Mini-Tuesday: March 15, 2016

TripPix.

I'm a political junkie; always have been.  I think this primary season is my favorite campaign of all time, even better than the 1980 Canadian federal election. As a staffer for then MP Senator Marcel Prud'homme, I was personally involved in that one, and I was proud to play a small role in Canadian political history.

My other favorite campaign was a 1964 peak into the future, when I followed the fictional campaign "Pettigrew for President 1976", a visionary 10-issue story in Catholic comic book Treasure Chest. Until I looked it up just now, I had actually forgotten that Tim Pettigrew was an African American candidate, and this must have been a daring story or a Catholic children's publication during the Civil Rights movement.

Voters cast their ballots in five states today, including Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio. This is Republican candidate Marco Rubio's home state, but Donald Trump is ahead and all political ads have become very aggressive and nasty.

This NY Times analysis identifies some key metrics to review when I watch election returns this evening. Donald Trump seems to have a formula that targets a rapidly eroding traditional Republican base by appealing to voter insecurities and fears. Today may be a day when the Republican field narrows, and while I dread the prospect of 1237 delegates committed to Trump, I am as fascinated watching his campaign as I am when a  hawk descends on some helpless prey here around Boca Ciega Bay.