Postmortem on the 2016 Presidential Election

It's been over a year sine the 2016 election; and a lot of polluted water has passed under the bridge since. Frankly, I was surprised at Donald Trump winning it; but I should not have been.

Retrospectively, it almost seems that both major political parties were striving mightily to lose that election! Let's face it: the Republicans had too many candidates! And some of them were highly dubious; like Ted Cruz. Others were boring, like Jeb Bush. Still others did not fit onto the national stage well, like Bobby Jindal. The Republicans, in a strong effort to lose, managed to come up with a candidate with no elected experience at all! And one who claimed to grope women, at that! This candidate

Surely, the Democrats should have walked away with it . . . .

Well, they nominated Hillary Clinton, not the most inspiring candidate; but one with a few negatives, like Benghazi and her association with her husband Bill. And there was the issue of the superdelegates. This led to an in-party revolt by the Bernie Sanders fans.

The fact that so many got behind Bernie should have told them something or other.

But the Democrats were just as much a slave to their party's history and liabilities as the Republicans were. They're in a bind: they want to go as liberal as can be; but in doing so they may put off some people.

But maybe using Tim Kaine as a base candidate, and advocating a middle-of-the-road approach, they may get it all. 

Sorry. Nancy Pelosi should go. She's a liability. As a matter of fact, no one from California or the rest of the left coast. Someone from the South . . . . maybe Doug Jones even as V.P.  Or Elizabeth Warren. The big deal is o pick up a few extra electoral votes while keeping the sure bet states in the fold.

And downplay any connections with Wall Street.

As for the Republicans? Well, they got a lot of possibilities. But none of them very good or interesting. Ted Cruz and Mario Rubio need to sit the next one out. And Bobby Jindal is a joke. 

Here's a name that could go somewhere: Nikki Haley. She would definitely give the Republicans a new look. 

But keep the Wall Street support under wraps. For both parties, that's toxic and will continue to be.