Epiphany, 03.06.2016:

I recently had my own little epiphany about the candidates running for POTUS in the 2016 Election Circus.

It seems that most 'traditional' conservatives, often of the Republican persuasion, tend to be Anti-Protectionist. They tend, or at least used to, encourage the benefits of Capitalism and Free-Market Economics.

So, I'm almost embarrassed that it took so long for some of Trump's views (or rants) to light up on my radar screen. To wit: Bring Jobs Back to America, Impose tariffs to protect US industries from Nasty Foreign Competition, (including that of Emigrants who might compete "wage-wise" with American Workers already here, and so on. You may notice some more Un-Characteristic views, too.

As America has evolved from an Agrarian Economy into Manufacturing, then "Intellectual" (as in computers and such) and now is switching into a Service Economy (most of our GDP now comes from the Service Sector, just as nearly all came from Agriculture a hundred or two years ago...)

And even China is struggling today with the challenges of moving from Manufacturing to Service, after having rocketed from Agriculture to Manufacturing many times faster than any other country before it!

Then the light suddenly went on: Those tend to be Democratic/Liberal Protectionist Controls that they like to apply to people and businesses "for the Common Good," whether or not, in fact, any 'common good' ever can be demonstrated to have resulted from those laws!

And that led to the Realization that: Trump is really a Democrat. He "used to be one" and then "switched," right? No. Those are just labels or groups or cults anyone can say they're a member of, or not. But the Beliefs and Oratory give him away.

What's that all Mean? To me, it means that All of the Other "Republican Candidates" are actually in a contest against three Democratic Candidates: Sanders, Clinton and Trump!

I wondered if any of them, let alone the Republican National Committee has recognized what's really going on here?

Is Soros behind it all? I wouldn't be surprised. Is there some nefarious back-stage action that neither voters nor the MainScream Media have visibility of? That wouldn't surprise me one bit. As a friend put it, "Nothing is as it appears" and this minor epiphany seems to emphasize that possibility, too.

So, it appears to me that Rubio and Cruz may not even realize that they're competing with a Democrat on their own ticket... Trump!

I'm a very "visual" person, and I soon pictured a scale of Left-versus-Right-ness and put, of course, Sanders at the far left extreme with Clinton a bit to the right of him, but 'not much.' But where did Trump fit in? Definitely Left Of Center, but not Way Over There with Bernie and Hillary. Maybe on the 25- or 35-yard line or so.

Cruz and Rubio are well onto the other side of the field, out in the 70-90-yard line range, and personally, I see Cruz as being farther right. Lots of Religion in what he says and how he says it. Too much for me, but Rubio does, too. But that's just my view.

I just wanted to let all y'all know what dawned on me recently and offer it up for your consideration. Republicans, if they're REAL Conservatives, Love Competition, not barriers and tariffs and strong unions. I'm just not hearing that from Trump. Please let me know if you disagree.

Thanks for listening. Now, back to the Big Tent and the Rest of the Circus, because that's really all I'm seeing there, too!