Trump started as a
protest campaign, aiming only to give him a platform to further his own interests and get close to the nomination so he could claim that he "could've won." His successes in the primaries have inflated his ego to the point that he's shifted to assume the role of a legitimate nominee. At this point, it seems likely that he'll take the Republican nomination, which I think will be devastating for their party. The GOP might show just how little the primary votes matter and gives the nod to someone else, which would also weaken the party. Basically, they've shot themselves in the foot and they have no one to blame but themselves. His attitude during the primaries have appealed only to a vocal minority of overall voters, whilst proving equally repulsive to the rest of us. Trump's best bet in the general election would be to go up against Clinton, as he is a bully whose only weapon is character assassination, and she's the most vulnerable to that tactic. I'd like to think that most Americans see him for what he is; a small man with a big ego, whose vulgar demagoguery has no place in this century. But it's hard to say for sure; everyone has their own opinion and voice and narrative, and oftentimes the loudest narrative is the one that gets heard. My theory is that his whole campaign is a pitch for his next reality show, the Trump House.
Ted Cruz strikes me as a sociopath who's been chasing the white house his whole life. Best case scenario if he wins would be that he has no idea what to do with it. Worst case scenario, he knows exactly what to do with it. I haven't heard anything from his mouth that strikes me as a viable policy. He plays the religion card too freely, which isolates his supporters from the rest of the country. I don't think he's the same brand of egomaniac as Trump; he's much more calculating. I don't see him as a strong candidate, and I think either of the Democratic nominees would beat him in a general election.
Kasich is the most moderate of the Republican candidates, and it's anyone's guess why he's still holding onto his campaign. He hasn't garnered enough support to take the nomination.
Clinton is the "stay the course" candidate, promising to extend the policies of the Obama administration. I think she's a political opportunist, and so invested in the status quo that nothing of note will come from her administration. I also think her e-mail server will be a huge achilles heel, as details come out it shows more and more that she plays statecraft like a board game, with little concern for the collateral damage. She's not very likable, too chummy with corporate interests, and doesn't seem interested in fixing disparities. I don't know if she'd make a "good" president or not, but I doubt much would change under her watch.
Sanders is a political unicorn, and he gets my vote. His record is impressively consistent, and he's been on the right side of history without needing to flip flop. He's the candidate that has tried to do the right thing because it's the right thing, which gives me a high opinion of him. Not taking money from corporate sponsors and superPACs is a huge sign that he lives his principles, and it hasn't seemed to hurt his campaign much. Reinstating Glass-Steagall, repealing Citizens United, and taxing Wall Street speculation are all important steps for creating political and economic equity in the US, and he's the only proponent of all three. Despite being Jewish, he supports a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. His biggest weakness is the strength of the status quo that benefits the other candidates, and the media's reluctance to give him a platform, claiming that Hillary is a shoo-in for the nomination. The few who benefit the most from the way things are do not want him in power, and are throwing a lot of weight behind his competition. If he does take the nomination, I think we'll see some interesting polarization within the parties, and partisanship will take a back-seat to the influential either voting their morals or voting their self-interests. His ambition for change is impressive, and he's the only one who seems willing to see it through. Whether he'll be able to rally enough support to affect that change is still a big question mark.
