How others see our 2016 election, Tarek Fatah, Author and Columnist
Clip: “In a nation almost evenly divided between conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, the 2016 election campaign began with Americans presented with great choices on both sides. Candidates with integrity and character offered their services to the nation, but a populace fed on a relentless diet of reality TV shows and gladiator sports chose the worst of both worlds, on both sides…
Clip: “But when it came to the Republican base, they went for the erratic and unpredictable billionaire Donald Trump, who offered nothing, other than being the only candidate who was able to identify and name the scourge of Islamism as a threat to the United States, and his promise to build a wall on the Mexican-American border. It wasn’t Trump’s programs or policies that won him the GOP ticket. It was the bankruptcy of the conservative base of the Republican Party, who saw the contest as a mud-wrestling match on a TV show, rather than as their responsibility to choose America’s next president.”
Clip: On the other side were the liberals and the Democratic Party. What began as a shoe-in for former secretary of state Hillary Clinton ran into an unforeseen obstacle — the remarkable Sen. Bernie Sanders from Vermont. While Clinton came with the enormous baggage of shady deals involving foreign donors to her Clinton Foundation while she was still in office, Sanders appeared as the voice of America’s conscience. Shamefully, the leaders of the Democratic Party tried to disrupt Sanders’ campaign. Thanks to the Russians, we now know from WikiLeaks that party chair and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz was directly involved in the effort to sabotage Sanders.

Clip: “Enter the constitution-waving Khizar Khan at the Democratic convention and suddenly teary-eyed TV hosts treated the man as a saint for mocking Donald Trump, while commiserating with him over the death of his son in the war in Iraq. Delegates lapped up Khan’s tirade against Trump, conveniently forgetting it was Clinton who had voted to send his son to his death in Iraq, not Trump. TV commentators too failed to see Khan’s contradiction. Earlier at the Republican Convention they had ignored or treated with scorn Patricia Smith, whose son was killed in Benghazi, and who rightfully denounced Hillary Clinton for his death. America deserves this circus because its citizens have chosen to be taken for a ride by political fools, media pundits and crooks.”
Full Story, New Delhi Times
WHTT Editor adds a single exception to the last quoted line by Mr Fatah:  For perhaps the first time the American people did indeed speak out loud and clear, favoring Democrat Bernie Sanders over the four term war-princess Clinton, but their will was lost in the contrived party mechanism that assured that no such public revolt could succeed. Mr. Fatah pointed this out, but what he did not say was that Trump’s nomination was also a miracle revolt of sorts, away from the mainstream pack that included another establishment potential war-making Bush. So contrary to the author on this point, the revolution is on among young and old voters, who spoke out and do not “deserve this circus” as New Delhi Times put it.  But next time, we must find a way to undo the establishment party control if we are to win…if there is a next time!  CEC