By Harold Pease, Ph. D

Actually the games have been going on for some time as they do every four years when the mega rich essentially elect our president through their super packs and media outlets.  The “game” part of the process is how it is done causing the people to believe that they choose their president when they do not.  I have told my students for years that the quickest way to understand our political system is to watch the movie “The Hunger Games.”  The strategy is to herd all voters into their two camps called Republicans and Democrats excluding all other political parties, where there exist few real differences on foreign policy where the super rich have agreement.  Since they own all major media outlets, information for or against those they allow to elevate is managed.

The few astute enough to figure this out and learn of other choices are easily brought back into the fold by the siren call that they are throwing away their vote if going outside these “ordained” two parties.  Those disaffiliated with both establishment political parties, about 40 percent, called independents, are returned to the fold at election time still forced to choose from the existing approved candidates.  And thus only the faces change every four years.

I suppose that as a political scientist by profession this is more easily understood.  I write the Federal Elections Commission every October of every election year to find out who is running for president, which I have done since the early 1990’s.  Never has the list of candidates for president been less than 200 and never has the list of political parties, most offering a presidential candidate, been less than 20.

With this in mind let me share some observations with respect to the first Republican Party Debate of the 2016 presidential race.  Donald Trump’s immediate surge to the top was, and is, due primarily to extensive initial media coverage and to his defiance of the political correctness which is admired by most (it also has an entertainment aspect).  Enemies even liked it because they hoped to see him self-destruct.  “It has been a breath of fresh air to have someone tell it like it is,” said many.  Most politicians are so afraid to commit they almost say nothing.

Most wonder about his conservative credentials having once been for abortion, a single payer healthcare system, and a proponent of continued funding of the non-abortion parts of the Planned Parenthood, but the entertaining “tell it like it is” aspect is so strong.  One favorable aspect of electing Trump is that he is not purchased by the rich–other than himself.  Others must mold their rhetoric and action to please their financial bosses, not the people.  This leaves Trump uncontrolled and the establishment (the other mega rich) cannot have that, thus their early attempt to faze him out by Fox News.  Remember the “double whammy” questions, first by Bret Baer, aimed right at Trump, asking all candidates who might consider running as a third party candidate were he not to get the Republican Party nod, knowing full well that Trump was the only one who had suggested such.  The second question, from Megan Kelly, asked him, almost in an accusatory manner, about his position on women.  Had these questions come from any other network journalists, other than Fox, such might have been expected.  Predictably both were intended to damage Mr. Trump.

Clearly the favorites of the establishment (mega-rich) in the Republican Party for many months have been moderates Jeb Bush and Chris Christie.  It is never a real conservative.  Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Carly Florina, all with excellent performances in the debates, are in place partially to show the diversity of the party as opposed to the serious absence of diversity on race in the Democratic Party.  All of these, and Scott Walker, can be molded by their financial bosses with the exception of Ted Cruz who they despise and will work to faze out later.  Remember, as intelligent as any of these persons are they will be responsible for the placement of hundreds in a new administration and will rely largely on the opinion of those already in place which is largely the establishment view.  Ben Carson and Carly Florina are especially vulnerable with respect to this.  They know little with respect to the workings of the Federal Government—or any government.  Marco Rubio’s cave two years ago on immigration policy left him damaged with the more conservative element of his party but at the same time viewed as more pliable to the establishment bosses.  I expect him to continue to do well because they like him.

Mike Huckabee, as a Council on Foreign Relations member, and Rick Perry, as a former guest to a Bilderberg conference, will not be acceptable to Republicans against the New World Order.  Huckabee had an outstanding debate, however, but did not get the traction that I had expected from the performance.  Perry may have offended the establishment bosses by his sincere desire to close our southern border, something that the rich oppose because they are working for the “new” North America like the European Community, with open borders.

With respect to the Constitution, a document that cannot take further mutilation as has happened under George W. Bush and Barack Obama allowing us to remain free, the only presidential candidates to reference it in the debate of the top ten were Ted Cruz and Rand Paul both despised by the bosses.  Nothing any of the others said tells me that they have any understanding of the Constitution and I am certain that it will not be first consideration in any policy that they derive later.  It would be a serious mistake to pick a next president deficient in this area.

Dr. Harold Pease is a syndicated columnist and an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He has taught history and political science from this perspective for over 25 years at Taft College. To read more of his weekly articles, please visit www.LibertyUnderFire.org.