With the 2016 presidential election coming up, there are two names that dominate the Republican party: Donald Trump and Ben Carson. Trump has received a majority of the attention by being, well, Trump. But the other front-runner, Dr. Ben Carson, has been making strides toward becoming the most extreme candidate in the race. It's hard to pin down one example of his extreme statements; from saying the Holocaust would have been less likely if the Jewish population was armed, that prison proves being gay is a choice, to stripping citizenship from non-citizens who vote, there's a lot to pick from.
However, the scariest part is that people listen to him. Why? It comes off as the Republican party becoming a talent show for the candidate trying to be the most edgy person on stage. We've seen Donald Trump famously advocate for building a wall to keep Hispanics out of America and many other incidents that I don't have the time to discuss. This is becoming a horrifying trend for people of color, the impoverished, and any voter that doesn't want to see 2015 as told by Biff Tannen in "Back to the Future." Carson has seen this boisterous attitude and is now attempting to win over the edgy-radical vote by comparing refugees to rabid dogs while at the same time sounding like he's just taken a couple Xanax. At this point, it baffles me as to how people see him as a legitimate candidate for the presidency with having zero political experience. The only answer I can come up with is that the Republican voters are looking at this election as a talent show for who is the most radical, irresponsible person to take over the job. Say what you will about Bernie Sanders; his campaign is rooted in the greater good for the American people as a whole instead of a select part of the population.
When we look at the election as a whole, it seems to be greater than a simple popularity contest. On both sides, we have a run for who can become the most radical at challenging the system. This is more than likely a reflection of how voters generally feel about our current establishment not respecting the desires of individuals and more focuses on greed or the consolidation of power. With each side having their own internal fights as to how this goal should be achieved, it is important to understand not only the general positions of each candidate but also how they hope to implement their policies. While it's noble for Carson and Trump to be actively challenging the establishment, they should probably look to another candidate for a political revolution.
