by Tolbert Rowe

Unless you have been cryogenically frozen for the last 10 years you are fully aware of how juvenile our country’s Presidential election has become. Grown adults who allegedly are successful and pragmatic in their political beliefs have completely morphed into a group of middle school bullies who prefer to be recognized as the most vulgar rather than someone actually qualified to be the leader of the free world.

Gather as you must around your own personal choice for ”King, or Queen of the World”, but from where I sit, none of those that are left standing at this point in the election can hold a candle, or sword, against the challenges of a planet Earth that is becoming more and more interconnected, violent, and impersonal. As our world becomes fractured by political and religious warfare we are forced to live in a world where getting along is so much more important. Because, if we don’t get along then those who think nothing of murdering the innocent by whatever heinous means possible will sacrifice their lives for the sake of making some political point or getting to some utopian world.

Unfortunately for us as Americans living in a world such as this, we, in the name of the great American Democracy, are compelled to participate in a system of government that has evolved into a system of the have’s versus the have not’s. The elite versus the disenfranchised, the rich versus the poor, the more educated versus the least educated, the conservatives versus the liberals, the Republicans versus the Democrats and the biggest one of all; the minority versus the majority.

Nowhere is the impact of majority versus minority rule more pronounced than in our system of democratic government. See the impact that a minority of Senators can have on the nomination of a Supreme Court Justice in an election year. See how effective a liberal Democrat President can be with a Congress paralyzed by a group of political extremists whose only method of governance is, “it’s our way or the highway”. Compromise in the name of effective governance is not an option for ideologues.

See the impact a freshman Senator has when effectively shutting down the Federal government in order to impress a political faction and ultimately feed his zeppelin size ego by running for President. The same senator who wears the title, obstructionist proudly. How in the world can someone effectively lead the free world when he has no conception of compromise? Remember Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill? Somehow, Ronald Reagan was able to negotiate successfully to accomplish great things in spite of a Massachusetts liberal Speaker of the House. Sometimes you have to give a little to get a little.

See the impact that a wealthy reality star has, with an ego even bigger than that freshman Senator, when allowed to spend his personal fortune without the check and balance of having to be politically correct in order to appeal to those with deep pockets who financially support him. No greater fool exists than an egomaniac with unlimited financial resources and a media mesmerized by his audacity. I honestly believe that he has made more money as a TV star and promoter of self than his acumen as a “real estate investor”. It’s his name that draws money and capital.

How can you expect to be the leader of the free world when your only means of communicating your message is by insulting your opponents both politically and personally? “If you are against me then you are fat and ugly too”… What kind of egomaniac could possibly think they have the character necessary to be the leader of the free world without insulting everyone who challenges you; like a middle school bully?

See the impact a Social Democrat can have as the champion of the have not’s versus the have’s whose belief that all of our country’s ills can be eliminated by redistributing wealth from corporations and those who have gained wealth from them. You cannot argue that corporate America perhaps does not pay its fair share of taxes but many Americans rely upon these wealthy corporations to fund their retirements and their children’s educations. I am not convinced that you can pay for universal healthcare and free college for everyone by taxing the rich, whether they are individuals or corporations. But what I do know is I don’t want to be heavily invested in the stock market with a President hell bent on tearing Wall Street apart. Imagine what your investment portfolio will look like in a Socialist state.

You see, socialism’s basic premise is that government is a better spender of everyone else’s money than the individuals who acquired it. But it is important to note that not all Liberals are as extreme in their belief in government intervention as Social Democrats. And not all Social Democrats are as extreme as the candidate.

See the impact an established politico has who has spent a lifetime in government service either as an elected official or the spouse of an elected official. Who is no doubt qualified to be the leader of the Free World but has much baggage that could impair her ability to govern and at the very least will embolden those of a different political persuasion to be less than accommodating in achieving consensus to effectively govern. Talk about gridlock and ineffective government.

The scary thing about this election for anyone who is attempting to pay attention is that regardless of who wins, no one knows exactly how or what our country will look like after. No one knows what will happen when, and if, one of the remaining four actually becomes the leader of the United States of America and the free world. It is this uncertainty that will serve as a catalyst for instability and division among all Americans.

The unfortunate thing for our country is that none of the four will command an overwhelming majority within their own party, and every one of them will generate a lot of angst with the opposition. I think it is safe to say that in times of great uncertainty we as American consumers and investors migrate to what is most certain.

For those who are considering purchasing a home, or if refinancing is somewhat beneficial then now is the time to move forward and do something. Rates are very low, prices of homes are starting to move up and if you feel confident that your job will survive the election of 2016 than now is the time to move. Now is not the time to jump into an adjustable rate mortgage, regardless of the outcome of this election. In times of uncertainty, do what will be most certain.

But there are some things that are very certain if any one of the four most popular candidates wins. The most obvious is that gridlock and inaction will be much more prevalent. As great a paralysis of inaction between the President and Congress has been, regardless of which of the four main candidates who wins ,this paralysis will only become much worse.

Mr. Trump, the outsider will not be able to build bridges between the parties because he won’t or can’t build bridges with his own party. And although very popular, his methodology of intimidation will only serve to make things worse and not better.
Mr. Cruz, the freshman Senator and ideologue will find that although he is gaining nominal support from previous opponents, that support will rapidly erode once elected President. His radically conservative opinions and ideas and inability to accept compromise at any cost will quickly grow to a brick wall of obstinacy as those not of his same mind set use his own tactics against him. Suddenly President Cruz will find himself a victim of his own tactics, “it’s my way or the highway”.

Mr. Sanders, the socialist will find that going against the Barons of Wall Street and the “Big Banks”, although politically popular is just not realistically possible with severe economic consequences. Making these behemoths more financially responsible is one thing but to “break” them up is not going to happen. Too many Americans have too much invested, as customers and stockholders to lose it all. And as the fog of popularity lifts from these Socialist ideals what will be left standing is the bare naked truth of what life in a socialist country will be. I am confident that when the dirty details of what the United States of America will look like under a Social Democratic President the majority of Americans will regret the result.

Mrs. Clinton, the lone standing political insider will find that to be effective she will need a Democratic Congress. Without it she will be as effective as the last term of President Obama. Gridlock will continue and I believe it will be even more debilitating to our system because not only will she not be able to initiate any reforms but a Republican Congress will spend all of their time digging up past transgressions and trying to make her pay for it.

The future of our country depends on a President who can lead all of us, but we are wholeheartedly dependent on a President who can govern. Democracy can only function with clarity and purpose when our elected officials leave their egos at the door and give a little in order to gain a lot. Compromise is not a four letter word, and not getting everything you want is not failure. And something that none of the remaining candidates have embraced is “you get a lot more with honey than you do with vinegar”.

Hang on; it is going to be an interesting six months!