Putting the current presidential election candidate race into perspective

The importance of this year’s elections will be historic for all Americans. I read an article and thought it had a crucial perspective to share with others:

Robert Reich, Dec. 16, 2015: “A friend called this morning, apoplectic about Trump’s and Cruz’s rise in the polls. ‘Can you believe how dumb and bigoted the American people are?’ he almost yelled over the phone.

“I told him to calm down. ‘Most of the polls are of registered Republicans,’ I explained. ‘Only 23 percent of American voters are registered Republicans, while 32 percent are Democrats, and almost everyone else describes themselves as Independent. As of yesterday, Trump was favored by 38 percent of registered Republicans, and Cruz by 14 percent. This means that only 6.7 percent of Americans favor Trump and 3.2 percent favor Cruz. Maybe they’re dumb and bigoted but this is hardly a sample of the American people.’

“‘Thanks,’ he said. ‘I needed that.’”

What the contest results demonstrate at this time is how important they are for every American going forward to election day. Citizens must become engaged, listen carefully to each candidate’s words, watch their demeanor, feel their attitudes toward other people different from themselves, discover their knowledge of the world’s affairs or lack of it, and learn how they plan to fix America’s problems in great detail. Voters must think carefully and vote with their brain not their emotions, like a brash circus ringmaster, or an announcer touting the attributes of two brawny fighters at a coliseum prize fight. The person elected to our highest office will represent each one of us, in our own country and be the face of America to the people of every nation around the world. Presidential means a positive face, not a repugnant one.

Carolyn DuVall

Moses Lake