmanship and smarmy promises.

Politics, after all, gives us many of the jokes and gaffes, lasting innuendos and embarrassing moments. Speaking of lasting political innuendos and embarrassments, this election year has resurrected a few in an almost blatant audacious manner.  The Clinton and Bush bynames are again in the mix. A former first lady (wife of president Bill Clinton) - Hillary - and Jeb Bush, the son and brother of the two former Bush presidents, respectively, are presidential candidates.  Some people do not believe in an American political dynasty, hence the disdain for the two families. Others may have either very short  memories or forgiving hearts, especially those who seem to barefacedly support Hillary who is presently alleged to have improprieties of her own while serving as Secretary of State, and therefore currently under investigation by the FBI.  But despite this sometimes unruly and rowdy character of American politics, it also is a source of the best medicine, no, not ObamaCare, but the medicine of laughter.

For the Republicans, perhaps the two weird and laughable candidates are Trump (as in Donald Trump) and Ben Carson the brain/neurosurgeon whose success story has been told in the movie “Gifted Hands”.  A very inspirational story.  But as a candidate for President, Carson is a joke. Literally.  I kinda blame Obama for Carson’s determination - foolhardy as it may be.  He may have thought that if Obama can be President, any other black guy can do it too, especially for someone with expert knowledge of brains...hahaaa....(Actually, Carson does not think that Obama is genuinely Black.) Carson thinks therefore that he has the brains to be President.  Unfortunately, based on some of his gaffes, he seems brainless and obviously is not suited to hold the highest office in the land.

one of his ridiculous comments

Ben was asked about his campaign just last week in Iowa and he said his goal is to “save America” (Trump’s is to make America great again).  But I seem to have the notion that Carson’s brain is wired to his neurosurgeon profession.  To “save America”, meaning America is apparently dying like most of his patients and his goal is to save her.

In the Iowa caucuses last night, Carson came fourth (behind Cruz, Trump and Rubio), meaning he has very little chance of surviving the operation (pun intended).  His campaign was asked what Carson’s next plan is.  The answer: “He’s going to Florida to get a fresh change/set of clothes.” Really?  Most people did not know what they meant if it was literal or figurative.  It turned out that it was the former.  The campaign said he's worn the same clothes for three weeks. Only a doctor would say that, asking for a change of clean things, as in a fresh set of gloves, or a new clean needle, etc., etc.  It seems that he is so attached to his neurosurgeon job that he is not able to dissociate himself from the jargon and influence.  Let me invoke Plato’s definition of justice here, which is:

“To do one’s own business and not to be a busybody is justice.” (Republic 433b.) The idea is that justice consists in fulfilling one’s proper role – realizing one’s potential whilst not overstepping it by doing what is contrary to one’s nature.”

Simply put - at least for the purpose of this post - if one’s business, nature or calling is a neurosurgeon, then stick with it. Leave politics to the politicians. According to Plato, it will be an injustice, as a medical doctor, to overreach into politics.

the bodacious (as in bold+audacious ) Trump

And for the pompous and bodacious Donald Trump, the limits are less delineated.  He has denigrated women and offended minorities with his audacity, and at times, his arrogance.  He wants to ban Muslims from coming to America.  The Republican Party has become very worried and uneasy about Trump's positions, which will hurt the party.  Even the media and Washington republicans dislike him while he continues to tout and enjoy comfortable leads in all polls.

Amazingly, Trump sang Ted Cruz’s praises a few months back, as being a nice terrific friend, while Cruz was lagging behind in the polls. Surprisingly, last night, Cruz won the Iowa caucuses, with Trump coming in second.  Now Trump seems to look at Cruz as, at best, a frienemy.

Trump and Carson are so-called “outsiders” - that is, not of the Washington or local political establishments.  They want to appeal to the public outcry of being tired of Washington and its cliques.  And for Trump, it seems to be working.  He has been leading in the polls from the get-go, and may very well win the GOP nomination, unless Americans start espousing Plato’s philosophy and start reminding Trump to stick to his business guns and acumen, and stay out of politics. Or Trump may defy Plato and remind everyone that there was - and is - such a person called a Renaissance Man, and he can be one.  In fact he has been running beauty pageants and a TV reality show and he’s already been married three times anyway ...So he can at least multitask...hahaaa.... Stay tuned!

This is Ted Cruz’s main campaign slogan: TRUSTED.  But with Trump's loss to Cruz last night, I won't be surprised if Trump will change one of his main campaign banners to read like this ..."TRUMPTED"  ...LOL!   Oh wait, what if these two end up as a team (President and Vice President) in the General Election???  Then they can use the same banner ..hahahaaa.  And hopefully they (individually or together) can weather the Billary Clinton storm (yeaaahhriggght!) and come out victorious.