The problem with our political parties comes in a couple of other flavors. The first is populism. This one is deadly and has become pernicious to our politics. This means that the 'grownups', of both parties, either got sidelined or just gave up. What we have been left with is a supposed 2 party system which is not. For instance, in the current cycle we now have one candidate, running as a Republican who was not a member of that party from the getgo. The left also was almost taken over by another non party member - Bernie Sanders. This is just nuts. The parties can fix this one and return to a system wherein the candidates of the parties are members of the parties.

I also believe that the reason for the populism was the apparent incapacity to actually pick candidates which the voting public wanted to vote for. Both parties, right now, have such a situation. In other words they have lost control of their own parties and so fear the backlash, because of their own inability to take charge, that its actually pretty disgusting. How in the world can either party think they can control the entire government when they can't even control their own party affairs!

So, if we are going to have a 2 party system them the parties REALLY have to clean up their act and take back control of their parties. As far as I can tell that is not going to happen. This means, I think, that we are in for some very strange times, until it all shakes out. Trump is a good example of this and, I am sure, there is more to come.

For those determined to get rid of back room politics I would point out that when we had that we didn't have an ongoing circus of silly, fear, threat, failure, and empty entertainment. I think we forgot this stuff is serious stuff and needs to be seriously dealt with by serious people - certainly not the talking heads of entertainment tv.

I might also suggest that, whoever wins, that our media gets dealt with. Trump, for instance, is a product of an out-of-control-media which is, obviously, willing to do whatever it takes to make a buck whilst, at the same time, abandoning any sense of responsibility. I am basing this on the utterance of those in charge of Media, ie "Trump is a real money maker for us!". There is also the free 2+ billion dollar giveaway exposure of Trump, to the virtual exclusion of any other candidates. If there was ever an excuse to restrain, and regulate, media this election is it!