It’s been a while since I last wrote something to The Tidewater News for publication. This has been primarily because other demands took priority in my life and I did not really have anything that sparked my interest. As I observe what is happening in our political world and ponder how it has affected the country, I am compelled to give my two cents worth.

In a conversation with a young lady a few months ago a discussion of the two main political parties in this country surfaced. There was the question as to which party best serves the need of the poor and working class. This is an age-old question that could lead to many different answers depending on one’s point of view. She was biased toward the Republican Party pointing out that the Republican Party was the party of Abraham Lincoln and he signed the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all slaves. I reminded her that although this is true, Abraham Lincoln’s Republican Party had a different ideology than the one of today. The Republican Party has evolved into something entirely different from what it was during President Lincoln’s Administration.

As I watch these presidential primaries, I wonder just what has happened to the Republican Party. Certainly the Democrats are having their issues in the primaries but nothing compared to the Republicans.

The Republicans are experiencing internal turmoil that has been never seen in their party before. While most of the country was watching and wondering what was happening, the party candidates were continuously putting down each other by any and all means necessary. It is mind-boggling to see someone aspiring to be the leader of the free world stoop to such low moral tactics. This Republican Primary has become a circus as the entire world looks on in awe. Just what has happened to cause the party that once was so powerful and vibrant decay to a party whose ideology is shaken and strained to say the least? Could it be that their chickens are coming home to roost?

Since the present Presidential Administration been in place, the energy of the Republicans has been focus on discrediting the President and dismantling the democrats at any cost. It had its beginning when Senator Mitch McConnell declared that he was determined to make Barack Obama a one-term president. This put in place a windfall of actions aimed at destroying any legislation promoted by the president. The magnitude of such actions was never experience in this country before. These actions were so concentrated until the Republicans lost sight of how they were damaging the country and ultimately their own party. This energy was so focused against President Obama until the party itself split. A primary player in this division was the Tea Party Republicans, promoted and influenced by Sarah Palin. At this time Congress was so disjointed until no major legislation was passed. John Boehner became tired of the circus and resigned as Speaker of the House and left the Congress. Through all of this, the Republicans didn’t realize a need for the party to identify a viable candidate that the party as a whole could support and groom him/her for the presidency.

At the beginning of the Presidential Primaries the Republicans had an enormous slate of candidates. I question if any of them were really ready to become commander and chief of the United States and the leader of the free world. The slate dwindled down to two, (excluding John Kasich), barking at each other like two pit bull dogs. Ted Cruz and John Kasich suspended their campaigned leaving Donald Trump as possibly the nominee for the Republican Party. This is indeed an unlikely choice and that can be observed by the comments of some of the top leadership in the party.

A leader must have certain characteristics if he is to be successful. Ten of these found in the book of Proverbs are: Wisdom, Integrity, Love, The ability seeks good advisers, Self control, An awareness of his influence on others, compassion, No need for Public approval, Moderation and Submission to God. As I view the Republican Party I surmise that a lot of these characters are missing in its leadership.

Buddhism teaches that the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence decides their fate in the future. In other words, “what you do in the present determines what will happen to you in the future.” This is called “Karma.”

Could it be that the Republican Party is experiencing the bad Karma of the past?

CLYDE JOHNSON is a retired healthy physicist at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. He is a resident of Franklin and can be reached at 562-4402.