Columnists E.J. Dionne Jr., Leonard Pitts Jr. and Froma Harrop embellish the political infighting within the Republican Party, but they need to understand some things about both parties in this upcoming election.
Both political parties have recently had difficulties in dealing with their own base. There is the well-publicized rift within the Republican party regarding the unpredictable Donald Trump and the hierarchy’s refusal to endorse or be seen with their nominee.
The Bernie Sanders folks are feeling as if they had been double-crossed by their own Democratic National Committee and the chosen candidate, Hillary Clinton.
What the media need to realize is that neither the RNC nor the DNC, or their elites, was responsible for the nomination of their party’s candidate — it was the primary votes of American people which resulted in the nominees.
Though the Bushes, Romneys, McCains and others did not publicly support Trump, their non-support made no difference in the eventual outcome.
The Sanders supporters, angry that they were cheated by Clinton’s DNC connections, aren’t going to listen to those same party officials, echoed by the media, now clamoring for them to vote for Clinton.
There are two distinct movements going on in this election. There is the Trump grass-roots campaign, consisting mainly of non-college educated white men and women, and the Clinton media campaign, consisting mainly of young women, minorities and academia.
Dionne, Pitts and Harrop have ranted repeatedly about how the Republican elite are non-supportive of Trump. Will they also rant about the subversive actions of the DNC causing Sanders voters not to support Clinton?
They are quick to cite the names of Republicans not supporting Trump, but will they also report on the vast number of Democrats who are disgusted at the behavior of the DNC to the point of shouting, “Hell, no, DNC. We won’t vote for Hillary”?
There will be a lot of voters on both sides of the aisle who will be voting for the opposition candidate of their party. The question is which nominee can convince these voters to first vote, and secondly to vote for them.
The party bosses did not select the nominees — the voting public did. The party elite won’t make the decision as to the next president — the voting public will.
Fewer undecided voters today have any loyalty to either political party. It is up to the nominees to persuade those disenchanted voters to support them as individuals, not as the representatives of their political parties.
The media can do the voters a great service and report the candidates’ stand on the issues, rather than reporting who may be today’s old guard’s folly or favorite.
Mark Cummings, Greenwood
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