by Barry Hastings

The Clinton camp has suddenly become the Clinton collapse, in Iowa and New Hampshire, as Bernie Sanders leads Hillary in polls among Democrats in the latter by nine points. He’d been creeping up on her for weeks, but in the last week, steadily improved, then quickly surpassed her.

I’m not a big fan of Bernie. Being President is not just a healthy person’s work, it’s young healthy person’s work. He looks good enough now, but how good will he look after two years of restless sleep, GOP delaying tactics, and surprise after surprise from ISIL, smack in the middle of “the mess the Shrub made?”

It’s almost stupefying contemplating Clinton’s failure to deal with the personal e-mail server problem – for months. It’s steadily driving her down. It’s all the media wants to talk about with her. And it has the appearance of becoming a huge roadblock on her road to the White House.

I hate to have to say this, but if she envisions serious party-splitting problems in her immediate future, she should do the right thing. . . , get out! Some believe she should get out now. I’m near the point, myself, but. . . , believing she’s the “toughest guy we’ve got,” and the sharpest, I await her determination.

This whole problem with Benghazi (Libya), and the personal server, is GOP hoopla. The security issue at our embassy there is, and was brought on by, the GOP-controlled congress cutting security funding for the Department of State (just as they’re forcing big, serious cuts on our military at a moment in history more dangerous than anything we’ve ever faced). The GOP would rather see the nation going-up in smoke and flame, than do anything to help the black man currently sleeping in Lincoln’s bed.

Take the plunge, Hillary, tell ’em everything, then flatly refuse to respond again to the barbs and queries. They’re scared to death at the very thought of you leading the country. Go, girl, do your thing — not theirs.

A couple of weeks ago, maybe three, I wrote a few lines about how our pathetically planned, manned, and universally panned invasion of Iraq, stirred a reasonably quiet Middle East to a boiling pot of bloodshed, disrupted families, non-­functioning governments. There now is hardly a peaceful, crack, crevice, or corner to be found  anywhere in the region. Almost every place we’ve poked our noses, has completely collapsed; Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, north and east Africa.

The Iraqi army alone has relinquished many tons of American arms, other supplies, through plain cowardice. And after their performance in the field against us, how in hell could we have trusted them with any part of the national treasure? And not just once, but several times.

Our allies (such as they are) in the region, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, several weaker states are, “nervous as whores in church,” about the ISIL problem, as most have few means of resistance, but through us. It doesn’t look to me as though we’re weighing in with the forces required to stabilize the region. It’s a World War II size problem, and we’re trying to put it down with a Reagan-class invasion of Panama (a FUBAR similar to Shrubwar, but on a much smaller scale). Hasn’t worked. Won’t work.

“The aimless torchbearer for the angry” reads the headline for a Washington Post editorial doubling as a guest editorial in a recent Kalamazoo Gazette edition. The editorial criticized Trump for saying (first debate), “I don’t have time for total political correctness,” then adding, “And to be honest with you,this country doesn’t have time either.” Writer of the editorial said he agreed with Trump, “If political correctness is understood to mean self-censorship of controversial but legitimate views, for fear of ostracism.”

The writer went on to criticize Trump for referring to opponents as “pigs,” for disparaging their personal appearance, and for his particularly crude comments regarding a FOX news reporter’s menstrual cycle. He’s rude, crude and dangerous to be involved with. Ask the thousands financially ruined by his four (count ’em, four) bankruptcies. Christ a’ mighty, he must be the first man in history to go belly-up with a lush and most lavish boardwalk casino. That’s “The Donald.”

The Donald’s Republican party represents 23 percent of the electorate. His supporters are a small minority of the small minority. Who can explain why the press only pays attention to him. His campaign is the Republican evil twin of Hillary Clinton’s — the press working both for headlines rooted in their choice 30-second clips. The harshness of Trump’s campaign is nothing more (or less) than a reflection of Republican attitudes across the nation. (Ohio’s sensible Republican governor should be a Democrat).

Another thing I’ve noticed about blow-hard Donald is a tendency to answer difficult questions with, “I don’t have time to know this stuff, I’ll hire an expert staff to bring me up to speed when I’m elected,” or some similar line.

Donnie-boy, when the DEFCON board lights-up, you’d better have given some thought to, and have some ideas about, what and who is cookin’ what, and where. It’s a bit late for “hiring experts.”

We know the people Trump attracts are angry, shoot-from-the-hip nit-wits. Most of them can’t manage day-to-day life, and ever blame liberals, blacks, Hispanics, and large double-handful of ethnic groups of (to them) doubtful patriotic beliefs.

Very small (overall) numbers of them are the questionable heart of those NRA members (and other firearm nut jobs) who continue (with GOP support) to block a sane policy on firearm purchases. Where else, in the whole wide civilized world, would citizens tolerate 10,000 fatal shootings a year, most of the guilty I’ve seen, obviously mentally impaired?