Barring some seismic shake-up within the Democratic Party, the 2016 presidential race will be a match between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

During the Republican primaries, Trump has displayed a knack for belittling his opponents by branding them with simple, derogatory nicknames. We got, “Low-energy” Jeb, “Little” Marco and “Lyin” Ted.

What put down will Trump come up with for Hillary? What nickname will he saddle her with? My money is on Trump going full misogynistic. He will attack Hillary’s looks. If I had to guess, Trump’s nickname for Clinton will be “Grandma” Hillary.

You can almost hear these insults being hurled at Hillary:

You know, folks, “Grandma” Hillary would be the second oldest president in our country’s history, just after Reagan. Do we want to see “Grandma” Hillary turn into Golda Meir right before our eyes?

Even in her prime, Hillary was never more than a 4.

With Hillary in the White House, it will be pantsuit city. Can you imagine her at formal state dinners? Nothing like how Melania will look as First Lady, I’ll tell you that!

I gotta tell you. I feel sorry for Bill. Guys you know what I mean..

Hardly a face for Mt. Rushmore, don’t you agree?

I have many friends who are plastic surgeons. They all say plastic surgery can only go so far.

Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president? (Fiorina reprise)

Of course none of this will help Trump with the female vote. But Trump just doesn’t care. As of now, his mysogynistic rants have not hurt him. They have actually helped him among his largest bloc of primary voters, under-educated males. This will not be the case in a general election, however.

I have no doubt Trump will play the “gender/looks” card. The man just won’t be able to help himself.

Trump supporters have already come out with one pretty offensive campaign button:

Yes, the battle between Trump and Clinton could get ugly… fast.

Photo | thegatewaypundit.com

Donald Trump wants us to play a game. He pretends wanting to be president. We go along with the ruse.

After today’s string of primary victories in Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland and Pennsylvania, the sheeple are playing their part to a tee.

How do I know Trump is not serious about occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? I listen to his words.

On October 6, 2015, Trump said this on Meet The Press when asked by Chuck Todd of the possibility he might leave the race, “Number one — I’m not a masochist. And if I was dropping in the polls where I thought I wasn’t gonna win, why would I continue? I’d go back to my business. I have no problem with that.” This clearest hint of an exit strategy, over six months ago, hasn’t exactly panned out for Trump.

During a rally in Maryland this past Sunday, Trump said if he loses the Republican nomination, people shouldn’t expect him to stick around in the public eye. “I don’t think I’m going to lose,” said Trump, “but if I do, I don’t think you’re ever going to see me again, folks. I think I’ll go to Turnberry and play golf or something.”

So much for the feared third party run!

I also know Trump does not want the toughest job in American by looking at his actions. A real contestant knows the rules of the game he is playing. He does not whine late in the competition that the rules are unfair. Surely a serious presidential candidate would know that securing his party’s nomination is not about votes but about delegates. Trump never had the organization to secure loyal delegates like his competitor, Ted Cruz.

There are only two possible outcomes for Trump. He either wins his party’s nomination – on a first ballot vote – by accumulating the needed 1237 delegates. Or the Republican convention becomes a free-for-all and someone other than Trump becomes the nominee. Of course, Trump could win after subsequent ballots, but that seems highly unlikely as many of his pledged delegates are not loyal to him … beyond a first ballot vote.

No matter which scenario it is, the Republican Party is damned.

With scenario number one, the Republican Party gets decimated in November, losing in a landside to the Democratic nominee, most likely Hillary Clinton. That likelihood could very well trigger the death of the GOP as we now know it. With scenario number two, the GOP is also doomed but the party might be able to survive. As for Trump, scenario two allows him to play the victim of the evil Republican establishment and still claim to be a winner.

My feeling is that Trump prefers scenario number two. Having the nomination “stolen” from him is exactly what he wants. Not only does the “in-over-his-head” Trump get to exit the race, but he can spend the rest of his life complaining that he was “robbed” of the nomination while secretly relishing his narrow escape.

Said writer Drew Magary, “Trump is always droning on and on about winning, but his obsession is merely with LOOKING like he’s a success and not actually BEING one. Winning is a branding exercise for him. If the Republican Party pries the nomination out of his stubby, cocktail-frank fingers, he can say that he technically “won,” and then slip out the Quicken Loans Arena fire escape in disgust, leaving a mob of angry voters and tattered party platforms behind him.”

Perhaps no one has said it better than Stephanie Cegielski, communications director for the now defunct pro-Trump Make America Great Again PAC. “I don’t think even Trump thought he would get this far. And I don’t even know that he wanted to, which is perhaps the scariest prospect of all.”

Cegielski continued. “He certainly was never prepared or equipped to go all the way to the White House, but his ego has now taken over the driver’s seat, and nothing else matters. The Donald does not fail. The Donald does not have any weakness. The Donald is his own biggest enemy.”

It is way too late for Trump to drop out of the race. He has come too far and built up an insanely loyal following. There is nothing to be done but play out the hand. If he were to try to “chicken out,” his fanatic followers would have his scalp … no pun intended.

Pity poor Donald! All he ever wanted was a respectable showing as a presidential candidate. Running for the Republican nomination must have seemed like the ultimate way to promote his brand on the cheap. And now this?

The consummate con man done in by his own con. How rich!

Photo | thegolfnewsnet.com

Think what you will about Donald Trump, the man has brought levity to an area usually bereft of laughter… presidential politics.

Below is a list of the top ten Donald Trump jokes:

Q: If Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are in a boat and it capsizes. Who survives?

