I'm talking to the Silent Majority - the independents and non-committed who aren't members of either party. There are a lot of you out there who the major parties try to woo - after they've held their primaries and nominated their candidates. But I'm urging you to act now - before the GOP primaries have a chance to lock in their candidates as the result of a minority of voters, too many of whom are the core of the activist conservative base which exerts an influence in undue proportion to their numbers.
If a large number of voters were to sign up right now so they'd be eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential GOP primaries, candidates hoping to become the GOP (especially presidential) candidate couldn't help but notice. They would be "inspired" to stop pandering to the GOP rabid right wing. Instead, they would temper their comments and positions in order to woo those huge numbers of new GOP members who would be more moderate in their views.
The primary system is the most profound weakness in our political system. That's because turnout in these nominating elections is so paltry. So I'm urging, even if you're not a Republican, even if you hate the Republicans, to join the GOP. Especially for the 2016 election season. It doesn't look like Hillary Clinton will have even a token straw opponent as she juggernauts her way to the nomination. So it's the GOP which the Silent Majority should focus on.
If you can move the GOP toward moderation so it won't nominate clowns like Ted Cruz, that might in turn encourage someone to run against Hillary in the Democratic primaries. But the sooner you act, the more likely an opponent to Hillary could emerge and have time enough to gain traction. It's highly unlikely such a person (or persons) could raise enough money to compare with Hillary's war chest. But it doesn't really take a fortune to run a few intelligently crafted campaign ads and to engage social media to get the message across.
Hillary Clinton is a lot more vulnerable than most people realize. But I am simply aghast that she'll be running unopposed - can't say for sure this will be the case but it's sure looking that way. Why is it that potential Democratic candidates are rolling over and playing dead, allowing Clinton to march toward coronation? If she wants the nomination, I say she should earn it. And, no, she hasn't earned on the basis of "It's my turn," or "I'm a woman and therefore..." She should offer a program in response to competition, since that brings out the best in all of us.
As for who could run against Hillary for the nomination, most likely someone who is not currently an elected official would be in the best position. That means, he or she wouldn't have to worry about Clinton allies trying to destroy E's political career. I'm hoping an academic will step up to the plate, though of course there are others who aren't employed in politics who could make history. Maybe that person would be a woman. That would serve to undercut one of Hillary's strongest points, so she'd be forced to come up with something else. Like a solid, unambiguous platform saying what she'll do if elected. And that would be a whole lot better for all of us, instead of hearing her say over and over again, "Trust me."
You've got a lot more power than you realize. So do this and do it now and talk it up. It's time to make a difference.
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Steven Searle, just another member of
the Virtual Samgha of the Lotus and
former candidate for US President (in 2008 & 2012)
Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com
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