And then I wrote...

by Dick Schilling, Editor Emeritus

... that I figure I have the opportunity to offend any voter of either party who has made up his or her mind about who to vote for to represent their party in next year's national election for president.
I can't find anybody I like.
The weekend's TV panel shows and Sunday papers were full of speculation about what it means that a couple polls showed Ted Cruz was leading Donald Trump in Iowa among potential Republican voters.
My first question is what would it matter if Cruz won that caucus decision in Iowa. Previous Iowa caucus winners have included Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, and not only did neither become president, neither wound up as the GOP candidate. So an Iowa win very well might mean nothing. Again.
Now, to the offensive stuff.
Cruz is sorta Trump lite on a lot of issues, but not only are Democrats and Independents unlikely to vote for him for some of those reasons (i.e., immigration, foreign policy) many of his fellow Republicans don't like the fact that he does not always toe the party line.
Trump remains an enigma. His personality is his worst enemy in the minds of many, who are reluctant to trade one messianic megalomaniac for the one who presently holds the office. The Republican Party is rife with "anybody but Trump" sentiment and that can't be good for general election success hopes.
Ben Carson, the soft-spoken neurosurgeon, seems too nice to even be in the company of the others who are professionals at political double-speak. I can imagine Putin asking his translator why the American is whispering.
Marco Rubio would seem to represent what the GOP wants in a candidate... Hispanic background, young, handsome... but seems to want to remain apart from the fray, and so that's where he ranks... outside the fray.
Jeb Bush has his last name working against him, because voters seem reluctant to name a third Bush in a dynasty. Plus, as his Daddy might say with his Texas drawl, Jeb seems to be "pussy footin" around the issues.
There are a handful of others not really in consideration.
On the Democrat side, there's Hillary, and all I can think of when I see her is "liar, liar, pantsuit on fire!" I haven't trusted her since Arkansas.
Bernie Sanders, one national pundit remarked, seems to be the old man who stands on his porch and yells "you kids get off my lawn."
There is also an Irishman in the distant background and not a threat.
There. Is there anybody I haven't offended?
Seriously, we ought to be able to do better, in either party, don't you think?