Disillusionment in 2020 Presidential Election

 

                                                                  Opinion

After watching a portion of the US presidential election over 10,000 miles from the action, the process hasn't changed all that much in many years. I had the unfortunate experience of viewing Australian commentators stating their sports-like renditions of Trump and Biden's voting race on Tuesday. The election is covered like a football match or a painfully long horse race. The American mainstream did seem to call out more of the facts, making a seemingly concerted effort to stick with the game numbers.

Began reading Hunter S. Thompson's Fear Loathing on the Campaign Trail 72, and have come to the grim conclusion that nothing has really changed in American politics, at least over the last 50 years. Thompson makes an insightful comment on “objectivity” in American journalism. He states:

So much for Objective Journalism. Don't bother to look for it here – not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism, The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms.

Mainstream media outlets particularly have blatant editorial agendas that most don't even attempt to hide anymore. Of course, I'm talking about the MSNBC and FOX News outlets that spew misinformation and out-right lies to their respective audiences. If you want an insightful view of what I guess follows the Rolling Stone Hunter S. Thompson tradition, Matt Taibbi's Hate inc., spells-out MSM bias in scathing terms, designed to pit their audiences against the opposing point of view: MSNBC vs. Fox News. Left vs. Right, etc.

The American democratic system is one of the more corrupt and complicated in the entire world. For one, registering is a nightmare, and with the implementation of certain obvious biased laws, in many states, voter purging is rampant. The current US president claims that all mail-in voting is fraudulent and is now suing certain states over these allegations. He is doing this without a shred of evidence, which is the Trumpian way. Surprisingly to some, the race is neck-n-neck, where a few electoral states will ultimately decide. If you have ever attempted to understand America's electoral system, you'll find it confusing and, in the end, antiquated at best.  

Earlier in the year, I knew the DNC and the media rigged the primaries favoring Joe Biden over the popular Bernie Sanders. After the Iowa primary, where Pete Buttigieg declared victory based on the information supplied by a dubious App, that turns out had financial ties to Buttigieg, I knew it would be all downhill from there. The DNC rigged the Primaries and with the help of COVID, Biden was the anointed nominee. All carefully planned and highly corrupt.

This is pure speculation, however, if the Democratic Primaries had not been rigged, and Bernie Sanders was the candidate to run against Trump, would the race be as close as it is in the present time? Interesting to contemplate, but certainly irrelevant today.

American presidential elections are all about identity politics. Sander's campaign was all about policy, though Biden's campaign is all about beating Trump. In the Trump camp, it appears that his base has grown despite no definitive policies announced for the benefit of the American people. I believe this is the case of “better the devil you know.”

Both major parties in the United States are terribly right-wing. President Trump is blatantly so, though Biden is not too far behind. Both candidates campaigned on platitudes and vague generalizations. Because America bases their choices on personality and not actual policy, we have two candidates that offer nothing of substance for the people.

As Joe Biden has stated many times throughout his campaigning: “Nothing will change under my presidency.” And as far as everything and anything this man has said, we should believe him on this one.

I will not attempt to enter the Trump supporter mindset because it's riddled with inconsistencies and untruths. Again, this is not about policy but purely on personality, and Trump seems to have this aspect of 'identity politics' in the bag.

Personally, I believe Donald Trump to be a narcissistic clown and a habitual liar. Joe Biden is law and order, an establishment-corporate-owned old man with nothing to offer. Both are bought and paid-for politicians that only have their corporate $ handlers interests at heart.

Welcome to the United Corporations of America.

Disillusioned? Damn right!