I have always said, since the beginning that Donald Trump would be the nominee for the GOP. I made a bet with some friends in NC over 6 months ago. Looks like I, unfortunately, have won. I think Sanders would do much better against Trump than Hillary. Trump will do what he does best which is to attack personality traits, any smudges in character or any past failings personally etc. -She has many more than Sanders from what I can tell. Trumps whole "I'm not owned" works well against Hillary and NOT against Bernie. If I were Trump, I would rather run against Hillary. He would clobber her in debates, not on substance but on what American's seem to crave... bombast. I think Trump beats Hillary and I think Bernie beats Trump. The GOP that aren't fans of Trump will still vote for him because of how much they hate Hillary. She is uber polarizing. These are just facts. I would gladly and loudly vote for Hillary over Trump but I really do think that the Dems have a better shot with Bernie.
I am impressed at your prognostication but not at your political strategy. Clinton v. Trump is going to be Sarah Palin all over again. He's a deeply incurious man with a slipshod understanding of geopolitics. Hilary Clinton is perhaps the most qualified person to ever run for the presidency. The volleys lobbed at Clinton are "Benghazi", "private email server", "In the pockets of Wall Street" and "Bill is embarrassing." Set aside for a moment the fact that the volleys lobbed at Trump are unprecedented in the history of campaigning - Benghazi still doesn't stick, nobody understands the email thing, Trump puts his name on buildings, wrote The Art of the Deal and STILL went bankrupt three times and everyone over twelve longs for the days of Clinton prosperity. Americans don't crave bombast. Americans are terrified of bombast. Hilary Clinton has a big advantage over Bernie Sanders - people over 50 will vote for her. Granted - the true believers on either side are definitely holding their noses and getting ready to take their medicine but the wedge issue of 2016? Weed. EIGHT states are voting on legalizing marijuana. Arizona - 3 votes California - 55 votes Maine - 4 votes Massachusetts - 11 Michigan - 16 Missouri - 10 Ohio - 18 Nevada - 6 That's 123 electoral votes, out of 270, in states where the stoners have a reason to get out to vote. Granted - California and Massachusetts (fuck that spelling) aren't likely to go Trump come hell or high water but Ohio? Nevada? Missouri? Trump barely won Missouri. He lost Ohio. There were eleven ballot measures against gay marriage in 2004. That was not by accident. That was pure Turdblossom and it cost Kerry the election. There are eight ballot measures for weed in 2016. That's probably not by accident either. And I mean... you can be a pothead and want to support Trump. But you gotta be kinda weird to do it. And since you're voting anyway, sneer, hold your nose, grumble, think about Monica Lewinsky and recognize that at least she isn't an Oompa Loompa. Hilary Clinton is the nicest Republican anyone could ask for. We all know it. Trump can't run a beauty pageant without a scandal. We can be all high dudgeon about it but when the rubber meets the road, the adults are going to either vote for Clinton or not vote. And the stoners are voting for weed.
I'll vote for Bernie or Hillary over Trump, no problem. But what is interesting is that Cruz helped Trump tonight, and Bernie is likely going to make it harder for Hillary if he continues to draw it out. He's not going to get the nomination outside of a contested convention, and the math says he can't get one. The conversation is going to fall on the Dems split now that Trump is the presumptive nominee. Not that it will matter much. November is forever from now, and we have so much silly left. Clinton/Trump debates will be weird.
I still think the GOP will sabotage Trump's campaign if they have to give him the nomination, because in no way is he qualified for the job and having two fuckup presidents in a row will hurt the party in the long run more than losing one election will.
This is without doubt the silliest #sillyseason in my lifetime. It may be the silliest silly season of all time, but I can't make such bold claims. They're all a bit silly. We shall see what the GOP does. It will be interesting
I was listening to Democracy Now! earlier today and one of the guests (Glen Greenwald......) summed it up best: "This is the election that Washington, D.C. deserves. Unfortunately the American Public will have to suffer with them."