Never has a bitter, balding man on television so eloquently described the convictions of political parties throughout the history of the United States (aside from Sen. Sanders, of course).
Welcome to #TrumpTweetWatch2k17, the unironic-but-oh-man-I-wish-we-had-the-luxury-of-irony-right-now hashtag I’m using to ring in the new year and the new presidency.
Imagine the following election. On one side, you have a candidate who sports a stacked resume, yet is constantly burdened by controversy stemming from their time in the previous presidential administration.
America is caught between a rock and a hard place. On the left is the untrustworthy, pandering rock, who FBI Director James Comey recently described as “extremely careless” while handling classified information. On the right is the racist, xenophobic hard place, who promises to make our nation great once more by deporting minorities and shredding the first amendment.
On the eve of the Iowa caucus, over 100 residents of quaint Keene, N.H. filled the Cheshire County Historical Society building, waiting for a presidential hopeful to make his plea for votes.
When the news hit that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died, it didn’t take long for politicians on both sides of the aisle to send their condolences and hastily digress to their more important message: Who should replace him. As the statements poured in, each side masked their politically convenient messages in what they said was proper governmental responsibility.
It’s no secret that Donald Trump has rocked the Republican establishment. In the shadow of his commanding lead, candidate after candidate has left the race, leaving only four challengers between him and the nomination following his victory in Nevada. He has been the target of attacks on the debate stage, on the campaign trail and in the media. Yet, against all conventional political wisdom, Trump continues to climb.
New Hampshire has the distinction of hosting the first primaries in the nation in the 2016 elections. After the nuanced Iowa caucuses, the Granite State promises a more conventional election with ballots and votes, not crowded cafeterias and coin flips. Along with its “first in the nation” status, New Hampshire also plays a distinct role in deciding who gets a shot at the White House, and, at the very least, will narrow the field.
After a razor thin victory for Hillary Clinton in Iowa, the race for the Democratic nomination is more intense than anyone expected. The once inevitable Clinton is now fighting for her political life with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders gaining momentum every day. The New Hampshire primaries are the next stop for the candidates, and the results in the Granite State could have a large impact on the race moving forward.
