Are They getting the Message? (or Now is the Summer of Our Discontent.)

 A few friends of mine have remarked recently that this is the most interesting election cycle in their lives.  I tend to agree.  Putting aside scandals, which have had their own impact on the election cycle, what seems to be happening is that outsiders have hijacked the primaries.  On the left we have grumpy grandpa Senator Bernie Sanders drawing huge crowds and being responsive to activists, refusing to take money from the super rich and on the other we have billionaire Donald Trump and his brash, no holds barred approach to speaking his mind.

Both Mr. Trump and Senator Sanders have tapped into a deep discontent in the electorate.  A very different discontent on each side but a deep well in either case.  This is very interesting for at least three reasons.  First, it's stripping the veneer off the two party process.  We can at last see without obfuscation the baseline of both sides of the electorate.

 Second, it shows that the American Electorate can retake the process by backing non-mainstream candidates.  Heck, Senator Sanders isn't a Democrat!  He's an independent!  And a democratic socialist! But the grass roots section of the liberal aspect of America is thrilled by him in a way that no mainstream candidate is going to be able to recreate.  Trump is sort of the positron to the Sanders electron.  The polarity is different but the charge is still strong.  Trump is tapping into a section that has had it with being told what to do, what to say, what to think and being shamed by the left wing's version of the right wing's so-called hate machine.  (Sorry, Extreme Democrats, but you're haters too.  You just feel justified by hating and shaming the the 'bad' people to make them do 'good'.)

 Thirdly, it shows that Americans are tired of cookie cutter politics stamped out and presented as the only valid talking points in an election.  By backing Trump or Sanders the populace is organically redefining the public debate and raising issues based on what the people want to talk about.

  A fourth point of interest is that 42% of registered voters are independents, not tethered to any one party line.  This is a record high and means that the Independent Party ( de facto movement) is the party with the greatest plurality.  It means both Republicans and Democrats aren't representing America anymore.  They are being tolerated as a means to an end, for now.

   So, my question to the RNC and the DNC is this, "Are you getting the message?"  And if so, how are you going to change?  America isn't buying the usual line of half truths and poll driven policy this time around.  Being unresponsive to this new momentum isn't going to play well with the 42%.

  As to Senator Sanders and to Mr. Trump, like 'em or hate 'em, they are striking a nerve.

  Thanks for reading!  Feel free to comment.