By Britt Nelson

Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff.

 

All of this anger and disenchantment Americans are expressing toward the establishment government in Washington, DC is propelling both Republican New York billionaire Donald Trump and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders into uncharted territory, where other presidential contests have not gone.

 

Starting out both Trump and Sanders were seen as long-shot candidates at best. Dark horses without a chance in hell of getting anywhere, well … look what happened.

 

Having never held an elected office before, controversial Trump has secured the Republican nomination for President causing fellow Republicans to step back and try to understand the Trump phenomenon and the anger behind it. They must see what is happening to their Republican Party and embrace the changes and the newcomers, many of whom have never voted or participated in national politics — all because of Trump and his pleas to “Make America Great Again.”  The pundits, detractors and media predictions all fell short, way short and so did Trump’s 17 Republican challengers.

 

Sanders, 74, a Jew and Democratic Socialist has former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the ropes and he’s chasing her down in the upcoming June 7 California Primary. He is the underdog and he may win or lose this primary, but his messages of discontent will ring on all the way to the National Convention in July.

 

Again, voter anger against Democratic establishment is drawing in new voters especially the youth vote. Sanders continues to draw huge crowds of supporters during his rallies throughout California. Clinton will need Sanders’ supporters to beat Trump, but that might not happen. Many Sanders supporters will not vote for Clinton because she is “total establishment” backed by Wall Street bankers and Big Oil, but they may switch to Trump when and if Sanders is finally eliminated. He says he’s taking his campaign and his supporters into the convention where anything can happen.  Polls continue to show Sanders beats Trump by a near landslide, but not so with Clinton.

 

“We don’t get intimidated easily,” Sanders said defiantly on Tuesday in California before thousands of cheering supporters, as seen on CNN.

 

Sanders may well become a powerful 3rd Party candidate who just might win against both Clinton and Trump in a 3-way national election. His supporters may demand he go 3rdParty and he may follow their lead. He continues his mantra that they are all in this campaign together and they will stay together to the end.

 

As crazy as this sounds, Sanders has not ruled out joining with Clinton as her vice-presidential running mate. Such a union may be the only way for Clinton to beat Trump. Chances of this happening are slim. It is doubtful Clinton would give any consideration of Sanders as her VP pick.

 

The latest pre-California Primary poll shows Clinton ahead 50 percent to Sanders’ 42 percent, but national polls asking if the country is on the right or wrong track shows 74 percent of the voters think the USA is on the wrong track. This discontent will show up later during the national election Nov. 8. Voter anger is epidemic throughout the USA.

 

The Independent registered voter, which represents 44 percent of all registered voters, has yet to have a chance to vote for Sanders, or any other candidate, in any meaningful way. If Sanders goes 3rd Party he will get a majority of that Independent 44 percent. Independents are all against establishment candidates, that’s why they quit the 2-party system. It is inevitable that a historic change in politics is coming – that of a permanent Independent 3rd Party on equal ground with the Republicans and Democrats in every way.

 

Election reforms are imminent such as no more dreadful voter caucuses and open primaries in all 50 states in which all registered voters can vote for any candidate. The political season lasts far too long and needs to be condensed. It costs way too much money to run for national office. Money is influence and limitations on campaign cash and political action groups (PACs) need to be passed by law. Campaign laws have been passed before but nothing seems to change. Money rules everything and there is not a level playing field.

 

That’s all easy to suggest, but the two-party system is ingrained and dug in. But these changes must occur. How can the Independent 44 percent continue to be denied the opportunity to vote in America?

 

A 3rd Party candidate has already come forward and will be on the ballot in all 50 states — Gary Johnson, 63, a former two-term New Mexico governor (1995 to 2003) and a Libertarian, according to Johnson’s Wikipedia biography. When Johnson first ran for president in 2012 he received 1,275,600 votes or about 1 percent of the national total. He may get more votes the second time around. But that’s a lot of votes to take away from Trump or Clinton and/or Sanders — if he runs 3rd Party.

 

There is a time bomb of anger waiting to explode across American politics and just where all those pieces land is a total unknown.

 

About the author

Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for thePalatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.

Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.