As November looms ever nearer, political candidates are scrambling to refine their positions on various issues and present comprehensive, feasible solutions to societal shortcomings. Many candidates are renowned for their ambitious, perhaps even grandiose plans for addressing controversial issues such as immigration reform, classism, and the pervasive nature of terrorism. Interestingly enough, the proposals of extremists have resonated profoundly with the American public. Significant media coverage has been devoted to Bernie Sanders’ radicalism and his attempts to dispel the stigma of socialism, while Donald Trump’s conservative extremism and seemingly farcical campaign have allowed him to surpass his competitors. Political extremism has become so normalized that Bernie Sanders’ invocations of socialist thought and Donald Trump’s overt racism are considered benign by some people.
The preeminence of the bipartisan system has almost entirely eclipsed third-party interests. Over the past twenty-five years, American voters have exhibited an unprecedented political polarity, with the doctrinal discrepancies between Democrats and Republicans becoming more pronounced. That being said, this phenomenon is incredibly divisive; as candidates become increasingly polarized ideologically, it begins to appear as if reconciliation or compromise between liberals and conservatives is not viable, which perpetuates the perceived mutual exclusivity between the two parties. This lends itself to further political contention. Due to the contrived diametrical opposition between the parties, a staggering percentage of voters have registered as independents, electing not to affiliate with either party. This subversion of the bipartisan system implies that many voters feel alienated by the political binary.
The prevalence of extremism within American politics could be attributed to the general public’s dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs and a desire for a radical reformation of the sociopolitical sphere, upon which both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump have insisted, although their protocols have few commonalities. While extremists are able to capitalize upon the public fascination with societal reconstruction, more moderate candidates such as John Kasich find themselves struggling to secure the attention of the media and public favor. Donald Trump has commanded the stage at various GOP debates, and the support that he has received far exceeds that of his competitors. In fact, recent statistics indicate Donald Trump’s superlative popularity among Florida residents; he has managed to surpass Florida native Marco Rubio and has become the predominant candidate in Florida. Thus, the election can be expected to be a turbulent one, as extremists and moderates compete for the coveted presidency.