It may all be over soon, unfortunately. Donald Trump could lock up the GOP nomination within the next couple weeks. America's two-party system could be forever changed -- perhaps it already is.
Like many others, I have been consistently wrong about the viability of Trump's candidacy over the long-term. I thought people would figure things out. I thought at least some sense of reason or dignity would prevail. I thought that a candidate so intellectually and morally bankrupt would have no chance.
Indeed, I was very wrong.
Sadly, Trump's fundamentally un-American candidacy looks stronger than ever. Yes, he's a racist and a xenophobe. Incredibly, he also happens to be bereft of legitimate policy proposals. Really, every time he's asked to get specific, we hear something similar to this:
We're going to hire some terrific people. I've got a lot of big plans and a lot of big things are going to happen once I become president. I'm gonna have some great people working for me and we're going to make America great again!
Trump talks like this all the time. He's truly special because he's shown that an American presidential candidate can campaign with virtually no substance and still garner significant support. Even worse, he's proven that plenty of Americans are more than willing to embrace his toxic brand of politics.
For Republicans who have yet to embrace the Donald, the choice seems clear. The future of the country matters far more than any political party. If Trump eventually takes the GOP nomination, thoughtful Republicans should support Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee.
With Super Tuesday right around the corner, I'm find myself hoping that Sen. Ted Cruz does okay -- especially in Texas, my home state. Readers who know me know that I'm neither a fan of Cruz's policies nor his tactics; that just goes to show how unpredictable this cycle has already been. A Cruz presidency would be quite bad, terrible even. Nevertheless, we need something or someone to thwart Trump's momentum.
I will be watching closely tomorrow night. I've been interested in politics for as long as I can remember. Yet, that's not what will explain my observing tomorrow night's results as they come in. My primary-watching tomorrow night will be driven partly by curiosity, but mostly by fear. Fear that the Republican Party is walking down a path from which it will take decades to recover. Fear and distress that so many of my fellow Americans don't see anything wrong with supporting a candidate who, if elected, would take the country in a dangerous, totally irresponsible direction. Fear that a country which I love dearly is allowing the cancer of Trumpism to grow with each passing day.
Currently, there are some on the left who may not have that much of a problem with Trump's candidacy or his taking the GOP nomination. These are people who probably believe, quite understandably, that if Republicans nominate Trump, then Hillary Clinton would coast to the presidency. Ultimately, this line of thinking is misguided. Trumpism is a cancer. And there's simply no guarantee that he wouldn't take the White House if he captured the GOP nomination -- or that his toxic brand of politics wouldn't eventually spill over to the other side of the aisle.