Despite Gaffes, Trump Stays Competitive in Race

It's actually been going on for several months: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says something outrageous...people are outraged...and the verdict comes in over the media that it's all over and that the loose-tongued billionaire might as well just drop out of the race.  And it's true that, from time to time, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton will build up her lead over her chief opponent, even to double digits, following some of the worst of these outbursts.  And then a few days later, that lead will appear to diminish back to around five percentage points, give or take a couple.  That is exactly what's going on right now: after Trump's ranting and raving about the Muslim Gold Star parents and calling Clinton alternately a monster, the Devil, and co-founder of ISIS (with President Obama, of course) while constantly referring to her as "Crooked Hillary", it looked as if he had gone over the final line of so many that he has already tromped over.  And yet, the latest polls, as you can see by going to the RealClearPolitics website, have him in a much closer contest than the news media talking heads would have you believe...

The depressing thing about all this is not only that we still have 85 days left in this grueling election campaign to put up with, but also the intensity of the attacks on television and radio will grow, along with their viciousness.  And don't get me started with all of the robo-calls and political mailings we'll be flooded with.  I knew more than a year ago for whom I would be voting for president...it represents the depths of ignorance and foolishness that so many people in our country still haven't been able to make up their own minds on this subject when the choice is so clear-cut, hence the swinging back and forth of the candidates in the polls...