Trump vs. Biden: Sorry, this is the best we got.
The United States is the largest producer of innovative thinkers and minds, yet our two options to lead this country are Donald Trump and Joe Biden. How did we get here?
The main issue is the false appearance of a primary election. A true primary election involves a wide-open national contest with unrestricted debates, unbiased rules and hosted by trusted referees. The people then vote for who should represent their party in the general election. In truth, we get something more akin to pro wrestling. We’re handed the full spectacle with participants painted in makeup and a competition full of scripted speeches, catch phrases, and those who are pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Let’s answer the question, “who’s pulling the strings?” Put simply, it’s the political establishment. Those who make careers out of political positions such as senators, governors, representatives, etc. and who want to keep their positions of influence. They maintain power amongst themselves by cutting deals and doing favors for each other (“You scratch my back, I scratch yours”). Then, they elevate those within their circle to run for the most important positions in office. The mac daddy being the position of President of the United States.
The political establishment use two methods to “rig” the primaries. 1. Superdelegates (unpledged delegates) and 2. Control and influence over legacy media (CNN, MSCNB, Fox News). During the primary elections, each state is up for grabs and given a specific number of delegates depending on their population size and other factors. For example, let’s say you and I are running against each other and Florida has 100 delegates and California has 200. I win the majority of votes in Florida and you win California. That means I have 100 delegates and you have 200, so you win! Here’s the catch, delegates are actual people and there’re two types, pledged delegates and superdelegates (unpledged). Pledged delegates are required to select the candidate who won in their state, while superdelegates can ignore the people’s vote and select whichever candidate they wish. In the DNC (Democratic National Committee) 15% of the delegates up for grabs are superdelegates, and in the RNC (Republican National Committee) it’s 7%. This made a big impact in the 2016 primaries when Hillary Clinton went up against Bernie Sanders. Hillary received 573 of the 712 superdelegates and Bernie a measly 43. There’s a reason why Hillary obtained more superdelegates than Bernie, it’s because she has “steady hands.” This is a phrase commonly used in politics to describe those who prioritize keeping their friends in power over doing what’s best for the people. Whereas Bernie Sanders holds more radical positions and a true desire to shake up the traditional order. Thus, he is a target of the establishment.
The second method used to control the primary election is the manipulation of media. The media outlets I’ll mostly be referring to are those considered “legacy media” like CNN, MSCNBC, and Fox News. Not only do the political establishment have influence over the narratives pushed on these channels, but many of their employees are political activists merely posing as journalists. These “journalists” push whatever opinions or ideologies they believe in and are extremely committed to their party. A recent example of purposeful media manipulation intended to bring down a candidate were the constant battles between Andrew Yang and MSNBC/NBC during the 2020 democratic primaries. There are three instances which I recall. Firstly, when Yang was initially making waves in the polls, MSNBC displayed a graphic of the recent polling numbers and excluded Yang from the graphic. Secondly, as he continued to make headlines, he was incorrectly named “John Yang” on MSNBC’s The Beat. Lastly, during one of the debates on NBC, his mic was cut off unless he was called upon (NBC denied his claim). If you watch the debates, you know most candidates get speaking time by interrupting each other. He was not given this privilege and was asked two questions during the two-hour long debate.
Unfortunately, the candidates which thrive with bold ideas and positions get the least coverage and largest handicap. We’ve seen these tactics used against Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders, and Tulsi Gabbard in 2020, Bernie Sanders again 2016, and Rand Paul in 2012. These are people who have tremendous support over the internet and are feared by the political establishment because they dare to make change for the betterment of the people.
Without fair primaries, we are handed a meaningless general election. Stop and think of the final five candidates we had to choose from in this year’s election, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Michael Bloomberg, ALL over the age of 70. This is not representative of our country or who we want as a leader.
To change, firstly, we must be aware of what’s going on and how we’re getting screwed. Secondly, we need to stop supporting these large institutions who are in bed with the political elite and continuously offer them protection. These include legacy media, the DNC, RNC and many others. Lastly, we need to support independent media and independently minded candidates. Don’t let people tell you politics is “just corrupt” and there’s “no way around it.” If the people truly want change and are looking in the right places, we can make it happen.
