I know one when I see one

Matt Pearl

Trump vs. Hillary in 2016 — the scenario we will see, pending the outcome of what is likely to be a sideshow-ridden Republican Convention and a lot of Democrat discouragement over Sanders’ impending win, which will be a loss on nomination day.

Meanwhile, what are we all supposed to do at the polls? How do you choose between the man you can’t like and the woman you can’t trust?

I know there are some of you who disagree with me about my assessment of one candidate or the other. If you think that Trump is the victim of a hostile, liberal media that wishes to portray him unfairly, I suppose you have the right to that opinion.

And if you think poor Hillary has been victimized by countless accusations going back 25 years for the obstruction-of-justice-style political maneuvering just because Republicans can’t stand her — a fact we all know is true — then you may accept your delusion as truth. It’s a free country.

I can’t get over it: How are these people the actual choices? How did we get here?

If I sat down with Bernie Sanders, I don’t think we would agree on much politically, but how in the world is the system so corrupt that this man can go on a tare throughout the States, winning and winning and winning again, all the while without any genuine chance to garner enough delegates to get the party’s nomination? Ideological differences aside, that alone makes me glad I’m not a Democrat.

Why am I glad I’m not a Republican? Because the race has come down to Trump and Cruz. Trump is egomaniacal, brash, proud to appear as heartless to all except the neo-conservatives to whom he panders.

And Cruz? Well, he is working day and night to pay lip service to the values the paranoid right-winger adopts out of fear, fighting for the same votes that Trump has already sealed.

So which party do I favor?

Pass on that question. It varies based upon the behavior of its representatives, and at the moment, I’m finding it hard to like any of them. Outside the political arena, if I could meet them as just normal folks at a coffee house, I still think we’d struggle to get along.

Cruz would be in a hurry to get out and talk to someone with more influence or money than I, and Trump would probably tell a couple of questionable jokes, end with, “Am I right?” and leave me shaking his head.

Clinton wouldn’t like me; even worse, she would fake smile, nod patiently, the sign something for a souvenir and walk off rolling her eyes.

Bernie — well, he might be nice to talk to. After a while, though, we’d disagree, and we’d both get worked up over how much socialism is too much — then part ways with no intent to interact again.

I shared this basic narrative with someone a while back who asked, “You’ve really though about what it would be like to have coffee with the presidential candidates?”

Yes, I have. Why? Because I’m a small-towner, and I tend to build allegiances to people with whom I can interact, people who I can trust to tell me the truth — even if it’s one that conflicts with my personal beliefs or desires.

I don’t relate to any of these people, really. I possess a basic distrust of anyone whose name is associated with the number of scandals Hillary has faced, or someone like Trump, who speaks with such blatant, personal disrespect for so many others. Bernie’s wealth redistribution plans have no chance of flying, and I’m not sure they’re all we need now anyway.

And Cruz—I’m no national political analyst, but I know a fake smile when I see one.