A: America

Q: How’s Donald Trump going to get rid of all the Mexicans?

A: Juan by Juan

Q: Is Donald Trump as intelligent as he claims?

A: Yes. He’s a smart man with a deep understanding of what stupid people want.

Q: What happens when Donald Trump takes Viagra?

A: He grows taller.

Q: Why does Trump want to ban the sale of pre-shredded cheese?

A: He wants to make America grate again.

Q: Why does Donald Trump secretly want to lose the election?

A: Because if he wins, he’ll have to move into a smaller house in a black neighborhood.

Q: Why does Donald Trump prefer E.T. to illegal immigrants?

A: Because E.T. eventually went home.

Q: What’s the difference between God and Donald Trump?

A: God doesn’t think he’s Donald Trump.

Q: Is America going to suffer if Donald Trump becomes president?

A: Yes. You could say we’re going toupée for it.

Q: What’s is Trump’s biggest fear?

A: A strike at the orange spray can factory.

If you know a Trump joke you’d like to share, you can do so in the “comments” section.

Photo | politicalhumor.about.com

Progressive Democrats love Bernie Sanders in just about the same measure as they despise Hillary Clinton. For many, it’s “Bernie or Bust.” A good number of these so-called Democrats say they would just as soon stay home on Election Day, or vote for Donald Trump, than support the former Secretary of State. Their enmity for Clinton is that great.

There is no doubt Progressives are an emotional bunch. But the odds are great that, in time, passions will wane and cooler heads will prevail.

Progressives should be asking themselves one simple question: “Which candidate, Bernie or Hillary, would be more effective in dealing with the obstructionist Republicans in Congress?” The answer undoubtedly is Hillary Clinton.

Hillary knows how to play dirty, Bernie does not. The former First Lady has a good deal of experience in political hardball. She and Bill have a certain way of getting things done; of making sure they get their way.

Many long-time members of Congress remember the Bill Clinton presidency. They also remember the story of Vince Foster.

Vince Foster committed “suicide” July 20, 1993. In the spring and early summer of that year, the Clinton “Travelgate” scandal  erupted. It was one of a series of problems Foster was confronting – not only in his role as deputy White House counsel but – as in the case of “Whitewater” – in his role as personal lawyer for the Clintons.

Many Republican conspiracists do not believe Foster committed suicide but was rubbed out, done in, bumped off, sent to his maker at the direction of the Clintons. The man just knew too much.

With that thought in mind, do you think our august senators and congressman might be a little fearful of crossing Hillary and Bill? They know if they do not play ball with the Clintons, there is a good chance they may be “Fostered.”

Of course this is just my own little half-baked theory. But you get the idea: the Clintons play to win. They can be as cunning and Machiavellian as Republicans. Rumor has it the “b” word is sometimes used to describe Hillary. Bernie is just a kind soul.

As great as Bernie’s policies may be (universal healthcare, free college, etc.), does anyone honesty think those initiatives would be given an iota of consideration by congressional Republicans? No, they would treat old Bernie just as they have treated our President – with complete disrespect, and a lack of fear.

That will not be the case with the Clintons back in the White House. No sir, none of those old-time Congressmen will want to risk being “Fostered” with Hillary at the helm.

Photo | pjmedia.com

In his final State of the Union address last night, President Obama revealed “one of the few regrets” of his time in office.

Having made healing the divisions in Washington a major campaign theme in 2008, the President told the joint session of Congress, “It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency  that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better. There’s no doubt a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide, and I guarantee I’ll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office.”

Sorry, Sir, but you are being a bit too hard on yourself. There is no other president I can recall who entered office with the deck so stacked against him. Yes the rancor and vitriol in Washington has gotten much worse since you entered the White House but it is not for your lack of trying. It is simply due to the fact that you are you.

On the same day you were sworn into office, the Republican leader of the Senate, Mitch McConnell, bragged about how making your failure would be the Republicans’ primary goal … not creating jobs, or fixing the economy. Said the Minority Leader, “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”

The blowhard king of conservative talk radio, Rush Limbaugh, speaking of your presidency, told his audience, “I hope he fails.” Of course this helped stir hatred against you from the get go. It didn’t matter that what the faux patriot was saying, in effect,, was that he hoped America failed.

Then you had the official propaganda machine for the Republican Party, Fox News, joining in the battle to portray you as an enemy; an outsider; a loser. Any policy initiative you proposed, they were against… even if Republicans themselves, at one time, had pushed for the same policy proposal. It didn’t matter; if you were for it, Fox and company was against it. It is beyond ironic that the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) was a Republican creation!

You had to endure, and still are, the whole “birther” movement against you. You were not eligible to be our president, said the “birthers,” because you were not “one of us.” You were a Kenyan Muslim secretively trying to undermine our great country. It is now more than clear that the whole “birther” nonsense was nothing but a racist reaction to your status as the first African American president of the United States.

No Sir, you need not regret nor blame yourself for the increased animosity in Washington. You had no chance. I dare say not even a Lincoln or FDR could have done better or handled the situation with any more of the calm or grace you’ve exhibited.(The Amazing Grace Of Barack Obama)

You are truly an amazing man. In spite of all the roadblocks, all the hatred, all the malice, you have been able to accomplish so many things for the American people; great things that the visceral hatred of so many will not allow them to see.

Sir, it takes two to tango and your partner (Republicans) refused to dance from the moment the music started playing.

Enjoy your final year in office, Sir. We look forward to many more great things from you.