So, 2016 was fun. Never before have two candidates been so utterly despised by the populace. But frankly, whilst thoroughly entertaining and cynically poetic, I believe we were robbed of a truly epic ideological showdown. What if, instead of Trump and Clinton, we got Cruz and Sanders?
Cruz vs. Sanders would be something I don't think America has ever truly had, a genuine ideological showdown between two intellectual heavyweights on the oppsoing ends of our political spectrum. Think of presidential debates that played like the academic dialogues of old. Cruz is an old-fasioned traditionalist, fundamentalist, Protestant Christian, conservative Constitutional originalist and free-market capitalist. He' socially conservative as they come, once even championing a ban on sex toys in Texas. He's patiotic and nationalistic, taking tough stances on immigration and trade, and once remarking that we need to "carpet-bomb" ISIS, and he seems prone to dislike globalist organizations like the UN. Bernie, on the other hand, is a progressive modernisnt, a secular humanist and athiest, an unreptentant socialist who's ideas sometimes border on a kind of anarcho-communism. He's the most socially progressive candidate to be seriously considered in decades, and he's a major proponent of leniancy in immigration and more global cooperation amongst nations. See what I mean? Just some of the VERY interesting debate topics that would be bound to come up between the two include, but are not limited too:
-Abortion
-Gay Marriage
-Climate Change
-Socialism
-Israel vs. Palestine
-Healthcare
-Education
-ISIS
Etc. Etc. Etc.
We missed out. In my opinion, this kind of serious philosophical debate and dialogue is sorely missed. BUT, I digress
This all poses some interesting questions. Namely:
1.) Who would've won? And would said person win the popular vote?
2.) Would the election still be so polarizing? I don't think it would even be close. But what do you think?
3.) Who's the veeps? I've got a list of possibles for each that you can totally add someone else too.
CRUZ:
1.) Carly Fiorinia: Running mate OTL
2.) Darrell Castle: Constitution candidate, olive-branch to the paleocons.
3.) Rand Paul: Senatorial ally, fellow Tea Bagger
4.) Ben Carson: a Latino/African-American ticket could deflect a lot of accusations of racism.
5.) Mike Pence: OTL veep
6.) Donald Trump: olive-branch to the alt-right.
7.) Butch Otter: Traditionalist Conservative
8.) Other?
BERNIE:
1.) Hillary Clinton: she is a political powerhouse in the Democratic Party
2.) Dennis Kucinich: a fellow Socialist
3.) Elizabeth Warren: a much more well know and political savy fellow socialist.
4.) Tim Kaine: OTL veep
5.) Jill Stein: very idealogically similat too Bernie.
6.) Martin O'Malley: olive-branch to the centrist left.
7.) Other?
4.) How would this effect "crossing the aisle" like things like the Berkely-Milo riots?
5.) What other possible elections could've happened in US history that would be this ideologically stimulating? Pat Robertson vs. Jesse Jackson? Ron Paul vs. Dennis Kucinich? Any others?
Discuss.
Cruz vs. Sanders would be something I don't think America has ever truly had, a genuine ideological showdown between two intellectual heavyweights on the oppsoing ends of our political spectrum. Think of presidential debates that played like the academic dialogues of old. Cruz is an old-fasioned traditionalist, fundamentalist, Protestant Christian, conservative Constitutional originalist and free-market capitalist. He' socially conservative as they come, once even championing a ban on sex toys in Texas. He's patiotic and nationalistic, taking tough stances on immigration and trade, and once remarking that we need to "carpet-bomb" ISIS, and he seems prone to dislike globalist organizations like the UN. Bernie, on the other hand, is a progressive modernisnt, a secular humanist and athiest, an unreptentant socialist who's ideas sometimes border on a kind of anarcho-communism. He's the most socially progressive candidate to be seriously considered in decades, and he's a major proponent of leniancy in immigration and more global cooperation amongst nations. See what I mean? Just some of the VERY interesting debate topics that would be bound to come up between the two include, but are not limited too:
-Abortion
-Gay Marriage
-Climate Change
-Socialism
-Israel vs. Palestine
-Healthcare
-Education
-ISIS
Etc. Etc. Etc.
We missed out. In my opinion, this kind of serious philosophical debate and dialogue is sorely missed. BUT, I digress
This all poses some interesting questions. Namely:
1.) Who would've won? And would said person win the popular vote?
2.) Would the election still be so polarizing? I don't think it would even be close. But what do you think?
3.) Who's the veeps? I've got a list of possibles for each that you can totally add someone else too.
CRUZ:
1.) Carly Fiorinia: Running mate OTL
2.) Darrell Castle: Constitution candidate, olive-branch to the paleocons.
3.) Rand Paul: Senatorial ally, fellow Tea Bagger
4.) Ben Carson: a Latino/African-American ticket could deflect a lot of accusations of racism.
5.) Mike Pence: OTL veep
6.) Donald Trump: olive-branch to the alt-right.
7.) Butch Otter: Traditionalist Conservative
8.) Other?
BERNIE:
1.) Hillary Clinton: she is a political powerhouse in the Democratic Party
2.) Dennis Kucinich: a fellow Socialist
3.) Elizabeth Warren: a much more well know and political savy fellow socialist.
4.) Tim Kaine: OTL veep
5.) Jill Stein: very idealogically similat too Bernie.
6.) Martin O'Malley: olive-branch to the centrist left.
7.) Other?
4.) How would this effect "crossing the aisle" like things like the Berkely-Milo riots?
5.) What other possible elections could've happened in US history that would be this ideologically stimulating? Pat Robertson vs. Jesse Jackson? Ron Paul vs. Dennis Kucinich? Any others?
Discuss.