Voter anger keeps Trump ahead, sidelines Bush

No doubt about it, Trump is rewriting the way political campaigns are conducted in these United States of America. And he’s having a lot of fun along the way, which is more than you can say about the rest of the candidate field.

With his latest win in the South Carolina primary election, Trump continues building momentum and winnowing down the field of competitors. Jeb Bush dropped out of the race following a poor election showing there.  That is a moment to stop and ponder: Jeb, a former state governor, has all of the traditional qualifications of a Republican presidential nominee, with backing by many of the big-money donors. He raised and spent more than $100 million on his presidential bid. And all of that proved worthless as voters ignored his campaign in favor of the newcomer candidates.

#   #   #

Tempers on the Republican side are getting shorter now, as Americans who consider themselves Republicans consider what it actually means to be Republican, or to be conservative. You can hear it at cocktail parties and on the political talk shows, as supporters of one candidate or the other take a stand – often alienating long-time friends and listeners. But people don’t seem to be influenced by those public displays of support. A very popular radio host and restaurateur in Houston stumps for a sitting Congressman to no avail. The electoral mood is for new blood – and candidates who are up for a fight.

Members of the Democrat party are likewise conflicted as establishment favorite Hillary Clinton battles neck and neck with her avowed socialist opponent Bernie Sanders. The Democrat party primary sometimes seems more like a coronation than an election, but this year is very different. Democrat party voters are not happy with their establishment and its representative, Hillary Clinton. There is even talk of a dark horse candidate entering the race late – perhaps Vice President Joe Biden or former New York City Mayor (and billionaire) Michael Bloomberg. These conversations are unprecedented in recent history.

Back on the Republican side, the culture of the party is changing and the leadership hasn’t quite figured that out yet. Candidates supported by the party apparatus fall by the wayside, and the outsiders – Ted Cruz and Donald Trump – carry the day. Well, more Trump than Cruz, but both have outperformed establishment candidates such as Bush. No one is quite sure how this ends, but it is looking more and more like it ends with Donald Trump.

The next big primaries are March 1, known as Super Tuesday, when 12 states hold primary elections.