Revisiting The Presidential Primary Election Contests

Sometimes in seeking to understand the way in which current urgent political and economic, domestic and foreign issues are discussed in the media and among respective candidates in an election campaign it is useful to apply what I call the “real world” vs an “alternative altered State or parallel reality” test.

The Republican party presidential candidates are engaged in contest of personalities, insults and and counter insulting responses with minimum thoughtful attention to proposed solutions to some of our nation’s urgent domestic and foreign policy problems.

Isn’t the shameful refugee crisis resulting from our Syria and Libya foreign policies, the contamination of the domestic water supply in Flint, Michigan, and the homeless sleeping on the streets in several communities across our nation more important than a national television discussion and debate about the size of a candidates’ hand or other body parts?

Thomas Jefferson in thoughtful reflection about the institution of slavery in our nation at the time, governed by our Declaration of Independence and Constitution, said “”I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.” Do the candidates for their Republican party’s nomination for President have no shame?

Within the Democratic party’s primary contests for president, the underlying repetitive theme is whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or Senator Bernie Sanders is more qualified or best suited from their respective experiences to address the urgent needs of the party’s key constituencies of Hispanic and African-American voters? The Clinton campaign is based on it’s assumption that these communities will remember Hillary Clinton as First Lady under two terms of her husband’s presidency more than anything Senator Bernie Sanders says he can and will do to address those issues most important to their lives

A debate is scheduled between Sanders and Clinton this weekend in Flint, Michigan, that city’s New Orleans “Katrina” consisting of contaminated drinking water resulting from the immoral and criminal behavior, (actions and inactions) by State and Municipal public officials in the State of Michigan.

Democratic Primary voters in Michigan and elsewhere, especially, but not limited to, Hispanic and African-Americans, will have to decide whether they want elect Clinton whom they know over Senator Sanders, whom they know less.

To us THE definitive issue is NOT whom they know better or longer, but which candidate’s past, current and proposed polices, offered to address their real life problems is best for them in 2016?

Under the Clinton administration in the 90s there was increased temporary prosperity among the African-American middle class. But, a time bomb was later ignited by the repeal of the Glass-Steagall law separating commercial and investment banking.
This repeal directly caused the 2008 financial crisis. It enabled banks and investment banks to sell and trade bundled housing mortgages which eventually led to the foreclosure of the mortgages on the homes of hundreds of thousands of African-Americans and others across our country.

Additionally, trade policies supported by Candidate Clinton resulted in the closure of many domestic manufacturing facilities in 2000s, resulting in unemployment or low wage employment, requiring the working at two jobs, to support one’s family in many African-American and Hispanic communities throughout our nation.

The current generation of African-Americans and the issues confronting them are more attentive to issues of police mistreatment of African-Americans, persistent high unemployment among 18-25 old males, and the community results of the massive incarceration policies under former President Bill Clinton’s two terms in office.

Both Clinton and Sanders have domestic and foreign policy positions that seek to address those issues now affecting the current and next generation of African-American voters. Only the results of this weekend and other primary voting contests will indicate the choice that Hispanic and African-American voters make: The Clinton they know or the Sanders they don’t know as well, but whose proposed policies may be more responsive to the current problems confronting them in 2016.